fbpx

African American Hair Transplant Like skin color, ethnicity also affects your hair and hair follicles. Also, like skin color, these differences can range from thin to the extreme, especially in African American or black hair. The aesthetic difference of the hair growing from the head may be obvious to the eye, but the structural and microscopic differences can significantly affect the proper execution of the hair restoration procedures.

If you are considering a hair restoration process and have African American, black or African hair, it is important to know what makes your hair unique compared to those of other genetic backgrounds. This is because, to create incredible results, a hair transplant for an African-American patient, a black or mixed-race will be different from that of other nationalities.

Faced with these differences, you will know what questions to ask when searching for the right clinical hair restoration. You will also know that the surgeon you choose has real experience in Ethnic hair transplants and fully understands what it takes to give you the incredible head of hair you deserve.

Why African American Hair Transplant?

Hair loss is extremely common in all nationalities. By the age of 50, about half of the male population will develop some form of androgenetic alopecia, known as male pattern baldness.




Hair restoration specialists also see a condition called alopecia areata in black patients more often than in other nationalities. Alopecia areata is a condition caused by hair that is constantly pulled from the scalp for long periods of time. Over time, this will cause the death of hair follicles which – although reversible in the early stages – can lead to permanent baldness.

If alopecia areata hair loss is permanent, then the only option to regain your natural hairline is a hair transplant.

While some people rejoice in embracing a bald future, many others are ashamed or ashamed to lose their hair. Fortunately, important medical developments are now allowing many of those suffering from hair loss to stop baldness or even recover their hair completely.

Today, hair transplants are the most effective way for those experiencing hair loss to permanently regenerate their natural hair. By collecting hair from the patient donor area – located at the back of the head – surgeons can repair the follicles in an area that is currently thin or bald. Within 3-6 months, the hair will start to grow and will continue to grow longer and thicker and will look completely natural.

The two hair restoration methods used today are follicular transplantation (FUT) and follicular resection (FUE). With FUT, the doctor removes a strip from the patient donor area and technicians will cut individual follicular units (1-3 hair follicles) from this strip. With FUE, each follicular unit (1-3 hair follicles) is removed directly from the donor area through microscopic incisions. For both techniques, the follicles are then implanted in the bald areas.

What Makes An African American Hair Transplant Different

The main difference between Afrocentric hair and other nationalities is related to the shape of the hair shaft. In African Americans / Blacks, the shaft is curved or C-shaped. In contrast, hair shafts in other nationalities are usually straight.

A curved hair shaft makes it more difficult to harvest and plant hair. Particular care should be taken when removing each sac from the patient’s donor area and as it is placed back in the recipient area. Without this extra level of precision, the follicle could be damaged.

With FUT the surgeon can see the curvature of the hair shaft under the skin as they make the incision. With direct imaging, an accurate incision can follow the curve of the hair. As the tissue breaks down further into each individual follicular unit, technicians use a specialized microscope to examine the length of the hair from the cuticle to the bulb and follow each curve to create beautiful incisions.




The FUE technique is based on very small punches and predicts where the bulb will be below the surface of the skin, so there is more room for error. However, continuous adjustments can be made to the angle, depth, and size of the perforation to achieve smaller cross-sections. Most surgeons choose to use the FUT technique on African American / Black patients because it provides the best chance of minimizing the incision, but both methods can be successful.

African American Hair Restoration

African American hair is more brittle than the hair of other nationalities. If you look at the hair in cross-section (which means – if you could cut it like a loaf of bread), it has an oval shape or even slate. Essentially, the hair shaft is flatter, which means a higher surface-to-mass ratio that makes it more susceptible to injury through daily styling and transplantation.

A fun fact to compare: Asian hair in cross-section is very round and provides the most strength and is therefore often used for wigs. Although hair transplant surgeons will be sensitive to each patient’s hair, you need to be especially careful with black patients. Everyone has a finite number of hairs, so it is important to avoid damaging the precious hair during the African American hair transplant.

When placing the hairs on the hairline, once again the C-shaped curve is important. All nationalities have predictable angles in the hair as it comes out of the skin, but this angle changes from the frontal hairline to the temples of the crown. When working with afro hair, you need to be even more careful when placing implants.

The curve of the bulb should point to the face at the hairline and to the exit angle to the other areas of the scalp. With great skill and patience, curved cuttings are placed so that the hair looks natural even when the curls are growing.

Hairstyles also vary by nationality. According to current fashion, African American hairlines often run straighter to the patient’s forehead with more angular angles. This is often achieved by shaving the hairline with a razor. In contrast, Latin or Caucasian pieces are M-shaped with sloping or curved corners. An experienced African American surgeon will understand the differences in hairlines depending on the patient and their history. In this way, they will create an incredibly natural look for each individual patient.

Afro-American hair transplant at our clinic

Our clinic has a proud track record of performing many successful hair restoration surgeries on African American / Black patients. Our entire team is fully trained in the subtle intricacies of hair transplants for all nationalities.

If you are ready to learn more about African American hair transplant, trust the specialists of our clinic. With many years of experience in performing hair restoration, we will provide you with the care, ability, and compassion you deserve. Schedule a consultation at any time.