The height of your forehead can be reduced with forehead reduction surgery.
A larger forehead may be a result of genetics, hair loss, or other cosmetic procedures. The surgical procedure known as hairline lowering surgery can help balance the proportions of your face. The procedure is different from brow lifting surgery.
Read on to learn more about forehead reduction surgery, including surgery risks, recovery time, and how to find a forehead reduction surgery near me.
How does a forehead reduction procedure work?
General anesthesia is typically required for forehead reduction surgery. In order to reduce pain and bleeding, local anesthetic is also used in the forehead area.
Methodology
The following steps will be followed by your plastic surgeon during the procedure:
- A surgical skin marker will be used to mark the hairline and forehead area to be removed. It is important to preserve hair follicles and nerves along the hairline when cutting.
- From just above the brows to the hairline, the entire forehead is numbed with local anesthesia.
- It is necessary to make an incision along the forehead and hairline (also called the pretrichial incision). Separating the skin from the connective tissue underneath, the surgeon will cut out the area that needs to be removed.
- In order to join the forehead incision with the top incision along the hairline, it is pulled down. Shortening the forehead is achieved by closing the gap.
- Scars are minimized by suturing the skin together in such a way that the hairline covers them almost completely when the hair grows back.
As a side effect of forehead reduction surgery, the eyebrows may appear to be raised but this does not necessarily mean that the forehead height is reduced.
In addition to the hairline lowering surgery, a separate procedure called a brow lift is also available.
Recuperation
In most cases, people can return home within a few hours of surgery. Over the next week and a half, you’ll need to return to the office for suture removal. A few weeks after your surgery, you’ll also be asked to return for observation and post-operative checkups.
As with any surgery that involves an incision, it is essential to keep the wound clean and allow it to heal properly.
Keep an eye out for signs of infection at the incision site. As part of your post-operative instructions, your doctor will explain how you should care for your surgery incision, including how to reduce pain, swelling, and infection risk.
Is forehead reduction surgery right for me?
By reducing the size of one’s forehead, one can balance the proportions of their overall face structure. Those who have:
- Want to lower your hairline if you have a high hairline
- Would you like to shorten your forehead if you have a large one
- The thickness of your hair is disproportionate to the height of your hairline
- If you have low or heavy eyebrows, you might want to change the proportions of your face
- Want to enhance your hairline after undergoing a hair grafting procedure
- Want to bring your hairline forward after having a brow lift procedure
Even with these criteria, not everyone can undergo forehead reduction surgery.
First, you must have good scalp laxity (the ability of the scalp tissues to stretch) before you can have a successful forehead reduction surgery. You may not be a candidate for forehead reduction surgery if you have a family history of pattern balding.
If you have any other medical conditions that could put you at risk for surgery complications, you should discuss them with your doctor before proceeding.
