Forehead Reduction

Content Reviewed by AEDIT Medical Advisory Board

Overview

Foreheads are one of the most prominent facial features, with big foreheads generally seen more often on males than females. A high forehead tends to happen when the hairline recedes as a man or woman experiences balding or thinning hair, although some people are born with naturally high foreheads. When a person's forehead seems out of proportion to their face, individuals may seek ways to disguise their attention-getting forehead via camouflaging hairstyles or cosmetic surgeries.

Choosing a Procedure: Forehead Reduction, Brow Lift, or Hair Grafting?

There a variety of options for individuals who are unhappy with the size of their foreheads. Depending on the cause of a wide forehead (whether it be innate, from a receding hairline, or natural aging), different surgical options are available. Be sure to speak to a licensed and experienced professional about what procedure would be best for your individual needs during a consultation.

Forehead Reduction Forehead reduction is a surgical means of altering the hairline to make the forehead appear smaller, or more suited to the patient's facial features. Incisions are made within the hairline and on the forehead from ear-to-ear so that excess tissue can be removed. Forehead reductions are not recommended for patients who have previously had a coronal brow lift or hair transplant via the strip harvesting method. Patients with thin hair or who are actively losing hair are not suited for this procedure and may be recommended to seek hair restoration methods before surgical intervention.

Hair Transplant Hair transplants improve the appearance of receding hairlines, which can make foreheads appear larger or longer than they are. Many variations of hair restoration treatments exist, including strip surgery that removes a section of hair follicles and scalp from the rear of the head, to more advanced procedures that transplant individual healthy follicles to any balding areas in the front, sides, crown, or other portions of the head - without requiring incisions. Hair transplants can also be done in conjunction with a forehead reduction procedure to enhance results. Those who are actively losing hair would not benefit from this treatment.

Brow Lift Undergoing a brow lift can have such an impact upon nearby facial regions that the surgery is also sometimes called a forehead lift. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 40,000 forehead lift procedures were performed in 2017. Not only does the browplasty procedure correct sagging eyebrows by removing excess tissue and skin, but it can also shorten a long or large forehead, making the area smaller after the excised extra skin tightens the area.

Famous Foreheads

Celebrities like Tyra Banks have often spoken out about the teasing that comes along with having a big forehead, such as being called a person with a "five head" instead of a normal "four head." Other famous people such as Rihanna, Kate Bosworth, and Rachel McAdams are beautiful women who are known for having prominent foreheads.

Kylie Jenner, meanwhile, noted that her daughter Stormi Webster inherited her mom's smaller forehead. Angelina Jolie often gains attention for the prominent vein in her forehead, while Kim Kardashian admitted that she received laser hair removal treatments to get rid of her hairy forehead. No matter how gorgeous the bone structure beneath it, an oversized forehead or one with similar issues can steal the show from an otherwise outstanding appearance, causing sufferers to search for ways to conceal their problematic area.

Hairstyles for Big Foreheads

Taylor Swift became famous for hiding her forehead beneath eyebrow skimming or sweeping side bangs, even though hers appears average-sized and proportionate to her face. However, plenty of beauty tips exist online for those who do not wish to undergo surgery.

Some beauty tips teach individuals how to make their large foreheads look smaller by adopting a concealing hairstyle. Avoid ponytail hairstyles, especially those that push back bangs, which can accentuate a high hairline. Instead of using gel hair products to severely slick the hair back off of the face - which makes a long forehead look more pronounced - side bangs might be recommended. Bangs tend to create the optical illusion of a smaller head by helping hide a large forehead. Side parts can also disguise a large forehead without bangs, allowing hair to cascade diagonally across the eyebrows and concealing a higher hairline.

Hairstyle changes are only temporary means of disguising a large forehead and can only help those with hair that’s thick and long. Even in those instances, the wind can easily blow lengthy and voluminous hair off of the face to expose the forehead. Likewise, wet hair can reveal a large forehead after swimming. For those who desire a permanent solution to a high hairline or big forehead, surgical intervention may be necessary.