May 6, 2023

Sideburn Hair Loss and Sideburn Hair Transplant Surgery- What You Need To Know

Interestingly, androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness that mostly occurs on the scalp is not the only type of hair loss. Generally, hair loss can occur in different parts of the body. While the one that occurs on the scalp tends to get most of the attention, others that occur in front of the face like the sideburns can be equally troublesome. Many patients can suffer from hair loss affecting the sideburns, beards, and even eyebrows. If this seems like you, let’s see what causes this kind of hair loss, and how you can effectively treat it using a hair transplant.

What is a sideburn hair loss?

Hair loss in the sideburn are affects the hair just in front of your ears. Men in particular are more concerned about this kind of hair loss, because it limits the beard connection to the scalp hair.

There are numerous possible causes of thinning hair in your sideburns. Some of them include:

Medications

Certain medications can cause hair loss all over the body. There is evidence to suggest that drugs, especially the ones used to treat conditions like cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, gout, and heart conditions, can cause hair thinning, which can also affect sideburn hair.

Traction alopecia

Traction alopecia is a hair-loss condition caused by repeated tension or force that pulls the hair roots. When hair gets repeatedly pulled, it may begin to break off at the front edges and sideburns. This kind of hair loss mainly affects women or men who tie their hair tightly into a bun. Other hairstyles, like braids and weaves, can also cause traction alopecia.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA)

Frontal fibrosing alopecia or FFA causes hair loss to the eyebrows, sideburns, and frontal hairlines of women. It usually affects post-menopausal women. However, FFA has also been reported in the literature to affect men, with hair loss in the beard and sideburn areas a prominent feature.

Can sideburn hair loss be treated?

There are many different ways to treat hair loss, depending on the cause. Some people only need to change their lifestyle habits for their hair to start growing again; others may need to adjust their nutritional intake or even start hair-loss medications. While medications are effective and can restore hair growth in your sideburns, the most reliable way to make hair grow once again at the sides of your face is through a sideburn hair transplant.

Sideburn hair transplant

There are a few reasons someone may consider a sideburn hair transplant. If you have noticed your existing sideburn hair has thinned and fallen out over time, then it may be a good time to get a transplant. Also, if you don’t have any sideburn hair at all, hair transplants can also restore hair in the region. People also go for sideburn hair restoration to conceal scarring or cosmetic surgery scars from a previous procedure.

Regardless of where hair loss occurs and why you want sideburn hair restoration, transplants are usually performed using two primary techniques: Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) and Follicular Unit Excision (FUE).

Follicular Unit Transplant

In a follicular unit transplant, a surgeon removes a strip of scalp skin with a scalpel, typically from the back of the head where hair grows healthiest. The incision, usually several inches long, is removed, and the surgeon then stitches the area. This will leave a long linear scar at the back of the head that patients will need to conceal by growing their hair long.
Once the scalp or incision is removed, the next step is to divide it into several individual grafts, from which hair follicles are also extracted. A single follicular unit is referred to as a “hair graft.” And there are multiple hair follicles in each hair graft.
The next step after prepping individual hair follicles is to transplant them into the area experiencing hair loss—the sideburn in this case. This is done by making small incisions in the skin of a sideburn and inserting the ready-made hair follicles. As it is done with great care and caution, the process can take many hours.
The surgery is completed once the follicular transplant is finished. Hair will eventually start to grow back in the affected area.

Follicular Unit Excision

Rather than through a linear scalp incision, in follicular unit excision, individual hair follicles are extracted from the donor region of the scalp, which is typically the back of the head.
The surgeon then delicately inserts the follicles into the holes they have made at the recipient area, where hair loss has occurred (the sideburn in this case)
The surgeon can harvest and implant hundreds or even thousands of hair follicles during a single transplant procedure.
Follicular unit excision is a procedure that allows patients to sport shorter haircuts without exposing scarring and also has a quicker recovery time.

Sideburn hair transplant recovery

A few weeks after your sideburn hair surgery, you will likely shed all the hair that was transplanted. This hair loss is a normal phenomenon following a hair transplant.

Your hair will initially start growing slowly. In most cases, it can take up to three months before you start to see any noticeable hair growth. By 12 months post-op, you should have a full, thick sideburn again.

That said, many post-op tips and instructions can accelerate hair growth, reduce pain, and improve the success rate of your sideburn hair transplant. Some of them include:

Taking medications

After surgery, doctors often recommend taking certain medications to aid wound healing, reduce inflammation, and prevent bacterial infection. Several drugs can aid hair growth and prevent hair loss. Minoxidil is a popular and effective drug that can promote sideburn hair growth.

Taking vitamins/supplements

Apart from drugs, doctors also do recommend intake of specific vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin D, and the B-group vitamins, especially biotin. These vitamins play numerous roles in the restoration and growth of your hair, ranging from accelerating wound or scalp healing, to fostering hair growth and mechanical strength of hair strands.

Looking after your sideburn hair

After having a sideburn transplant, you must avoid any form of practice that can directly cause harm to your new and delicate hair follicles. Such practices may include exposing your hair to heat or sunlight, engaging in vigorous exercise, or using harsh chemicals.

Summary

Sideburn hair loss can affect many patients. A thinning or patchy sideburn can impact how thick a beard looks. Sideburn hair can be restored with a hair transplant. If you are interested in undergoing the procedure, feel free to send an enquiry to our hair transplant surgeons today by filling out a contact form.

References

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Authored by

Dr Roshan Vara

Hair Transplant Surgeon & Co-Founder

Dr. Roshan Vara is a renowned hair transplant surgeon in London and the Co-Founder of our award winning hair transplant clinic, The Treatment Rooms London.He has over 10 years of experience in hair transplant surgery and is recognised for delivering natural-looking results through ethical, patient-centred care. He is a Full Medical Member of BAHRS and an Associate Member of ISHRS, reflecting his commitment to the highest standards in modern hair restoration.

GMC Registered - 7458409

Reviewed by

Dr Dilan Fernando

Hair Transplant Surgeon & Co-Founder

Dr. Dilan Fernando is regarded as one of the best hair transplant surgeons in London and Co-Founder of The Treatment Rooms London. He has over 10 years of experience in hair transplant surgery and is known for his meticulous technique and commitment to ethical practice. He served on the Executive Committee of BAHRS from 2020 to 2024, helping to shape industry standards for patient safety and quality of care. Dr. Fernando personally performs each surgery, ensuring natural results built on trust and experience.

GMC Registered - 7458157