Hair Loss After Brow and Face and Neck Lift

asked 10 months ago by vickiland in Denton, TX
Latest answer by Jeffrey Epstein MD, FACS
Question viewed 452 times
Tags: female, hair loss, normal

Can you tell me how common it is to have some hair loss particularly on the sides of the head with a strip of thinning hair just past the incision line from a lateral brow lift, face lift and neck lift. I also have about a little larger than a nickel size bald spot now further down that line from the incision. I have this on both sides but really my left side is worse than my right side. Thanks Vicki

10 answers to Hair Loss After Brow and Face and Neck Lift

Hairloss (Allopecia) after Browlift: Common and may take time to regrow.

Any incision in the scalp can cause the hair follicle to go into a hibernation phase and the hair can fall out. This is temporary and will regrow. Hair-loss can also be from injury to the follicle from heat from cautery or the loss of blood flow to the temporal hair area because of too small of an area left there. It is more common in a hairline brow-lift. I would wait at least 3 months to see if there is hair re-growth in the areas you are concerned with, though is after a year the areas of... more

Andrew P. Trussler, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Hair loss after facial surgery

In some cases hair will grow back after loss from these procedures. Flaps too thin, damage from cautery, or too much tension on the tissues are the common causes. It may take several months before you see any recovery. Donald R. Nunn MD Atlanta Plastic Surgery.

Donald Nunn, MD, DDS
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Hair loss is not infrequently a sequelae of brow and face lifts.

Hair loss especially early after extended face and brow lifts is not an uncommon sequelae. However it will usually return with time. It is more frequent in patients who begin with thin hair or have "tight" foreheads and scalps. Fortunately it usually will recover with time. If it does not, the options are micrografting or reexcision and closure. Dr. Mayl Fort Lauderdale

Nathan Mayl, MD
Fort Lauderdale Plastic Surgeon

Hair loss after facelift

I tell my patients hair loss can occur after face/brow/neck lifts for two reasons. First, incisions and tension can sometimes lead to hair loss do to their affect on blood flow. Second some people believe that general anesthesia and/or the "stress" of surgery can lead to generalized hair loss. In both cases the hair loss can stop and hair can regrow. I often recommend to my Facelift patients that they regularly use Nioxin shampoo... more

Adam Bryce Weinfeld, MD
Austin Plastic Surgeon

Heavy handed surgeons can damage hair in these surgeries.

The good news is that hair can regrow. Often the surgery simply caused root shock. However, it can take 6 months for the hair to return. If it does not grow back in this period, it was permanently damaged by your procedures. If this is the case, an very experienced hair grafter can place micrografts into these areas to help restore the hairline.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Hair loss

I do a lot of the procedures you mention. In my experience, hair loss is uncommon. The causes are too thin a flap, cautery of the hair follicles and tension at the suture line. Most likey your hair will come back.

David A. Bray, Sr., MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Hair Loss after Surgery

There are different types of hair loss that can occur after facial plastic surgery. Around the incisions, there can be temporary hair loss that many times will resolve with time. Distortion of the hairline, including it getting pulled back, can occur due to the tightening of the skin backwards especially of the sideburns but also along the frontal hairline. Lastly, there can be some overall thinning of the hair especially in the upper temporal regions due to the pulling of... more

Jeffrey Epstein MD, FACS
Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon

Hair loss after Brow lift and Face Lift

Hair loss can occur whenever the scalp is dissected beneath the follicles. This is increased, IMHO, by using staples and other forms of closures that are less gentle on the hair-bearing scalp than smaller gauge nylon sutures. There's a method of placing the two edges of cut scalp at the proper orientation to ensure increased viability of the follicles. I have found, after performing Face Lifts, Neck Lifts and Brow Lifts for over 20 years that closing the... more

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Hair loss after browlift

With an open brow lift, it can occur at times. Especially if a subcutaneous plane is used. A scar revision can be done to remove some non hair bearing skin in the area. A hair transplant can usually be done by your surgeon if hair hasn't returned in 4 months.

Richard Dale Reynolds, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

Hair loss after face and brow lifts

Most hair loss after procedures that involve incisions within the hair are temporary. Sometimes the hair follicles go into a phase called telogen, where the hair falls out and the hair bulb or follicle goes into a non-regrowth period for up to four months. There can however be permanent hair loss if the incisions made did not parallel the follicles and they were damaged or if too much tension was placed on the closure of the incision. Other hair loss can occur if there was improper placement... more