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What are the Temples?

The temples are the two regions on either side of the hairline where the hair direction turns downward. It includes the region of hair that is in front of both ears. Although men most often will spot hair loss or thinning around the temporal regions when they first begin genetic male pattern hair loss (MPH), losing hair around these regions is not a telltale symptom by any means. Many men experience hair loss or thinning around this area and do not go fully bald, or even experience any addition loss for years, sometimes even decades.

The Temples, Temple Points, and Hair Transplants

One of the most important areas of the temples are the temple points, which are two triangular tufts of hair that form on the temple, behind each eyebrow. Most hair transplants are typically concerned with restoring hair around the top of the scalp, not the sides. While a fully prominent temporal point can be seen as a sign of masculinity and youthfulness, this is precisely why an overly dense temporal point can look unnatural on an older man, even when the procedure goes as smoothly as possible. Instead, what many hair doctors opt to do is construct a partial-density temporal point to compliment the hairline, and appear more subtle and natural overall.

What are the Differences between Temporal Point Reconstruction and Regular Hair Transplants?

emporal points are widely considered one of the hardest areas to restore for a variety of reasons – mainly, the way temple hair grows does not follow the same geometric patterns as normal scalp hair. Therefore, angling the transplanted follicular units in a way that they will appear natural can be difficult. The ultimate goal is to have the new hairs growing downwards and backwards to create a natural sweeping pattern. To do this, the temple recipient sites must be much flatter than scalp recipient sites so that the hair grows downwards and not outwards.

A skilled hair doctor will be able to follow the angles of “ghost hairs” (existing native hair) to get a better sense of the temporal point’s natural look. This will allow the doctor to closely replicate how the temporal point previously looked so that the hair may correctly frame the face once again.

Who Should Not Get a Temporal Point Reconstruction?

If any of the following circumstances apply to you, you may want to reconsider a temporal point reconstruction:

  • If you have a small amount of donor hair, your doctor may advise you to skip the temporal point reconstruction in favor of using the limited amount of donor hair for other areas such as the hairline or crown.
  • If you have low density donor hair on the sides of your donor zone your doctor may advise you to forego a temporal point reconstruction because the results may not look natural if recession continues on the sides.
  • Even if performed correctly, a temporal point reconstruction can sometimes frame the face poorly, and make the forehead appear narrowed or irregular. This depends on your specific cranial dimensions. Your hair transplant physician will be able to recognize this potential complication well before the procedure begins, most likely during the initial evaluative consultation.
Return to the Hair Transplant and Hair Loss Glossary

Further Reading

  1. Anterior scalp
  2. What is the Crown
  3. Beard transplant
  4. Retrograde Alopecia
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