Hair Loss After Brow Lift – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I really appreciate your informative and straight-forward approach to our hair concerns.

I have had a brow lift a little over a month ago. While the surgery was for the most part very successful, I was not prepared for the hair loss that preceeded it. I was told by the surgeon that my hairline would actually be lower afterwards. That was NOT the case.

The hair loss is along the incision line. It is more “loss” than just thinning. I was told not to worry that it would grow back.

My questions are:

1. What is the chances that the hair will return?
2. Would Propecia help?
3. About how long does the scalp normally stay numb?
4. How long should I wait to see regrowth before having hair restoration to correct it?
5. After hair restoration, how long will it be before I can do strenuous exercise and swim?

Thank you

There is a good chance that some or all of the hair will return, but brow lift scars are often detectable due to some widening of the scar when the incision was done behind the hairline and hair loss risks when the incision is done in front of the hairline to lower it. Sometimes during the type of procedure you had, the blood flow to the hair follicles can be interrupted resulting in a temporary loss. Occasionally it is permanent, but in most cases you should be able to see some regrowth within 3-6 months. Most doctors will wait up to a year before giving up on seeing some growth return, and that is about the time you can consider a hair transplant surgeon to correct it if needed.

As for your other questions, if you had a hair restoration procedure, you would need to wait a week before resuming very strenuous exercise and you’d need to wait until the wound has completely healed before swimming. Propecia is a DHT blocker which prevents male pattern/genetic hair loss and it is not proven safe for women, so it will not help. The scalp numbness does not usually last more than a year (often weeks or month and is rarely permanent). Finally, time is really the most important commodity for you to evaluate your loss/regrowth. Wait for the regrowth and follow-up frequently with your surgeon.

Of interest, this complication is the most common reason women get hair transplantation (at least in our hair restoration practice), which does not reflect its incidence (of let’s say in 100 women with brow lifts), but it does tell you that it is not an uncommon problem.