The Female Hairline In Depth

One of my passions is female hairline reconstruction.  A large reason why is that it is one of the technically most challenging and artistically demanding parts of the head to do and to do right.  Unlike a male hairline in which all the hairs angle perfectly straight forward, the female hairline if done correctly goes in all different directions to make it appear as feminine and natural as possible.  In this article, we will discuss the two elements of a female hairline:  the macro hairline (overall shape) and the micro hairline (the details of how each of the angles are created when making recipient sites into which the hair grafts are placed).

The macro hairline, or overall hairline shape, in many respects is the exact opposite of a male hairline.  Men tend to have a more pronounced fronto-temporal recession with the curvature of the hairline aiming backward into these points of recessions.  A beautiful female hairline curves in the opposite direction with a rounded and closed fronto-temporal angle.  In addition, whereas it is important to create a conservative male hairline, a female hairline should potentially arc downward aggressively and be situated right at the forehead and scalp transition.  The goal is to create a rounded hairline to accentuate the beauty of a feminine face.

Female Hairline Restoration

Continuing on with the macro hairline, the hairline also consists of small protuberances that refine and break the linearity of the hairline itself.  In the midline a small widow’s peak will complement the female cowlick.  The design of the female cowlick will be reserved for the discussion of the micro hairline.  There can also be small protuberances approximately halfway between the cowlick and the end of the temporal hairline.  These are known as lateral mounds, a distinct entity found in many female hairlines.  These protuberances like the widow’s peak are only very slight:  take a look at women without high hairlines or without hair loss to observe what I am talking about.

The micro female hairline like the macro female hairline can be viewed almost as the opposite of the male hairline in many respects.  Whereas the male hairline typically is uni-directional, the female hairline is multi-directional.  Whereas the male hairline aims forward entirely, the female hairline principally sweeps to the side and back.  When designing a female hairline, the surgeon should look at ghost hairs (residual hairs that remain) as a guide or for female hairline lowering.  When there are no ghost hairs, the direction of the hairs behind the to-be-reconstructed hairline can be used as a guide for the design work.  In general, female hairlines sweep from the left to the right (in 70% of women) with the sweeping going in a whorl in the center of the scalp known as the cowlick.  The cowlick circles with the hair pointing backward toward the center of the scalp, which then must aim back forward as the hairs start to go back farther to the central-forelock region.  The hairs on either side of the central cowlick principally go to the side so for a left to right part the hairs from the left go across the hairline all the way from left to right and vice versa for the opposite design.  There are also less pronounced micro undulations in the female hairline as compared with the male hairline (what I termed the coastline effect in other blog articles.)  All of these nuances are important to remember as one designs a female hairline.  Matching experience with artistry is the key to creating both natural and feminine-appearing results.

Samuel M. Lam, MD, FACS is a board certified hair restoration surgeon specializing in female hair transplant procedures. To learn more about Dr Lam’s procedures please visit our website www.HairTX.com or call 1-888-866-3388 to schedule a consultation.

This video was taken 8 months after hair transplant for female pattern baldness and shows the before and after results of female hair restoration.  There is a companion video of the patient giving a testimonial after her hair transplant procedure but this one focuses entirely on the close up inspection of the transplanted result.

A close-up video of a hairline after a hair transplant is about the closest thing that is possible for a prospective patient to evaluate the naturalness of a result shy of being able to see the person live.  Notice in this video the fine hair grafts that are allocated to the front of the hairline for the most natural results and also the stronger 2 to 3 hair grafts placed behind it in the cosmetically sensitive area of the central forelock to provide visual hair density.  The sweep and shape of the female cowlick and the closed rounded shape of the hairline are all attributes to the female hairline that have been carefully and passionately recreated for an optimal aesthetic result.

Female hair transplant patient, Clarice, talks about her hair transplant results only four months following a hair transplant procedure for female pattern baldness/hair loss in this video testimonial.  Please note that all video testimonials on this Web site are unpaid and uncompensated in any way.  Clarice’s type of hair loss involved the anterior hairline and central forelock and caused her to have a loss to her facial frame and an inability to style her hair the way she wanted.

Please also note that this video is exceptional in that in most cases at 4 months there should be little to no hair growth.  Most individuals need to wait approximately 6 to 9 months to see significant growth.  Clarice was fortunate to see growth much earlier than most individuals so that point should be emphasized so as not to mislead anyone.  Further, not every female is a suitable candidate for a hair transplant procedure.  Clarice had exceptional density in the donor area that helped considerably in being able to cover the lost hair.  If the donor area in a woman is severely compromised so will the result of the procedure.  With considerable experience in women who lose hair at the Lam Institute for Hair Restoration, Dr. Lam is able to apply the appropriate judgment to explain to a prospective individual the odds of success in a specific clinical scenario.

Dallas hair transplant surgeon, Dr. Sam Lam, describes the nuances of a female hairline to better understand how to perform a natural female hair transplant using the principles outlined in this video.  The female hairline is completely different than a male hairline in that it is rounded and closed at the temples without any fronto-temporal recession at all.  This is almost universal across all races varying only in subtle but distinct ways based on facial shape of an individual.  In addition, there is a cowlick in the center of the hairline with a rotating element that is a strong attribute in the majority of female hairlines.  There can often be small peaks that jut out along the length of the hairline known as lateral mounds, which are also a distinct feminine feature.  Following a ghost of a hairline that already exists can be helpful if one is present.  If not, then the artistic element of designing one must be undertaken from scratch.

This video narrative can oftentimes convey more than any written text can so it is the preferred method of communication by Dr. Lam.  Along those lines, you are encouraged not just to hear Dr. Lam’s video lecture but to explore the multi-faceted videos on this site that show in great detail the hairline designs, recipient site creation, etc., that Dr. Lam has undertaken for female hair loss.  These meticulous close up videos can be very instructive in addition to reviewing the many before and after photographs on this Web site to understand better how these results can be consistently achieved.  Further, video testimonials and video close up results can further provide support for the quality of work performed at the Lam Institute for Hair Restoration as a prospective patient is deciding on the right surgeon to perform the procedure for herself.

Identical twins, Sharen and Karen, talk about their hair transplant results one year after one session.  They talk about their concerns about their hair loss, their hair transplant experience, and what they think about their results.  Watch their video on YouTube: