Hairline Correction by Hair Transplantation for Reducing Apparent Face Length in Long-Face Women.

BACKGROUND: The long-face morphology is associated with aesthetic concerns, and surgery is often necessary to correct excess length in the frontal plane, in the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the face. However, correcting midline facial length in the frontal plane alone does not provide facial harmony. This study introduces a novel approach to correcting long-face morphology using measurements in the frontal, oblique, and lateral views, and reducing hairline measurements using hair transplants. METHODS: Eighty-three patients were enrolled in the study. The authors measured the midline facial length in the frontal plane and the lengths of the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the face. The authors also measured four additional distances in the oblique and lateral views, including the distance from the infratemporal hairline to the chin and from the sideburn to the chin. The patients' midfrontal hairlines were lowered, and the distances from the infratemporal hairline to the chin and from the sideburn to the chin were also shortened. The results were evaluated by patients and the surgeon using a five-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The mean patient Likert score was 4.5 (range, 3 to 5), and the mean surgeon Likert score was 4.9 (range, 3 to 5). No patients experienced adverse events. Three patients required touch-up surgery at the recipient sites to increase the hair density. CONCLUSION: This novel approach to correcting long-face morphology using hair transplants to decrease hairline measurements provided excellent facial harmony and symmetry. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

The effects of topical agent (kelo-cote or contractubex) massage on the thickness of post-burn scar tissue formed in rats.

BACKGROUND: We conducted an experimental study to compare the effect of massage using topical agents (Kelo-cote or Contractubex) on scar formation by massaging the healed burn wound on the dorsal area of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. METHODS: Four areas of second degree contact burn were made on the dorsal area of each of 15 SD rats, using a soldering iron 15 mm in diameter. After gross epithelialization in the defect, 15 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the Kelo-cote group, Contractubex group, Vaseline group, and control group. Rats in three of the groups (all but the Control group) were massaged twice per day for 5 minutes each day, while those in the Control group were left unattended. For histologic analysis, we performed a biopsy and evaluated the thickness of scar tissue. RESULTS: In the Kelo-cote and Contractubex groups, scar tissue thicknesses showed a significant decrease, compared with the Vaseline and control groups. However, no significant differences were observed between the Kelo-cote and Contractubex groups. In the Vaseline group, scar tissue thicknesses showed a significant decrease, compared with the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that massage using a topical agent is helpful in the prevention of scar formation and that massage only with lubricant (no use of a topical agent) also has a considerable effect, although not as much as the use of a topical agent. Thus, we recommend massage with a topical agent on the post-burn scar as an effective method for decreasing the scar thickness.