Dispelling the Myth of the Required High Hairline in Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation

BACKGROUND: Hair restoration surgeons have historically taught that the hairline should be placed high on men undergoing hair restoration surgery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the position of the anterior-most aspect of the frontal forelock on men experiencing type III-V male pattern baldness. METHODS: Twenty men, ages 20-46 years, with type III-V male pattern baldness were evaluated for the distances between the chin to nose, nose to eyebrows, and eyebrows to frontal forelock. RESULTS: The mean distance from chin to nose was 6.96 cm. The mean distance from nose to eyebrows was 6.55 cm. The mean distance from eyebrows to hairline was 6.8 cm. The distance from chin to hairline was 20.3 cm. Therefore the eyebrows to hairline distance was 33.4% of the whole. CONCLUSION: When using follicular transplantation, it may be appropriate at times to divide the face into thirds at the time of hairline development.