Temporal points are classified before they are rebuilt. The published scheme grades them from normal, through thinning, to recession that runs parallel to the sideburn line, and finally to a reversed angle where the outline turns concave. Only the last two categories are treated as candidates for surgery (Mayer & Perez-Meza, Hair Transplant Forum International, 2002).
The apex is a measured point, not an estimate. It is found where two lines cross: one from the front hairline to the earlobe, and one running from the tip of the nose over the centre of the pupil and outward. That intersection is what keeps the two sides answering to the same face rather than to each other.
| Parameter | Temporal point |
|---|---|
| Graft type | Single and two-hair units, singles at the edge |
| Density | Around 20–30 follicular units per square centimetre |
| Typical volume | Roughly 125–150 units per side |
| Angle | Very acute, downward and backward |
The angle is the hardest part and the least forgiving. The blade is kept as flat against the skin as it will go, because temporal hair grows almost lying down. A graft placed even moderately upright here does not look merely dense — it looks foreign, since no natural temple hair stands away from the scalp.
Restraint is what makes it read. Temples are a low-density structure by nature. Filling them to the density of the frontal hairline produces a solid block where the face expects a fine, feathered edge.
Related terms
- Hairline design principles
- Graft implantation angle
- Micro-irregular hairline design
- Natural vs artificial hairline
For how the frontal line and the temples are planned together, see hairline design. For the proportions the face is measured against, see the golden ratio hairline paper.