Patient input on hairline design.

[swayzedo]

I may have asked this question before but how much of an impact does the patient get to have on the actual hairline design?

 

I've seen some results from the same surgeon that are very natural and some which are painfully obvious as a transplant and it's all down to the front hairline placement which would suggest a very clear direction being followed by the surgeon from the patient although the bad one just could be an old video where the surgeon has improved since.

 

When I go for mine I have quite a firm idea of where my hairline should be. The actual frontal third of my hair is fine but it's a little thin at the very front but I sort of like that as it's age appropriate I think and I'd like the rest of my hairline to be quite staggered like that as well. I know there is a gradient incorporated to give that look but I think I'd like the margin for that on my transplant a little wider as there is nothing more horrid looking than a row of very dark hairs all lined up perfectly next to one another.

 

I know you have to trust somewhat in your surgeon but I don't want a rock solid hairline that you could play join the dots with.

 

Does anyone who has been for a transplant mind giving a detailed description of what goes on bar drawing where you want your hairline with a pen?

 

Thanks all!

[hairthere]

It seems like you're talking about two separate issues. One is graduating the density from light up front to denser. The other is the actual design of the hairline. I would just address all concerns with your surgeon and tell him exactly what you want. Perhaps bring magazine tears of hairlines you dig.

 

You can also draw it for him with a surgical marker or even a makeup pencil. You can practice prior to surgery and maybe even go to the surgery with your design drawn in. He can then make any adjustments. I would spend as much time as it takes to get this right before doing the surgery. Of course, you should also take his advice/design into heavy consideration as he should understand the principles/rules of proper design. There is a hairline ruler that I use for SMP that I purchased from Cole Instruments that is very useful in proper placement.

 

Also, I believe some docs are better at hairline design than others. I tend to like the surgeons who use jagged lines rather than straight ones. I feel they look more natural, especially with coarse hair types.

[Rootz]

I've sent in pictures with drawn hairlines to several docs and none have said "Sorry I don't like that style" yet. I imagine most docs are pretty flexible on how the hairline is drawn as long as it makes sense and is reasonable. I think the biggest problem you would run in too is a hairline that was too low/aggressive for them. Some docs are more conservative than others.

 

If you have some doctors in mind you should do an online consultation with them and show them.

 

As for dictating actual graft placement, that is an interesting question. Doctors have a preferred graft placement style and could possibly take offense if you wanted to deviate from that for something "more natural" or "better". But I know what you mean where the hairline follows too straight of a path and just looks out of place.

 

I'd def bring that up with the doctor during your consult, just keep in mind what you think might look better could be a bad idea.

[Patriot34]

I think all doctors would be very open to your feedback and input to the hairline. The graft placement is probably just as important so make sure they don't place large doubles in the hairline or anything that draws the eye in an unnatural contrast. Sadly, many of the hair transplant clinics that change doctors and names frequently will still do this due to the fact they have a a team of techs doing the work that don't have much input into the process.

 

Be conservative and plan for the future. Give a good guess on your pattern of loss based on family history. Keep in mind you will lose hair in the temple area as well.

[swayzedo]

Thanks for the reply's. I'll be going to the BHR clinic but was just asking because I was watching Dr Bisanga's work on the video gallery on here and while most of the work is superb there were a couple that did look far too synthetic with regards to the actual hairline itself and was far too 'solid' and was just wondering if that was from patients guidance or doctors decision.

 

I just think sometimes that margin where the hair becomes a little thinner at the front is too small sometimes in a transplant and should be made just a little wider/more staggered and less perfect while still following an actual guide line.

 

This is all down to taste of course but even my frontal third, while it looks very thick isn't really and I can see the reflection of my scalp through it quite clearly but I'm fine with that as it covers everything fine when dry and the fact the front of it is a little less than perfect and quite staggered with a gradient that's larger than just a few mm's I'd like the work down on either wide to match that because I feel it's age appropriate (I'm 36) to have a hairline that is most certainly there but has seen a 'bit' of weather.

 

With regards to losing hair in the actual temples I've lost very very little, it's all in the actual upper brow section of my hairline that has gone back. My actual temple hair is fine! Interestingly a friend of mine has the opposite problem, his brow is as broad as ever (at 43) almost straight but he's gone back on just the sides of his head.....but it looks way better and much cooler that way! I guess he can get away with a decent side shed so he's not worried.

