Hairline restoration is a procedure to recreate or change a hairline. Both men and women can have hairline restoration procedures. It is most common for individuals who suffer from male or female pattern baldness or other disorders which cause substantial hair loss. Some other individuals may choose to have some type of hairline restoration for cosmetic reasons. Typical solutions to hair loss at the hairline are hair transplant surgery, scalp or scalp flap reduction, hair pieces, and medication.
Hair transplant surgery uses donor hairs from the back of the head and places them at the hairline. Once moved, the donor hairs continue to grow. Individual hairs and hair groupings are combined to create a natural looking hairline. The process is tedious and time consuming. It takes many skilled professionals to harvest and transplant the hairs.
A hair transplant surgeon has to have excellent technical skills as well as the artistic ability to create a natural looking hairline. Typically, the surgeon works with the patient to develop a hairline that meets the patient's expectations. The surgeon provides guidance for creating a hairline that is appropriate for the patient's age, gender, and facial shape.
Two other types of hairline restoration surgery are scalp reduction and scalp flap surgery. In both cases, the scalp is stretched over the balding area from an area of the head which has healthy, growing hair. This surgery is commonly used for patients who wish to lower their hairline to shorten the length of the forehead. It can also be combined with an eyebrow lift to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and hair transplant surgery to fine-tune the hairline shape.
Some individuals do not consider baldness or a receding hairline to be a serious enough disorder to merit surgery and opt for a hair piece instead. There are many different types of hairpieces, from full wigs, to toupees, and bangs pieces. Some are semi-permanent, attached with a strong adhesive by a professional and worn for many weeks without coming off. Others are attached with clips or combs and must be removed on a daily basis.
There are some types of medication that may slow or reverse the process of hair loss. These medications are different for men and women, and they usually function by suppressing chemicals in the body which cause follicles to stop hair production. There are also topical treatments that have some success at reversing or slowing the process of hair loss.