Hairline Advancement

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a hairline advancement (forehead reduction) surgery one month ago. I’m losing some hair on the scar and was wondering how long will it take before it grows back? Im still not too happy about my head. I don’t feel like I can wear my hair back. I still feel my hairline is high. My husband says it looks good however! Thanks.

A: There are limit to a one-stage hairline advancement surgery based on teh scalp’s elasticity and how much the forehead can be reduced. Hair shafts along the incision line will typically shed in the first few weeks to month after surgery due to the trauma of the surgery. (hair follicles do not like traumatic events) This still leaves the follicles underneath the skin/scar which will regrow hair, at the growth rate of 0.05mm per day (the follicle lies 6 to 8mms under the skin), which will take about 8 to 10 weeks to begin to appear at the skin surface. (1mm per 10 days or 3mms per month) Thus it will take around three months until some hair growth has occurred through the scar. This coincides with when the redness of the hairline scar begins to get better. (less red) Between the hair growth and the maturation of the frontal hairline scar, it will take about 6 months for the appearance to become more normal. It takes up to a year for the scar to fade as much as it is going to and to have enough hair growth length to see the final true hairline location and pattern.

While easy to stay, it takes patience and lot more healing time to really judge your final perception of the surgical result.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana