Male & Female Receding Hairlines

A majority of hair loss along the hairline is related to Androgenic alopecia. It can also be the result of hormonal changes, medical conditions, or ageing. This is a gradual process which starts in the form of follicle miniaturization. External factors like over-use of hats, stress, or medication can all contribute to balding but the most common causes are hormonal in nature. A strong early indicator of hair loss is family history.

Is Hair Loss Reversible?

Hair doesn’t just fall out one day. Hair grows from individual follicles which are found under the skin. These hair follicles go through a process called miniaturization which is commonly referred to as hair thinning or balding. This process, which most commonly affects men, gradually sees each hair follicle become more narrow, making it harder for the hairs to pierce the skin and continue to grow.

How Far Along is My Hair Loss?

NORWOOD 1

I have a sweeping hairline similar to when I was 18 years old.

NORWOOD 2

I still have a full hairline but I notice light thinning along the temples.

NORWOOD 3

All that remains of my hairline is a small island at the center of my forehead. I am noticing thinning at my crown.

NORWOOD 4

My entire hairline is long gone and scalp is showing through at the midzone and crown

NORWOOD 5

My entire hairline is long gone and the midzone and crown are almost completely bare.

NORWOOD 6

I can almost count the hairs left on the top of my head. It’s best to just shave them,

Restoration & Stabilization

Why is My Hairline Receding?

For the majority of cases, a receding hairline is caused by male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia. During male puberty the body produces a new set of hormones, the body also begins metabolizing testosterone into something called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This chemical is the primary cause of an early receding hairline. Naturally as men age their hairlines will mature with the rest of their facial features however, if the DHT is properly managed there is little reason for men to completely lose their hair.

A lot of our hair transplant consultation patients report using all sorts of products and technologies to prevent anyone from knowing about hair loss and it clearly affects how they feel about themselves. With proper treatment , we can recreate a natural hairline with a moderate amount of grafts in a single hair transplant session. When left for too long, your options become more limited. Treating a very large area may require multiple transplants – this means more time spent recovering and of course, a higher cost.

What Should I Do if my Hairline is receding?

The best first step is to see a hair loss professional. Even if it’s not visiting Dr. Sharma at Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery, speak with your family doctor about it. The earlier you tackle this problem, the more options you will have.

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Fixing hairlines one graft at a time

Hairline Hair Transplants

The best way to treat hair loss is prevention. Of course, for various reasons this is not always possible. Some people are unable to use the common forms of hair loss medication to prevent the early onset of hair loss, others are simply unaware of the different modalities that exist to treat and prevent this condition. Hair can mean a lot to an individual but at the end of the day it provides little to no function – this means that keeping it in place is primarily for esthetics.

At Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery we know how much a full head of hair can affect a person’s confidence. It gives men and women a healthier and more youthful appearance. We love helping our patients turn back the clock on their hair.

Hair Line Transplant Results

People looking to restore their hairline are searching for thick and dense hair to mimic a natural and youthful appearance. While this is possible for those in the early stages of hair loss, we need to be strategic with the graft placement. The primary reason for this is simply supply vs demand. The procedure simply relocates hair follicles from one area of the body to another. This means that we are removing hair follicles from the donor area – most commonly found at the occipital scalp, to recreate the hairline. With proper planning, treatment, and maintenance it is possible to give patients back the hairline they once had.

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Dr. Sharma's F.U.E. Hairline Hair Transplant Results

This sweet young man came to us to address his receding hairline before it spread any further. A relatively small procedure of 2,246 grafts has helped to restore and balance the frontal hairline. It has also added some much-needed density, affording Jordan a natural and more youthful appearance.

He first came in for surgery on January 6th of 2021 and just over 6 months later his hairline is looking AMAZING. Keep in mind, this is only about 60% of the growth that Jordan will have at the 18-month mark.

Want to see more before images? This young man allowed us to video and share his procedure day. Watch his procedure day video here.

