Do doctors tend to avoid transplanting hairs in the temporal peaks? (Photos)

Dear Jacob_93,
Thank you for posting this question. You’re quite observant. It’s true: overly low or full temporal recessions (where the hairline meets ends on each side of the hairline) are a common sign of a hair transplant procedure. Why is this? Because it’s a subtle aspect of the artistry of hair restoration, and many doctors who are less experienced are not aware of many of the hundreds of the aesthetic decision making that goes into hair transplant surgery. The truth is that many patients will ask for *more* hair in these areas, and to make their patients happy, the less-experienced hair transplant surgeon will oblige, and “fill up the corners” as my patients often say. It’s intuitive that hair in the corners looks more youthful. However, it’s important to remember that not everyone can pull off that look. Full corners are more suitable for more round faces, African American faces, and some other cultures where the hairline is naturally rather straight across. You appear to be a Caucasian man, and you would look definitely odd with temporal recessions that were aggressively filled in. It’s a sign of having been “done” in this industry. As the old adage goes, “the good thing about the results of a hair transplant surgery is that they are permanent; the bad thing is that they are permanent.” As men of Caucasian descent tend to have oval faces, being conservative in the temporal recessions is key. Many Caucasian men *start* to lose hair in this very area. If it is overly-done, and too aggressive, then as more hair loss occurs in the future, it can look incongruous. You’re only 32. You could develop crown loss at age 40. Then by 45 you might have a tennis-ball sized spot in the crown. Achieving 100% total crown coverage with hair restoration surgery is difficult, and occasionally impossible due to intrinsic factors of the patient (eg: hair shaft diameters, hair color vs scalp color, etc.) So, suppose you’re going to have a surgery to cover the bald spot when you’re 45...so you will have some coverage, but it will be evident that there’s a light area and you have some hair loss in the crown. However, if your temporal recessions have been 100% corrected, and there’s no loss there, that usually looks unusual in a Caucasian man. So, it’s often best to tread lightly in the temporal recessions as the newly constructed hairline must literally be timeless in nature. It has to look natural when you’re 32, and when you’re 82. I hope this information is helpful to you.
Kind Regards,
Ken Anderson, MD, FISHRS

The overall success of a hair transplant surgery depends on: (1) artistic and technical skill of your doctor and team (2) communication between you and your doctor to establish a realistic goal.Your doctor's technical skill will contribute to how natural your results are. It is important for you to explain your goals and expectations.

Temporal transplantation can be performed. Care must be taken to avoid creating an unnatural, age inappropriate hairline. The temporal hairs must also lay fairly flat to help match the natural hair pattern.