Hairline lowering/forehead reduction, September 2018, UK.

I had the hairline lowering/forehead reduction surgery 2 and a half weeks ago with Dr Chris Inglefield in London, UK. So far I am very very happy with the results!
I wanted to write this review to help others who are considering this surgery, as RealSelf reviews were so helpful to read when I was researching this procedure.
So as you can see in the before photo, I have always had a high hairline (approx. 7.5cm) with a prominent widows peak which made my hairline very uneven. I have always hated it and hidden behind a side fringe for as long as I can remember! I have been considering this surgery for many years, but I only started seriously researching it about a year ago. I was initially planning to travel to USA for this surgery, as it is a very specialised surgery and not many doctors have a lot of experience in it. However, luckily I came across Dr. Inglefield, who is based in London, UK, when I was doing my research. I believe he performs 2-3 cases of hairline lowering a week, and after a lot of research, I knew he was the doctor for me. I particularly liked how rounded and arched the incision was in his 'after' photos, as I particularly wanted a rounded hairline with the sides taken in as well as the front of the hairline.
I had a face-to-face consultation with him which was great, he spent a lot of time with me explaining the procedure in detail and answered all my questions, I never felt rushed at all. I booked the surgery a couple of weeks later and paid the deposit, the full amount was due about 2 weeks before the surgery. I had my surgery at 09:30, I stayed in a hotel in London the night before. The surgery went well, he managed to take off approx. 2.5cm. I woke up and my head felt very tight and tender and I felt a bit woozy and sick, but I never actually threw up which was a relief! I stayed in the hospital until about 6pm and then got a taxi home, it was nice to be back in my own bed!
As per instructions from the nurse, I slept elevated with a wedge pillow to reduce swelling. However after a few days I ditched the wedge pillow (I didn't find it very comfortable!) and propped myself up with three big pillows instead. The next few days I felt very tired and my head felt quite tight, I had a bit of pain but I was fine with taking paracetamol and didn't need to use the stronger painkillers they gave me. I was given some antibiotics and some other tablets to reduce swelling, which I took for 5 days post-op. I started going for light walks at around day 3 to help blood circulation. I washed my hair and the incision every day for 2 weeks post-op with baby shampoo- I was told it was very important to keep it clean so I made sure I did! After 2 weeks I wash all my hair every second day, but still wash the incision every day with baby shampoo.
I had my stitches taken out on day 10 by the nurse, this wasn't very painful just uncomfortable- it felt a bit like getting your eyebrows threaded (if you've ever had that done!) I also had three MLD massages which were included in the price of the surgery, one the day before the op, one 5 days later and one 10 days later. These are meant to reduce swelling, I'm not sure if they helped or not but they were very relaxing!
I am now 18 days post-op and, so far, I am very happy! I was terrified about shock loss- I was told that temporary hair loss could happen after surgery, but so far I have only had minimal thinning around the temple areas, nothing too noticeable. The scar is healing great, I have uploaded a photo of how I wore my hair going out 2 weeks post-op, and a close-up photo of how it looks today. Both photos I am not wearing any makeup on the incision. It is a little red and there is still some scabbing, but I can confidently go out with my hair down.
It has totally changed my life, and the recovery was easier than I expected. I am so so glad I had this done! If I can get through the next few weeks without any extra hair loss then I will confidently change my review to 'worth it', and I will be able to honestly say it was the best thing I've ever done for myself! I urge anyone who is self-conscious about their forehead to seriously consider it, and if you are based in the UK, look into Dr Inglefield as he is a great surgeon!

Today marks 4 weeks since my op so posting to up date you all. So far so good, I love my new hairline! I have wanted this for so many years and I cannot put into words how great it feels to not have that anxiety and self-consciousness anymore.
I have had some hair loss (I’ve attached photos). It’s only around the incision and mainly at the temples, so it is easily covered when my hair’s down. It’s nothing drastic, but it’s still a little depressing, just hope it grows back.
Below I have described the side effects I’ve had and how I’ve approached recovery, for those considering or going ahead with this op. I know when I was researching it I wanted as much info as possible so hope it helps!
Side effects I’ve experienced:
Swelling- I’ve had swelling around both temples, it has reduced a lot on one side, but the side where my drain was inserted is still quite swollen. Apparently it can take 6 weeks or more to go down so I’m trying to be patient!
Bruising- had yellowish bruising on my forehead in front of the incision, but this disappeared after about 7-10 days
Some hair loss- as mentioned above.
Dandruff- this has settled now, but around week 2/3 I had a very flaky scalp!
Numb scalp- a common side effect is having a numb scalp, I can’t feel anything on the top third of my head. The feeling should come back eventually, but it doesn’t really bother me.
Scabbing- had lots of scabbing around the incision which lasted until about week 3, it took a lot of will power to not pick them off!
Tingling, minor ‘zapping’ pains and itchiness around the incision- this does not happen often, maybe once or twice a day and I hardly notice it, but thought I’d mention it anyway.
Red scarring- my scar is more noticeable at times, and I definitely can’t wear my hair tied back as you can see the zig-zag incision. However I’ve been wearing my hair down with an off-centre parting and I don’t think anyone’s noticed.
Those are the main side effects I’ve had that I can think of. None of them have been a big issue for me as I know they are all just part of the healing process, I just wanted to give you the overall picture. I would still get this surgery done again in a heartbeat as the difference that it has made to my self esteem is incredible!
Below is what I have done to help my recovery. This is only what has worked for me based on my experience, so you can decide whether or not to take it on board.
‘Hairfluence’ hair growth vitamins (with biotin) by Zhou Nutrition - I found these after they were recommended by another RealSelf user who had this surgery. I started taking them about a month before my op and I’m still taking them now, my hair seems a lot healthier and thicker since.
I am also taking vitamin C and zinc tablets as this was recommended on a US surgeons website, although my anaesthetist said these aren’t necessary!
Time off- I would recommend taking at least 2 weeks off work after your op if possible. I’m glad I had just over 2 weeks off, my body needed that time to rest and recover!
Diet- I usually eat healthy anyway, but before and after my op I’ve made an extra effort to eat a very healthy diet with lots of vitamin A, C and E. Also upped my protein intake and making sure to drink plenty of water.
And last but not least, always follow doctors orders!
Any questions just ask :)

Hello! So it's been 6 weeks since my op and time has flown by! I am back to normal life now and keeping busy so I don't even think about my op much, which is how it should be. :) My scar isn't too red anymore - only in certain places. Otherwise it's more of a very faint purple colour.

I am LOVING my new hairline! It looks quite wide at the moment, but that may be partly because of the swelling and slight hair loss I've had at the sides, so I'm hoping it will look different in a few months time. But even if it doesn't, I will still be very happy with the result as it is a big improvement to what it was before. I highly recommend Dr Inglefield and this procedure!