Giving Patients back their youthful hairlines

Hairline F.U.E. Hair Transplant Technique

The hairline represents your face. It needs to follow very specific angles and curves to look natural. A line sweeping across the head won’t do, the human eye is very good at noticing inconsistencies this means that a hairline that does not match your age and face shape will stick out. Dr. Sharma uses both precise measurement and a keen artistic eye to draw out the hairline for each and every one of his hair transplant patients multiple times before surgery. We only have one chance to get it right and the consultation phase allows patients to help decide on the shape and design of their new hairline. For patients traveling to Alberta for their hair transplant we have an extensive morning-of-surgery meeting with Dr. Sharma before the procedure begins to give patients the time to help create their new hairline.

How many grafts does it take to fill the hairline?

This comes down to demand and the desired outcome. The forward hairline must be dense. This means that we are using a larger amount of grafts per square inch then we may at the midzone or crown. The hairline eats up more grafts then other areas of the scalp and will often require a medium to large sized procedure for even relatively small alterations.

We could easily decide to place 3,000 grafts to every patient for the thickest results possible but this could limit donor reserves for future surgeries. Even worse, over-harvesting the donor area can leave the patient with a noticeably thin patch of hair at the back of the head. This has little medical downside, but is not esthetically pleasing.

Cost of Hairline Hair Transplantation

There are many factors that come into play when pricing a hairline hair transplant

The Average Hairline Hair Transplant Requires:

1552

Grafts

the cost of an average Hairline hair transplant:

$ 10330

Dollars CAD

Factors that determine the cost of a hairline hair transplant

Size of the restoration area

Larger areas will naturally require more grafts to treat. At its core, hair transplant surgery is the science of relocating small hair follicles from one place to another. When a larger number of these are to be moved the surgery time and therefore cost is increased. There are many other factors that go into pricing, but the total number of grafts is the primary indicator of surgical cost.

Hair type

Certain hair types can complicate surgery. Patients with extremely thin, fragile, or overly curly grafts may require advanced techniques to achieve a safe and effective surgery. These issues are almost always caught during the consultation phase and patients are made aware of the risks ahead of time to set an accurate expectation for the surgery.

Surgical Technique

At Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery we charge the same price for most F.U.E. and F.U.T. procedures. The technique that would effect the total price of surgery is body to scalp or beard to scalp hair transplants. These procedures involve the relocation of hair follicles found in the beard or on various places of the body as the primary source. Much like a larger surgery, these more complex and varying locations lengthen surgery times and increase the cost to the clinic and therefore the patient.

How Much Does A Hairline Hair Transplant Cost?

The cost of an average hairline hair transplant is $12,150 dollars. Every case will differ, but typically a hairline transplant will require over 1,800 grafts to complete.

How do we determine how many grafts you'll require for your hair restoration?

During the hair transplant consultation, Dr. Sharma completes a hair loss evaluation. This allows him to determine roughly how many grafts you may require for your desired result. From there we can generate a custom hair transplant quote for your surgery.

F.U.E. or F.U.T. Hairline Hair Transplantation?

The harvesting technique has no little bearing on the result for hairline hair transplant results. This means that the technique used for your procedure comes down to preference and surgical viability.

Monthly Payments for Your Procedure

Being a Medical Clinic we do not have an in-house financing team or offer payment plans for our surgeries. For this reason, we have partnered with Beautifi, Canada’s specialized provider of plastic surgery, medical and cosmetic procedure financing. Their goal is to give Canadians access to surgeries and procedures they want or need, without having to worry about the large up front cost.

Payment plans for hair transplant surgery

Which Transplant Technique is Right for Me?

F.U.E. Transplant for the Hairline

The F.U.E. hair transplant process is different in that the head must be shaved so the hair follicles can be harvested individually. Since a smaller area is harvested, a minimally-invasive surgical tool can be used to avoid the appearance of scars. This tool is a small punch that keeps the hair follicle in the scalp tissue, leaving a small dot behind. The benefit is that no scalpel is needed for the procedure. The F.U.E. method is quickly becoming the most popular choice for men requiring hair transplant surgery. The low downtime, light scaring and success rate are hard to beat.

