Dr. Epstein is one of the world’s foremost specialists in hairline advancement and treating receding hairlines, having performed nearly 2,500 of these procedures.
The Surgical Hairline Advancement / Forehead Reduction Procedure vs. Hair Transplantation
Two techniques in which Dr. Epstein specializes
The surgical hairline advancement/lowering procedure can lower the overly high hairline in one single step like no other procedure. Almost exclusively it is performed on women, where the high forehead can be shortened by as much as 5cm (2 inches) in a single less than 2 hour procedure. When combined with hair grafting (in a second step) it is possible to actually change the shape of the hairline, making it more oval or rounded by filling in the upper temporal/side regions, creating a more feminine appearance. The surgical hairline advancement procedure is one in which Dr. Epstein specializes, performing them on average once a week- more than likely any other doctor in the US- complementing the on average two hair grafting hairline advancement procedures weekly, mostly on patients who travel in for the procedure.
“Thank you Dr. Epstein. My self esteem is 10 times up by the result. I would like to come and see whenever you are in NYC.”
Before
After
Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: Before and after hairline lowering/forehead shortening surgery, also called the surgical hairline advancement for the lowering of the hairline by 3 cm. Hair grafting was performed three months later to help round out the hairline for the most feminine appearance.
Learn more about receding hairline treatment options for men!
Before
After
Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: 24 year old patient born with high hairline. Underwent the surgical hairline advancement surgery, where her forehead was reduced in size by 1 1/4 inches for a nice improvement. Note the natural appearing hairline with hair growing through it.
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Before
After
Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: Before and after a surgical hairline advancement/forehead shortening procedure. This is a procedure typically performed on women, however, in the male with a stable hairline and flexible scalp who is highly motivated, it can permit an unsurpassed density of a lower hairline.
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Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: Before and after hairline lowering/forehead reduction surgery- this 18 years old desired a lower hairline and shorter forehead prior to going off to college. This was achieved with a hairline lowering surgery. Note that in this case no hair grafting as performed.
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Before
After
Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: Before and after surgical hairline advancement on a male
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Before
After
Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: Before and After Hairline Advancement /Forehead Shortening Surgery facilitated by tissue expansion, followed by 1500 grafts to round out the hairline
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Before
After
Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: This African American patient in his late 20s desired a lower hairline, so he underwent a surgical hairline advancement (SHA) that brought forth his hairline a full 1 ½ inch, or more than 35mm. This procedure in men requires s stable hairline and loose flexible scalp and can provide a more dense hairline than what can typically be achieved with hair grafting.
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Surgical Hairline Advancement
The first technique, the Surgical Hairline Advancement or Hairline Lowering Surgery, is a more-surgical procedure that involves shortening the forehead while moving the hairline forward. Dr. Epstein is one of the most experienced surgeons in the world in performing this procedure. An incision is made right along the front of the hairline, then the hairline is brought forward, and the excess forehead skin is removed, with the incisions then sutured closed. The result: a fine line incision scar along the hairline which typically heals up to be barely, if at all visible, and is designed so that hairs grow through it. This is a more complicated procedure than transplanting with hair grafts, but can be quite effective and produces rapid results. Most patients’ recovery lasts five to seven days, and the sutures are taken out after this one week period. It is truly impressive how this 90 minute long procedure can dramatically achieve a lower hairline, thick and natural appearing.
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: Here the scalp is being firmly pushed forward by as far as it can go, showing fairly good to very good scalp laxity, which will permit, after some additional surgical steps to further loosen the scalp, allow the hairline to be brought forward and down by approximately 3cm (from 10 down to 7cm above the nose), providing a nice aesthetic improvement.
Before
Demonstration of the anticipated amount of lowering
Marking out
An actual result at one week
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: Before and After one week.
For most patients, hair grafting is the procedure of choice. It avoids the need for making an incision along the hairline and is a much less involved surgical procedure. Another advantage of hair grafting is that it permits rounding out of the hairline, especially filling in and lowering the sides. The main advantage of the surgical advancement procedure, however, is that there is an immediate result with unsurpassed density in just a single procedure. In addition, as soon as two months after a surgical advancement procedure, hair grafting can be performed to round out the hairline and conceal any fine line scars that can result.
Animated video demonstrating hairline lowering surgery
Second Technique for Advancing the Overly High Female Hairline: Hair Grafting
The more common technique for advancing the overly high female hairline and most male hairlines is hair transplantation. In this technique, as many as 2,400 or more hair grafts can be placed in a single procedure with natural appearing results. Performed usually under a mild oral sedative, this four to eight hour long procedure is essentially painless, as is the recovery period. These grafts, each containing one to three hairs, are placed in the natural direction of growth, into very tiny incisions both in front of as well as between the existing hairline hairs in order to increase density. Most patients are fully presentable the very next day with a hat or scarf and allowed to resume normal activities, including exercise and hair washing, at five days. The transplanted hairs fall out after three weeks, then start to regrow at four months- requiring a total of eight or so months before the results are quite noticeable. The hairs can grow not only in areas that once had hair but also in areas where hair never grew. The donor hairs come from the back of the scalp, which continue to grow for a lifetime. To provide a natural appearance, the hairs are transplanted primarily one and two at a time, with the finest hairs up front, the natural way the hairline hairs grow. There are few risks with the procedure. The donor site, from where the hairs are removed, typically heals as a less than 2 mm wide incision, easily concealable with existing hair in the area.
One day after 2000 grafts to round out and lower a hairline
Before
After
Before
After
Procedure: Hairline Advancement
Procedure details: 24 year old patient born with high hairline. Underwent the surgical hairline advancement surgery, where her forehead was reduced in size by 1 1/4 inches for a nice improvement. Note the natural appearing hairline with hair growing through it.
Before
After