One of the most important steps in a hair transplant is the actual design and layout of where your new hairline is going to go. It is important to make a design that looks natural and is also properly laid out to blend with your face. Key things to focus on are the symmetry, density, position, and shape of the hairline. A bad hairline design is the thing that will most likely leave you unhappy with your hair transplant results.
What Influences the Design of a Hairline Before a Hair Transplant?
Age – It is important to design an age-appropriate hairline so that the results seem more natural. If a 60-year-old patient with advanced hair loss is trying to regain his hairline from when he was 20, it will probably look unnatural.
Gender – A female hairline is different than a male hairline. For example, a very masculine hairline has rounded temporal peaks. A female hairline is more rounded. It would also look very wrong to design a female hairline on a man or a male hairline on a woman.
Type of hair – Thick, coarse, curly, or wavy hair takes up more space and therefore must be considered when the layout of the hairline is being addressed. A patient with finer hair will need to have more hairs in certain areas than a person with thicker hair. The hairline design should match this difference in hair types.
Size and shape of the face – It is very important for the hairline design to complement the features of the patient’s face. The hairline should frame the face.
Type of hair loss – If a patient is suffering from hair loss caused by traction alopecia, that will make a difference on the hairline design as compared to a patient who has hair loss caused by androgenic alopecia. It is important to always consider the potential of further hair loss and design a hairline that will work even if the hair behind it falls out.
Level of hair loss – A hairline design for a patient with the early stages of hair loss will be different from a hairline design for a patient with advanced hair loss. Density in the hairline is one of the most important factors to keep in mind. If a hairline looks thin, it will affect the entire look of the hair transplant.
How to Place the Grafts to Create a Natural Hairline
Single grafts are used in the front to outline the hairline. Doubles are then placed in the row of hair behind the singles. The multiples (3 to 6 hairs per graft) are best used to create density in the central forelock area of the hairline. This is the key place to have the most density.
