Does a facelift cause hair loss? Will I need a hair transplant after?

No a facelift should not cause hairloss. I have been doing this for over 10 years and have never had a patient require a hair transplant after this procedure because of the facelift. I have had a few male patients require some hair removal after the facelift as the hair on the lower face tends to move back up behind the ear after a lift. There is a risk of having hair loss and this can be see in patients who get a different type of incision, that extends up into the hairline towards the temple. I don't do these incisions so its not a concern with my patients. 

In general, facelifting does not cause hair loss, or at least noticeable hair loss. When we elevate the cheeks, resulting extra skin that is removed may have some hair follicles. Depending on technique used your hairline could either be lowered or elevated and this is one key point to discuss with your surgeon. Also, occasionally hair follicles find difficulty growing through scar tissue and there may be some hair loss along a scar line. In general, most scars are very thin and well hidden so this is not noted.

The facelift procedure techniques have developed over the years to ensure you will not suffer from hair loss. In older techniques the incision would be placed in front of your ear in the middle of your side burns and then round the back into your hair lone. This could cause hair loss. However nowadays the incisions are placed much closer to the ears and tucked round the back. In all of my surgeries for the the Facelift procedure i do not go near the hair line at all. I have performed hair transplants on patients who had a facelift elsewhere and had hair loss. 

Thank you for your question.  The short answer to your question is, no; a facelift should not cause hair loss.  The incisions for a well executed facelift are placed to minimize any hair loss.  All incisions after the procedure should heal imperceptibly.  Older techniques used for facelifting sometimes would leave a patient with hair loss around the temples, or behind the ear.  However, the techniques we used today will not do this.Be sure to consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who specializes in facelifts.  Be sure to look at it before and after photographs of previous facelift patients, as well.I hope that this helps!–David Gilpin

Hi ballet8988 and thank you for your question.  A facelift does not typically cause hair loss and in my 20+ years of experience I have not had a facelift patient require a hair transplant following their facelift procedure.  In theory, and depending upon where your incisions are placed, there is the potential for temporary hair loss or shedding if the incision extends into the hairline and is closed with tension on the incision.  This hair loss is typically not permanent but careful surgical planning should help to reduce this risk.  Please consider scheduling a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who is well-experienced in performing facelifts for an evaluation and to determine your candidacy for the procedure.  At the time of your consultation your concerns can be best addressed.  I hope this helps and I wish you all of the best!

A facelift should not cause any appreciable hair loss. If the incisions are not planned properly, the lift could end up moving the hairline so it looks like there is hair loss, so choose your surgeon carefully. Properly executed, a facelift can create amazing rejuvenation without the tell tale signs of surgery, and without any visible appearance of hair loss.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Facial Rejuvenation SpecialistQuintessa Aesthetic Centers

A proper facelift should preserve hairlines with the incisions hidden along or within them (plus around the ears). Too much tension leading to skin breakdown could conceivably lead to hair loss near the incisions (especially post-auricularly), but I have never seen a significant instance of that, nor have I known anyone who has sought hair transplantation post-facelift.

No, facelift surgery should not cause a patient to have hairloss.  The modern facelift incision is designed to be a "hair sparing" incision which preserves the temporal hairline.  A well designed facelift incision will be barely detectable once healed, and should maintain the natural hairline.  A tell tale sign of a poorly designed facelift incision is when one can see visible "step offs" or unnatural irregularities of the hairline.  I suggest you consult with a surgeon specializing in facial cosmetic surgery, this will provide you with the best opportunity for success.  Good Luck!

Hello and thank you for your question. A well designed facelift should not cause any hair loss.  If good technique is used,
this can be done with minimal scarring and can result in a natural look, not
over-done look, with rejuvenation of your face.  Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results. The most important aspect
is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek
consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate
you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

A facelift, when performed with good technique, should not cause any hair loss.   Although rare,  loss of hair can be due to poor incision planning where the temple or sideburn hair is lost  or due to too much tension on suture lines.   I have never had a patient with hair loss in my facelifts and I use the hair to optimally camouflage the suture lines.