African American Hair Transplant: How It is different

African American people have thick and curly hair, which makes it difficult for hair transplant surgeons to extract the hair from the donor area. 

While handling the graft, as it can get damaged easily, dermatologists should be skillful and experienced.

In simple terms, hair transplant is comparatively easy in Caucasians, whose hairs are straight and thin in texture, than in African Americans.

In this article, we’ll talk about hair transplants for African American people, how different it is, what complications could arise, and how much they cost. Is it expensive? Let’s find out.

Do hair transplants work for African American people?

There is no doubt that African American people can have a hair transplant. But, hair transplant for African American or people with curly hair is difficult to perform.

Unlike straight hair, curly hairs are curved, both outside, as well as, inside. This makes harvesting hair difficult with ordinary punching devices commonly used in hair transplants.

Sometimes, curly hair inside makes sharp C bends, which makes it even more difficult for the surgeon to extract hair as it can get damaged while harvesting. And damaged hair follicles cannot be used for hair transplant.

That is why a special device, micromotor, is used to extract hair grafts in African American people. It is designed in such a way that it does not cause any damage to the hair follicles and their vital structure when taking them out from the scalp.

Yes, hair transplant is possible in African Americans, but it should be done using a special device and by an experienced and skillful dermatologist.

How African American hair transplant is different?

The common cause of hair loss in African American people is traction alopecia, stress, and androgenic alopecia.

No doubt, hair transplants can be done in African American people. But it is a bit different than Caucasian and Asian people who have thin and straight hair.

Here are a few differences in the hair transplant done in African American people:

• African American people have low hairlines, and they are straighter. While in Caucasians, it is ‘M’ shaped and lies higher. That means more donor hair is required to make a straight and low-lying hairline in the case of African American people. 
• As mentioned above, the hair of African American people is curled both inside and outside. So, the surgeon should be cautious while extracting those hairs as they can get damaged easily. The special device should be used to avoid damaging the hair and its vital structures such as the oil gland.
• In general, African American people require less donor hair to cover the bald area of the scalp. Thick and curly hair creates more volume and covers the bald areas completely without the need of too many donor hairs.
•  To do hair transfer in African American people, more experienced and skilled surgeon is required as it is different from the Caucasian or Asian people, who have straight hair which can be manipulated easily. 
•  One of the complications of hair transplant is scar formation. In direct hair implant surgery, the linear scar is present. While in the case of the follicular unit extraction technique, scars are present in the form of tiny white dots. As American people are more prone to developing keloid, a thick scar, it becomes problematic for them. Simply put, they are more prone to develop thick scars after a hair transplant.

What are the techniques for hair transplants for African Americans?

Techniques used for hair transplant in African American people are similar to Caucasians or people with straight hair. Techniques for hair transplant are follicular unit extraction, follicular unit transplant, and direct hair implant.

During a hair transplant, hair from the donor area is taken out using a punch, and then it is kept in the recipient area of the scalp of the pattern.

The only difference in the hair transplant of African American people is the handling of the hair. As hair is more curly, a very special device is used for grafting the hair from the donor area, to prevent it from damaging.

 Also, special care should be taken to avoid more than required damage to the scalp during the hair transplant process as there is more chance of keloid formation in African American people.

Does African American hair transplant more expensive?

To tell you the truth, not all dermatologists are skillful and experienced in handling African American hair. They should be aware of the texture of hair, low-lying hairline, and potential risks of developing keloid formation in African Americans.

African American hair transplant can be expensive because it requires more skill and experience. And the special device is used for extracting the craft and placing it in the recipient area. 

To know the exact expense of a hair transplant, you need to consult with the clinics or dermatologists was specialized in hair transplants for African American people.

African American hair transplant: Before and After

Hair transplant in African American women: How it is different

Most common cause of hair fall in African American women is traction alopecia, which occurs by wearing tight braids, dreadlocks or cornrows.

Traction alopecia is reversible if you act quickly. It can be stopped and, in some cases reverted to normal, if you change your hair style and avoid using harmful styling products.

However, hair loss can become permanent if you don’t act quickly. In that case, the only option you’ll have is to go for a hair transplant.

 Hair transplant in African American women is different from the other women. African American women have thick and curly hair both inside and outside.

Thick and curly hair makes hair look more voluminous, but it creates problem while transplanting it.

While harvesting the hair follicle from the donor area, it can get damaged easily. That’s why the dermatologist should be cautious during harvesting phase.

To put it simply, curved hair inside the scalp can get easily damaged when taking them out using ordinary punch. A special device should be used for extracting the donor hair in the case of African American women.

Also, extra care should be done while handling the hair graft as it gets damaged easily in the process of transferring it into the recipient area.

What are the techniques for hair transplants in African Americans women?

The follicular unit extraction technique is commonly practiced both in Caucasian and African American women.

Hair transplant technique is not different in African American women. But, it should be only done by experienced and skilled dermatologists, who have more experience with African American hair.

 

Does hair transplant more expensive for African American women?

Hair transplant in African American women requires more experience and skill from the dermatologist. Also, special device is used while pulling out the hair graft from the donor area.

Due to this, it can be more expensive than an ordinary hair transplant. 

But To know the exact cost, ask clinics or dermatologist who are experienced and specialized in hair transplants in African American people.

African American women’s hair transplant: Before and After

Eyebrow transplant for African Americans: Here is everything you need to know.

Whether it is genetics, autoimmune disease, or hormonal that is causing your eyebrow to thin out, you can get back thick and perfect shaped eyebrow by eyebrow transplant.

But, eyebrow transplant in African American people is a complicated procedure to perform, mainly because African Americans have thick and curly hair that is difficult to handle during transplant surgery.

Also, there is a high chance of damaging hair follicles while extracting them from the donor area and placing it in the recipient area. Due to this reason, eyebrow transplants in African Americans should only be done by experienced and skilled surgeons.

 

How are eyebrow transplants done in African American people?

There are two techniques for eyebrow transplant: Follicular Unit Extraction(FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplant(FUT).

In follicular unit extraction, a single hair follicle from the donor area is taken out using a punch and placed in the recipient area.

Since hair in African American people is curly, both inside and outside of the scalp, there is a high chance of damaging it while taken out from the donor area.

Due to this reason, Follicular Unit extraction Technique is not used for eyebrow transplants in African American people.

In African American people, the follicular unit transplant technique is used to take out the hair from the donor area. In this technique, a stripe of tissue is taken out from the donor area, which is then cut into small pieces. 

Then under the microscope, single healthy and suitable hairs are separated. 

Then this hair is transplanted in the recipient area by making a certain angle with the skin to make the desired shape of the eyebrow.

 

 Is eyebrow transplant suitable for African Americans?

Since the hair follicle in the eyebrow transplant is taken from the donor area, which is the back side of the scalp, it continues to grow like scalp hair.

That means you will have thick and curly hair just like the scalp hair after the eyebrow transplant.

So, to make eyebrows look natural and in shape, you must keep trimming them. Also, you can apply gel or other straightening products to make the eyebrow shape.

 

Bottom line

African American hair transplants can be done, but it is different from Caucasian or Asian people. Hair is more curly and thick in African American people.

There is a curl inside the scalp too, which cannot be seen while extracting, and it gets damaged with an ordinary punch. 

That is why a special device is used for grafting the hair from the donor area to prevent it from damaging. 

In simple terms, hair transplants for African American people should only be done by experienced and skillful dermatologists.