I had my hairline lowered by about 1cm which really boosted my confidence and now when the wind blows my hair I am totally confident about my hairline. I was told by my surgeon Dr Bart van de Ven that my scalp pre-op was very tight and I could improve its elasticity if I massaged it prior to surgery. Fortunately I succeeded in losening my scalp which enabled Dr Bart to achieve good results.
Also choose your surgeon carefully as some surgeons use a curved cut with the scalpel following the hairline. In some cases this can result in a visible scar along the hairline which can be quite noticeable.
Dr Bart uses a zig-zag cutting technique which means the scar goes in and out of the hairline with much of the scarring hidden within the hairline. I must admit I was a little worried about this technique but I can say I am extremely happy with my results. However, a friend of mine had hers done by a different surgeon and is not happy with her results as she has a visible scarline when her hair is blown away from her forehead and she has been advised that hair grafts may be needed to hide the scarring.
In answer to your concerns, I experienced no tightness of the scalp following surgery and no pain. However, you will experience numbness. I remember one day bending over in the kitchen to pick up something which had fallen on the floor. I stood up and came to an abrupt halt as my head struck an open cupboard door.
I experienced no pain just surprise at the sudden stop.
Feeling in the scalp returns gradually and can take anything from 6 months to several years (depending on your age) to return to normal. The older you are, the longer it can take for normal feeling to return. But don't worry if it takes a long time because oddly enough the numbness will become normal feeling to you!
Hope this helps
Caz
x
