Temple recession — the hollowing and retreat of hair at the sides of the hairline — is often the earliest visible sign of androgenetic alopecia. It can make the face look wider, the forehead more prominent, and the overall appearance significantly older. Temple restoration is one of the most transformative applications of modern hair transplantation.
What Is Temple Hair Transplant?
A temple hair transplant relocates follicles from the donor area to the receded temple zones, recreating the natural triangular shape of the temples that frames the face. The procedure uses the same FUE or DHI techniques as standard hair transplantation, but requires particular skill in angulation and direction because temple hair grows in complex, multi-directional patterns.
How Many Grafts Are Needed?
Temple restoration typically requires 300–800 grafts per side depending on the degree of recession. Both temples together usually require 600–1,500 grafts — a relatively modest count that can often be combined with hairline or midscalp work within a single session.
The exact count depends on the size of the area to be covered and the desired density. Your surgeon will estimate this during consultation.
The Challenge of Temple Angulation
Temple hair is among the most technically demanding to transplant accurately. Temple hairs grow at extremely acute angles — nearly flat against the scalp — and follow complex curved patterns. Grafts implanted at the wrong angle produce hairs that stand away from the scalp, immediately visible as unnatural.
DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) is particularly well-suited to temple work because the Choi implanter pen allows precise control over angle, direction, and depth at every single graft.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
You may be a good candidate for temple restoration if:
- You have clear temple recession but still have good density in the midscalp and crown
- Your overall hair loss is at Norwood 2–4 stage
- You have sufficient donor supply (temple work uses relatively few grafts)
- You want to restore a more youthful, defined hairline shape
Temple restoration is often combined with general hairline work for patients who have both recession and overall hairline retreat.
What Results Look Like
Well-executed temple restoration produces a natural-looking triangular temple point that frames the face and restores a younger facial silhouette. Results are permanent — the transplanted follicles are DHT-resistant and will continue producing hair for life.
At Norwood 2–3 stages, temple restoration combined with a modest hairline lowering can produce dramatic overall rejuvenation from a relatively small graft count.
Our Approach
At Estetİstanbul, Dr. Hamid Aydın performs all temple work personally using DHI for maximum angulation precision. Temple design is planned carefully in the consultation, taking into account the patient's natural temple shape, face structure, and age.
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