How Do Hair Transplant Surgeons Measure Hairline Height?

This question, from a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Michael Beehner:

How exactly do you measure your hairline height? I understand from the eyebrows to your hairline but every site seems to explain it differently. Is it from the midpoint of the eyes, right under the eyebrows or right above the eyebrows is what I want to know?

Two different reference points are used by hair restoration physicians with regard to measuring the “height of the hairline”. One is the glabella, which corresponds roughly to the spot at the top of your nose where, if you push your finger in, you can’t go any further. The other is a horizontal line drawn across the top of the eyebrows. I personally prefer to use the supra-eyebrow line, but it is important for any hair transplant surgeon giving a number of cm’s that the hairline is situated at, to also say which reference point he/she is using.

One virtue of the glabella is that it can’t move. Using the line above the eyebrows, it is important that the patient relax his face and forehead muscles in a neutral manner. Despite this possible interference, I greatly prefer to use the line above the eyebrows. There is about an 8-10mm difference between using these two reference points, which is why just throwing a number out there can be confusing and misleading to hair transplant patients.

Mike Beehner, MD.
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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
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