Forehead Reduction

Forehead reduction — also called hairline lowering — shortens a tall or disproportionate forehead by advancing the hairline and removing a strip of upper-forehead skin. For the right patient it reframes the whole face in a single operation, something no amount of styling can achieve on its own.

Who forehead reduction is for

It suits patients with a naturally high hairline, a forehead that looks long in proportion to the mid- and lower-face, or a strong, stable hairline simply set too far back. Candidates need good hair density at the front, since the technique advances existing hair rather than transplanting it. Where the hairline is thinning, we may recommend combining it with, or replacing it by, a hair transplant.

The procedure

Through an incision placed precisely along the hairline, the scalp is advanced forward and the excess forehead skin removed, lowering the hairline by one to two-and-a-half centimetres in a single stage. The operation takes around 1.5 to 2 hours under general anaesthesia, with one overnight stay. The scar sits at the hairline and is quickly camouflaged by the hair growing through and in front of it.

Honest expectations

The trade-off is a fine hairline scar. In most patients it fades to a barely visible line hidden by the front hair, but healing varies and we plan the incision honestly on that basis. Scalp numbness behind the scar is normal for a few months. Patients wanting more than about 2.5 cm of change, or with a weak frontal hairline, are usually better served by a hair transplant, and we will say so.

Why Estetica Istanbul

Forehead reduction is performed by our partner plastic surgeons Dr. Akın İnalöz, Dr. Ekrem Güleş or Dr. Tiber Menteşe in a JCI-accredited hospital, with medical oversight from Dr. Güleş. The all-inclusive package covers surgeon, hospital, hotel and transfers — flights excluded — with an English- and Italian-speaking team throughout.