Temples and Temple Points
The temple points are the two wedges of hair that come down at the corners of the hairline, in front of and above the ears. They recede early, they recede in almost everyone, and they change the shape of a face more than their size suggests.
They are also the area most likely to be missing from a treatment plan, because clinics quote in graft counts and temples are small. A frontal case that ignores the corners can leave a strong line in the middle with nothing framing it, which reads oddly even when the work itself is good.
On this page
What temple recession does to a face
Receded temples widen the forehead at its upper corners and lengthen the face. The effect is subtle in a mirror and obvious in photographs, particularly from a three-quarter angle, and it is one of the main reasons people say they look older without being able to say why.
Restoring them narrows the forehead visually and softens the frame around the face. For anyone whose loss pattern is mostly at the corners rather than the middle, treating the temples alone can be the whole operation.
It matters more on some faces than others. A long face gains a great deal; a round one gains less. Any surgeon should be willing to tell you which you have.
Why it is technically demanding
Temple hair is different from the rest of the scalp. It is finer, it grows at an extremely acute angle, almost flat against the skin and pointing downward and backward, and it lies in a characteristic sweep that the eye recognises immediately when it is wrong.
So temple work is single hairs, ideally the finest available in the donor area, planted at angles that are harder to achieve than anywhere else on the head. Coarse grafts planted upright in a temple look like a mistake from across a room.
Surgeons who do a lot of this often harvest specifically for it, taking finer hair from the nape or the edges of the donor zone rather than the dense centre.
At the consultation
Ask whether the temples are in the plan and, if they are, where the hair for them is coming from. Hearing that the surgeon intends to harvest finer hair specifically for the corners tells you they have done this before.
What it costs in grafts
Temple points are cheap. Restoring both is often 400 to 800 grafts in total, and sometimes fewer, which against a lifetime supply of several thousand is a small commitment for a visible change.
That is the argument for doing them. It is also the argument for not letting a clinic bundle them vaguely into a larger number. Ask for the temple grafts to be counted separately in the quote so you can see what you are buying.
Temples do continue to recede with age, as everything does, so the same conservative logic applies here as at the hairline. A temple point rebuilt too aggressively low and forward will look increasingly out of place.
When not to do them
If your donor supply is limited and the frontal third needs work, the front comes first. Temples are a refinement, not a foundation.
If your loss is still active and unmedicated, temples are a poor early investment, because they sit at the leading edge of a pattern that is still moving.
And if a surgeon proposes temples without discussing the frontal hairline they will sit beside, be cautious. The two have to be designed together or the shape will not resolve.
When comparing quotes
Check whether temples are included and priced separately. It is the commonest silent omission in a quote, and a plan that leaves them out is not comparable to one that does not.
Frequently asked questions
How many grafts do temples take?
Usually 400 to 800 for both sides, which is small compared with a frontal case. See what it costs in grafts.
Why do temples look wrong after some transplants?
Coarse hair planted too upright. Temple hair is fine and lies almost flat, and it is the hardest angle on the head. See why it is technically demanding.
Can I have temples done on their own?
Yes, and for people whose loss is mainly at the corners it can be the whole operation.
Do temple points keep receding?
Yes, like everything else, which is why a conservative design matters here too. See when not to do them.