Young women risk lifelong scarring and permanent hair loss if they undergo cosmetic surgery to lower their hairline, experts warn.
The operation, which costs between £5,000 and £7,000 in the UK and was originally a treatment for men with a receding hairline, has been widely promoted on social media by beauty companies and former patients who claim that a smaller forehead improves facial proportions equalize and “boosts self-confidence”.
During the operation, the woman’s scalp is cut and her hairline is pulled forward.
Online advertisements promise that patients will make a full recovery within a week and have no visible scars. On TikTok, the video-sharing app, clips of women with hairline transformations have attracted 44 million viewers.
Joanna Gawor, 29, had hairline reduction surgery to reduce her forehead to boost her confidence
Ms. Gawor suffered significant swelling after her surgery and required emergency treatment
Yet experts say when the skin is pulled too tight, the blood and oxygen supply to the face is restricted, causing skin tissue to die and patches of hair to fall out.
“In extreme cases, if the operation is done poorly, the dead tissue becomes inflamed and the infection spreads under the skin to the rest of the scalp,” says plastic surgeon dr. Greg Bran. “This leads to permanent hair loss, chronic pain and stubborn infections.”
according to Dr Bran, who performs the procedure at his Harley Street clinic, he is seeing more and more patients requiring corrective surgery after job failure.
He says, “Some doctors jump on the trend even though they don’t understand the structure of the face, and the patients suffer.”
Joanna Gawor, a 27-year-old midwife, paid £1,300 for treatment in Poland in October 2021. She says: “I hated my hairline. I knew that surgery to lower it would leave a scar, but the doctor assured me the hair would grow back and cover it.”
When Joanna woke up from the operation, her forehead was swollen and sore, and after the bandage was removed, parts of the scar turned black and the skin began to peel. She suffered from necrosis – when the blood supply to the tissue is cut off, causing it to rot and die. She says: “I ended up with a big red scar and lost all the hair on my forehead.”
On TikTok, many patients seem happy with their results. One woman who reviewed the procedure she underwent a month ago said she thought the transformation was “amazing”. “I feel 18 again!” she says into the camera. Another patient named Madison wrote on Instagram: “I finally feel and look like I’ve always wanted. I’m about a month out from my surgery and you can’t even see my scars.”
Hairline lowering surgery was developed in the late 1990s to treat male pattern baldness. It has also been used in sex-reassignment surgeries over the past decade, but experts say the explosion in popularity has been attributed to fake images on Instagram and TikTok. “Photos and videos from the doctoral thesis have changed the perception of young women as the perfect female face,” states dr. Bran before.
“I used to have maybe one or two hair surgeries a month. It’s been at least two a week for the past year.’
During the three-hour procedure, surgeons cut a strip of skin on the forehead below the hairline. By drilling small holes in the skull, metal implants can attach the bone to the skin once it is pulled forward. Then the wound is sutured. Dr. Greg Williams, hair restoration expert at the Farjo Hair Institute in London, says: “Every patient leaves a scar, the quality of which cannot be guaranteed. It can be raised or be a different color than the skin of the forehead – bangs are needed to hide it.
“The surgeon must be very skilled at hiding the wound. The risks are downplayed by social media influencers who suggest it’s easy and everything will be fine.”
In May, Joanna underwent corrective surgery with dr. Bran to cut away the scar and realign her hairline. “The wound has healed well,” she says. The scar is barely visible. It’s been a long road, but I’m finally happy with my result.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