F.U.T. Transplant for the Hairline

Commonly known as “strip” transplant surgery. This method of hair transplant surgery involves taking a strip of scalp from the donor area. A scalpel is used to cut this narrow piece of skin and hair follicles. Then, the wound is carefully closed with stitches using a three-layer closure to minimize scarring. If a small scar is present after the treatment, it is usually unnoticeable for most patients because it can be hidden with a small amount of hair growth. The harvested hair strip is placed under a microscope and divided into graft units that can be placed to recreate the hairline.

Who is a Good Candidate for the FUE?

There is a large range of candidates for the hair transplant procedure. Most commonly we will see people who are starting to notice significant hair loss, or those who are fed up with wearing hats constantly to hide a balding area. A patient whose concern is about his or her appearance and wants to improve on it is a good candidate for a hair transplant surgery, but still there are many factors that need to be considered:

DONOR HAIR DENSITY – It is one of the biggest factors that will determine if a patient is a good candidate for a hair transplant. If a patient has a low donor density, the feasibility of doing a hair transplant is decreased. One of the purposes of having a hair transplant is to look good this means we must be careful not to over-harvest the donor site. Doing so may cause these areas to appear thin.

HAIR TEXTURE – Patients with curly hair tend to be a challenge for FUE because the hair roots are at a much higher risk of being cut or transected from the harvesting process. It takes a lot of skill and years of expertise to master the FUE technique for patients with curly hair.

HAIR COLOUR – This is because of the contrast between the hair color and scalp color. The wider the contrast between the two, the more it presents the balding of the scalp. For patients who have similar hair and skin color (dark skin & dark hair or light skin & light hair) the balding is less noticeable than those who have high contrast.

HAIR THICKNESS – much like the hair colour – thickness can also determine the success of a hair transplant. Patients with thick hair would require less grafts to be placed than patients with thinner hair in certain recipient areas.

SCALP LAXITY – If a patient has a low laxity then it would be more challenging for the grafts to be extracted out of the donor area and be planted. This can be a difficult factor to asses at home, making the consultation an imperative step before committing to surgery.

If all the factors are considered – then a patient is likely a good hair transplant candidate. To confirm that any one patient is a good candidate we require a consultation with Dr. Sharma prior to committing to surgery.

Book a consultation with Dr. Sharma

Where is the Donor Site

The primary area for follicle harvesting is the back of the scalp. The section of hairs at the back and sides of the head are different from the ones on the front due to their resistance to the cause of male pattern hair loss. The hairs at the donor site are not affected by the cause of male pattern hair loss – DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) a hormone which can miniaturize the hair follicles as well as shorten the growth cycle making it look brittle, thin, and fall out faster.

For patients undergoing FUE, the donor area must be completely shaved down for surgery. The reason behind this is to provide Dr. Sharma with the best visibility and access to the area during the harvesting portion of the procedure. This minimizes the transection rate to give the greatest yield of viable grafts. (Transection of grafts is when the hairs root is cut or damaged during the harvesting phase.)

Learn more about grafts and our harvesting techniques

Hairline HAIR TRANSPLANT RECOVERY TIME

Recovery following surgery comes with a bit of work. At Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery, we ask patients to follow a very strict post-care routine which involves the use of a custom solution. This solution contains Hypothermosol and Saline and must be applied to the scalp at regular intervals following surgery. The point of this spray is to promote growth and speed up recovery times. The saline is a natural disinfectant which further helps to reduce the chances of infection at the recipient site. The recovery period is a minimum of 5 days. Most patients will return to work on day 8 following surgery.

HOW MUCH HAIR DO I HAVE THAT I CAN TRANSPLANT?

This depends on the density found at your donor area. This area, primarily located along the occipital scalp is not affected by male pattern hair loss the same way that the hairline is. This makes it suitable for relocation but we need to be selective with how much we take. If you are a Norwood Scale 4 or greater you will need to be very careful with how much donor hair is used as this could limit potential future procedures.

How Do You Know a Graft Will Grow?

