Could My Hair Loss Be Related to My Face Lift from Years Ago?

(female)
Hello:

I had a face lift 4 years ago. I lost hair at the incision lines on my scalp and it has not grown back, which I expected. But 5 months ago, my hair began thinning all over my scalp, more so at the top. I have seen a dermatologist who diagnosed this as telogen effluvium

My question is could this be a delayed reaction to the face lift of 4 years ago, and if so, is the hair loss associated with a face left permanent? Why would it take 4 years to thin? My surgery went well, i was happy with the results and there were no complications.

A face lift can cause hair loss around the scar. If no hair has grown back in over a year, then it is likely permanent. I do not know why you are noticing scalp loss after 4 years, but if what you’re experiencing is telogen effluvium, it is unrelated to the face lift. The effluvium does cause overall thinning and this may be causing you to notice the hair loss around the scar that was always present.