Is it possible to estimate how many follicles I'd need to be transplanted to lower my hairline 1 inch using FUE? (photo)

Question

I am comfortable with my hairline at my temples and would like the top part of my hairline to match my temples more closely since right now there's quite a big difference. I measured it and it's about an inch. How many follicles would I need to be transplanted and how much would that cost? Also, if I get the procedure is it inadvisable to wear a fabric headband to cover the transplantation site? I'm assuming the answer will be yes, but I'm unsure. I've heard that hats are okay to wear.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

FUE is a great surgery but FUE is just a method of harvesting grafts it has nothing to do with results.If you are a woman and 2000 grafts are required, you would have to shave the back of your head.This may be a social issue, or hair styling issue.  You just need to be aware of this.Hair line lowering and temple surgery is possible.  You need an exam to make sure you'd be a candidate. You can see results of female hair line lowering and rounding (with hair transplant... all were NOT FUE) on the following video.

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

A woman's hairline can be
genetically high, which I suspect is the case for you, or it can also be
because of a receding hairline. For some people, that’s part of their genetic
hair loss pattern and for some other people, it’s related to wearing very tight
pony tails which is called traction alopecia. You first need to be sure that
your hairline is stable for an effective and accurate treatment, also so that
you are able to anticipate what will happen in the future.

If people in your family have
hairlines that are genetically stable, and don't recede then we can make a
decision about how to strategize the hair line lowering process. One option is
a hairline transplant. However, the number of grafts is based on the donor area
otherwise known as the permanent zone. This is located at the back of the scalp
where the hair never goes away and it’s genetically resistant. This means that
the hair transplantation is limited to the number of hairs that can be moved
from one area to another. Sometimes in a hair transplantation where the
hairline was made too low, the hair gets thin and you can see their grafts or
plugs after 10-15 years.

When we do a transplant, we try
to place 20-40 hairs per square centimeter. If you want to make it look thick,
you may require 60-70 hairs per square centimeter. In my practice, I work from
the back to the front. Unfortunately, there are doctors who work from the front
to the back and this can tend to make the grafts look wide apart, sparse and
artificial. So what I do is I take the maximum amount of hair we can one at a
time whether by a strip method or follicular unit extraction and count the
amount of grafts we have. Then we’ll work at the beginning point of the hairline
and build forward. This way there’s a feathering effect and it doesn’t look
obvious. If the goal is to move the hair one inch down, we might be able to
accomplish a bit but you need to anticipate a second transplant if you want to
get the maximum density you desire.

In our practice, we try to
maximize the yield of the transplant through a method of Hair Regeneration
technology using extracellular matrix and platelet-rich plasma. The reason is
that hair transplant surgery is not about how many hairs you move, it’s about
how many hairs that will actually thrive. This is because a graft has been
removed of its blood supply then is being placed into a new area. We can’t
assume that if you move 1500 grafts, you’ll get 1500 grafts growing. We have
seen the full range from people coming to us from all over the world where they
can get anywhere from 10% loss to over 90% loss of their transplanted hair. To
maximize our results we’ll employ excellent surgical technique and also our
Hair Regeneration technology.

Often, you see actors and people
in the public eye that have an unnatural look because the hairline looks too
straight. A natural hairline is variable, feathered and curved. You can’t tell
a good transplant when you see it because it looks very natural. What you
actually need to do now is to meet with some qualified experienced hair
restoration specialists and learn about your options. Consider the range of
what would make you satisfied with the results that you would ultimately get.
In addition, density, donor area and the thickness of hair are some of the
factors that I consider when I examine a patient. If you have thin hair, you
are only able to cover less scalp than thick coarse hair. So I do measurements
and make drawings to show how much we can cover so that we can have  good communication with our patients. I hope
that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your question.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

You would need 1500 to 2000 grafts. The exact number would depend on the size of your forehad and the density the surgeon feels comfortable to aim for. You can calculate the mumber of follicular units you need yourself:
Figure out the area in square centimeters by multiplying the length times width (i.e. 20 cm x 2.5 cm equals 50 cm squared)Your surgeon may aim for a density anywhere from 30 to 40 follicular units per square centimeter and some may even push it a little higher in the very front (i.e. 50 FU per cm squared) A density of 30 follicular units per centimeter would mean you need 1500 grafts (30 x 50 equals 1500) whereas a density of 40 follicular units per centimeter squared means you need 2000 grafts (50 x 40 equals 2000)The decision on what density to choose depends on many factors and you are best to speak with a few surgeons for their opinions. The cost also depends on the surgeon, his or her clinic and the technique used (FUE vs strip and several other factors too).  The prices ranges from $3 to $ 10 dollars per graft in North America.  You will hear a range in price from $4,000 to $ 15,000. Visit a few clinics to get a sense of the surgeons experience, previous results etc. As fat as wearing a band, that would usually be fine after a week provided it's not too tight. A hat is usually fine at day 1. But checkwith your  surgeon for specific recommendations.

Rashid M. Rashid, PhD, MD · Answer

Lowering hair lines can take 1000-2000 grafts depending on the size of your follicles.  Also, a touch up is often needed for final density increase.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

There are two types of procedures for lowering a
woman’s hairline. One, is a surgical excision of the upper forehead followed by
the downward advancement of the hairline up to an inch from where it was prior
to the surgery. To accomplish this, the entire scalp from the frontal hairline
to the very back of the crown, is lifted up and pulled forward. When this is
done by an experienced surgeon, the hairline can often be advanced about 2/3rd
– 1 inch if there is enough looseness when this lifting process is done. This
procedure is often complete in one surgical session; however, it may not
address receded corners of the hairline if the corner recession is significant.
A great advantage of this surgical approach is the immediate impact of the
procedure on hairline location with healing usually complete in a week or so.
Sometimes this procedure produces a scar in front of the hairline, and if this
is this is the case, a hair transplant in front of the hairline can address the
scar. If there is corner rounding that is not addressed by the surgical
lowering, then hair transplants can address this very well. Hair transplants
take 7-8 months to fully grow out.
The second type of hairline lower procedure is
done through hair transplantation. The number of sessions varies by the
thickness of the hair. For women with other than fine hair, they might do this
in a single session. With finer hair, it often takes two sessions. The time to
see the impact of a hairline lowering hair transplant procedure is 7-8 months
and if a second session is required, it will take another 7-8 months to wait
for full growth. See web-references below for four excellent sets of photos of
this process on four women. I would guess that it would take about 1300 grafts to lower your hairline 1 inch.

Is it possible to estimate how many follicles I'd need to be transplanted to lower my hairline 1 inch using FUE? (photo)

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Answer: Hair line

Answer: Hair line

Answer: Female lowering of the hairline

Answer: Female lowering of the hairline

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Is it possible to estimate how many follicles I'd need to be transplanted to lower my hairline 1 inch using FUE? (photo)

Answers (7)

Answer: Hair line

Answer: Hair line

Answer: Female lowering of the hairline

Answer: Female lowering of the hairline

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.