Once we have successfully excised a graft from the scalp, we review the quality of the root under a microscope. Some grafts have excess tissue which can make the implantation phase difficult. This required a process that trims off the extra tissues or fats by cutting the follicular units into individual grafts that are to be placed in the recipient area. During this phase, the technicians carefully inspect and handle each graft with care under the microscope and choose only healthy grafts for implantation. These grafts are constantly hydrated with sterile saline and Hypothermosol, and kept at a controlled temperature to increase the viability. The technicians are well trained and under supervision of the surgeon to ensure the highest quality throughout the process. At Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery, we have a small team dedicated to hair transplant surgeries, each member is hand-picked by Dr. Sharma and year of experience together gives us the ability to deliver consistent and high quality results. On average the full result of any hairline hair transplant will take a full year or up to 18 months.

Your Here to Get Results, We're here to deliver them

Long-Term Strategy for Hair Transplants

Not only does Dr. Sharma consider the immediate results of hair transplant, but he also designs a plan that considers how hair loss patterns will affect the long-term appearance. For example, there are times when multiple treatments are needed as the hair continues to recede later in life. The transplanted hair follicles must be placed strategically to ensure a natural appearance in 2, 5, and 10 years.

Every person has is a limited amount of donor hair available. The long-term plan should ensure that adequate donor supply is present if additional treatments are needed in the future.

Will my hairline continue to receed after a hair transplant?

This is always a risk when considering a hairline hair transplant. The hair we are relocating during surgery is there to stay. We harvest the DHT resistant hair from the donor area which will not fall out due to hormone induced male pattern hair loss. That leaves any native hair around the transplanted hair susceptible to natural causes of thinning. Essentially, we need to do what we can to stabilize your hair loss before or shortly after the hair transplant to keep things where they are for years to come. Because we are dealing with mother nature there are no certainties, this is why Dr. Sharma is always careful not to overharvest the donor area which would limit potential future surgeries.

Curious on how you can stabilize your hair loss? Check out our webpage on hair loss medications.

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Before & After Photos

Comb Through our Results

Take a moment to review the results of Dr. Sharma’s previous patients. You can browse our Before and After Gallery, or review patient testimonials from other people who chose Dr. Sharma as their Edmonton hair transplant surgeon. All of these results were achieved at our clinic here in Edmonton.

How Long Before My Hair Grows Back Completely?

It depends on which procedure we are doing and which area you are referring to. For the F.U.E. procedure your hair will grow back to normal at the donor site (back of the head) within 2-4 weeks.

The recipient area (where we are transplanting to) normally takes around 3-6 months to start coming in evenly. With about 70% growth by the one-year mark. It takes a total of 18 months to see the full maturity of your transplanted grafts.

Common Questions About Hair Transplants

Here are answers to some of the most common questions about hair transplant procedures:

What causes hair loss?

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a hormone that affects hair follicles on the scalp. Hormonal changes can cause the follicles to become shorter in length and smaller in diameter, until eventually the follicle disappears completely. Male hair loss is hereditary, but certain medical conditions or medications can also cause hair loss.

What are the side effects of hair transplant?

Your scalp will be swollen, tight, and achy for the first few days after treatment. It is common to experience temporary scabbing during the healing process.

Are hair transplant results instantaneous?

Many patients are surprised to learn that the transplanted hair usually falls out within a few weeks after the surgery. Be patient; the truth is that you don’t walk out of the clinic with a full head of hair. Hair goes through phases, and the transplanted hair will be visible after a few months since it needs to go through all three cycles: anagen, catagen, and telogen.

Will hair transplants cause scarring?

FUE transplants are preferred over FUT to minimize scarring. With FUE, the donor area will have red pinpricks where the follicles are removed. These small marks heal over a few days and leave micro scars. These are extremely small, discoloured flecks, that are easily hidden once the surrounding hair begins to grow back.

Are hair transplants permanent?

The transplanted hair follicles tend to be permanent, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t lose more hair in the future. Hereditary hair loss is a continual process, which is why the transplant plan is designed based on your unique pattern of baldness. Continued hair loss can be minimized by using certain products and medications, and sometimes another transplant treatment is required in the future.

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