 

If you go to DR Bisanga's video section on here the video '3450 Grafts FUT Hair Transplant with Dr. Bisanga' and stop it at 0:20, I think the lower picture gives a really good example of what I'm after (Not in terms of hairline but of gradient!) as there is a good half an inch (or just under) of gradient there it looks like. You can still see the hairline but it's not ultra solid!

[swayzedo]

Would just like to add this video as an example of what I most certainly wouldn't want in a HT. As you can see the actual hairline shape is fine but the front hairs are lined up far, far too perfectly. I would want a few out of place going up and down and lots of tiny gaps (just at the very front) to get a good staggered look. Plus if you stop the vid at 0:45 you can see the curve at the temple where the dark line of hairs meets the more feathered natural hair at the sides. To me it's all just a dead giveaway although it may be the fact that cramming 4000+ grafts into a hairline that didn't look that bad in the first place may have been the culprit.

 

It certainly isn't a bad HT, that's not what I'm saying, it's just not something I'd be happy with!

 

Same doctor, very different result.

 

[TommyLucchese]

I negotiated a little with my hairline. The proposed hairline wasn't symmetrical and was higher on the left side, I asked for it to be lower which my doctor complied with. You can have input but it's important to remember the doctor ultimately knows best so it's worth taking advice.

[swayzedo]

I agree, but still If I'm paying a lot of money (and it is a LOT of money) I want to get exactly what I want and what I think looks good and I have a pretty clear idea of that. I will trust in the surgeon to get things like the direction of grafts/natural flow etc and the other medical things I don't have a clue about, but the actual aesthetic final product I want to have as much input on it as possible. After all, I'll be living with it!

 

I don't think it's being unreasonable to ask the surgeon to make the graft placements not so tight and a little thinner or more staggered at the front. Seems like less work if you ask me.

 

I guess that's the danger of doing anything artistic, it's all subjective to individual taste!

[Noodles123]

Hmmm... I agree.... I would clock this as a hair transplant in a face to face conversation. A little too straight and perfect. You would expect a guy with an intentional slightly receding corners look to have a hairline that is not perfectly dense.

[swayzedo]

It is a little doll head like, but was this at the request of the patient or the Doctor's choice? I think the actual bulk of the hair in that video looks superb and it all sits the right way but the front edge is far too synthetic. The very thick dark hairs don't do it any favours either when you compare it to the edge of the hair at the side of his head.

 

Maybe it's exactly what he wanted though, who knows. That's what I'm trying to find out!

 

Yes you should trust your surgeon but if I had a result like that I wouldn't be happy at all!

[swayzedo]

Just to do a good comparison I think this is great work by Dr Bisanga. if you look at 0:55 the hairline at the front, particularly on the patients left side looks great. It's quite staggered and the hairs seem to be very fine and a bit lighter at the front with virtually none of that 'give away look' . Whether this is just the patients hair colour or surgeons choices is again a mystery.

 

I would want my hairline to be even more staggered and less straight than that mind you but it's certainly going in the right direction!

 

 

[MAGNUMpi]

 

It is a little doll head like, I think the actual bulk of the hair in that video looks superb and it all sits the right way but the front edge is far too synthetic. The very thick dark hairs don't do it any favours either when you compare it to the edge of the hair at the side of his head.

I agree. The density is great but that seems too straight around the corners when they pull his hair back. A bit unnatural, and in the HT world "a bit unnatural" is not where you want to be.

[hairthere]

You have to understand too though that the doctor is not recreating actual density so there is a strategy to how tightly he is placing those grafts. If he goes for too much spacing up front it can end up looking very see through, which you probably won't be happy with.

 

But again, just keep an open line of communication with your doctor and don't hold back at all.

[swayzedo]

Referring back to that latest video I posted I think it's one of the things I liked about that frontal transplant is that you can just see a little scalp through the hair when the light hits it. My natural hair in my frontal third is like this and I'm fine with it.

 

I guess I'm not a perfectionist and I like things a little worn/uneven to add some age appropriate character but still 'filling the gaps' so to speak. Also the thought of someone actually noticing I had a transplant is horrifying so a little look of wear and tear is cool with me.

 

When I talk about staggered grafts I'm only referring to the very front few rows, not the actual filler bulk that sits behind it which is always really good with Surgeons like Dr Bisanga.