Facial Feminization Surgery: Simultaneous Hair Transplant during Forehead Reconstruction.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Reconstruction of the frontonaso-orbital complex is one of the best-described and most commonly used procedures in the field of facial feminization surgery. To a large extent, this complex determines the facial expression and plays a key role in the visual identification of facial gender. After the forehead, the hairline pattern is the second most important feature of gender identification within the upper third of the face. The combined evaluation of these two features should be a basic premise of facial feminization surgery. METHODS: The authors present a new surgical sequence developed by their group in which reconstruction of the frontonaso-orbital complex and redefinition of the hairline by means of an autologous hair transplant are carried out during the same operation forehead reconstruction and simultaneous hair transplantation. RESULTS: Sixty-five male-to-female transgender patients treated with forehead reconstruction and simultaneous hair transplantation are presented along with the surgical technique, sequence used, and the results obtained. A classification method for hairlines in male-to-female transgender patients is proposed based on the observation of 492 patients. A modified temporoparietooccipital coronal (posterior coronal) approach is also described. CONCLUSION: The forehead reconstruction and simultaneous hair transplant technique makes it possible to address the entire upper third of the face in a single facial feminization operation.