african american

I am a 43 year old African American male, and I had a hair transplant when I was 33. I consider my hair transplant to be one of the worst decisions I ever made in my life. The doctor left me with visible bumps and scars on my head that look terrible.

My questions are:

Can African Americans transplant hair from one person to the next? And if so, what are the determining factors to gets this done?

Can African Americans have the FUE procedure done from person to person? If so, what are the determining factors? Also, do doctors know of known donors of hair for a fee?

Last question, if I could get some help where would I start? -Craig

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Dear Craig,

I am sorry to learn that your experience with hair restoration surgery has not worked well for you.

Your question about transplanting from one person to another is one that prospective patients frequently ask. Unfortunately this cannot be done successfully regardless of ethnicity. The body always will reject foreign organisms, tissue or organs. Kidneys and hearts can be transplanted from one person to another but there has to be a very precise donor match. Even then the person with an organ transplant has to take powerful drugs to prevent rejection of the organ. Read the Story

I am a 44 yr old African American female. I have researched several doctors and institutions that claim they can help me but after viewing the work they have done on others I am skeptical. I have been balding on the sides of my temples for about ten years now. It has gotten worse. I have worn my hair in braids for several years and have dyed and fried my hair with chemicals and hair coloring. I am sure that has damaged my hair, but I have not used chemicals in over 12 years.  I have used topical solutions, including Rogaine for Men and hair growth products for women. I see some hair regrowth only at the edge of my temples, but not where it should be. I want a hair transplant, I just don’t know who to trust and who can help me. I live in the Maryland/ Washington, DC area but I am certainly willing to travel to get a specialist to help me.
Thanks,
RS

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Dear RS,

From your description you are suffering from traction alopecia. This condition is quite common among African American women and arises because of the fashion of tight braiding. The tight braids produce a repetitive stress on the hair follicle and over a period of time actually destroy the follicles. Unfortunately topical treatment such as Minoxidil (Rogaine) and others rarely produces any recovery. Read the Story

My boyfriend has a form of CCCA (Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia) as well as mild Follicutis Keloidalis on the nape of his neck. I am looking to get him the FUE procedure done (Follicle unit extraction) and wanted to know if you guys can deal with or specialize in Afro-caribbean scalps and hair types. I can send photos of his scalp if needed.
Kind regards,
Leeanne
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Dear Leeanne:

Thank you for your letter and question. The diagnosis of a scarring alopecia, such as CCCA, will require that there is evidence that the process is not active before surgical intervention may be considered. There is no correct answer as to when surgery may be performed but there should probably be a minimum of one year during which there is no active inflammation. The dermatologist that is following your friend should be able to assist in this determination. There is also a risk that the condition can be reactivated by surgery in the involved areas. Occasionally a “test session” can be performed to see if this is a possibility. CCCA, also called “hot comb” alopecia, has been linked to physical and chemical trauma of the scalp by certain hair-care practices. I will assume that if this is the cause of your friend’s hair loss, these practices have been discontinued. Read the Story

I am a 24 year old African American female. I noticed approximately 3 years ago that my hair was thinning at my temples (more so on the left than right). Approximately 2 years ago I notice that my hair line (top-middle) is receding and has now gotten to the point were it is noticeable to others (it is still pretty minor, but has progressively gotten worse). I initially thought that the thinning around my temples was due to traction alopecia and immediately changed my hair styling routine. I didn’t expect the thinning to get better but, as it continues to progress I am more convinced that this is genetic (even though no females in my family this problem). I was recently informed by a dermatologist that my loss is not consistent with female pattern hair loss and that Rogaine probably would not help.

If my hair loss is not of female pattern loss, can it still be considered genetic? And, as I’ve described my loss, do you think I could be a candidate for a hair transplant?

Please know that this has caused and is causing severe emotional distress and I need to know if there is anything I can do about it.

Thank you.
A. Smith
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Hair loss at a young age can be very devastating for anyone.  This is especially true for women who never expect hair loss to be a problem for them. Read the Story

Can a hair transplant be performed on an African American? Every video or before and after photo I see has a Caucasian guy with minimal hair loss. He will have hair around the side and maybe slight balding around the crown. An African American male cannot hide their balding issue, or better yet doesn’t have the hair to spare for a hair transplant while maintaining a short hair cut. Has a successful hair transplant ever been performed on African American male to continue the growth of hair where it was lost mainly around the middle or back of the crown?
Thank you,
Mark
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Mark:

Thank you for your question.  Yes, hair restoration surgery can be successfully performed on African Americans and /or people of other ethnic origins.  The African American patient in particular requires careful pre-operative assessment in several areas.  Does the patient have a tendency to develop hypertrophic and/or keloid, (heavy, thick) scarring? Read the Story

Is having a hair transplant a good option for an African American man? I have been losing my hair for the past 2 years and I am not comfortable doing the shaved head thing. I just don’t think I have a good shaped head although I do wear my hair very short. Thanks.
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Unfortunately it is difficult to give a yes or no answer to this question since a lot depends on whether you have had a problem with “shaving bumps” which would indicate the new grafts might also curl back and cause ingrown hairs and scars. Other factors such as the density of the donor area and the hair style you would want afterwards are key factors. The best results would be in someone with dense hair in the donor area, limited bald spot on the crown and minimal recession in front so that a short “natural” hair style one to two inches long would be able to cover the balding area even with some mild scarring. Read the Story

I was wondering if it is possible for an African American to have a successful hair transplant? I do not know anyone who has ever had it performed, and I don’t see too many good photos on the internet.
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Thank you for your question. Not only is it possible for an African American to have a successful hair transplant, often times the result will look thicker than a similar number hairs transplanted into a Caucasian. The reasons for this are that in the African American patient there is less contrast between the hair color and skin color and the curl produced by the hair covers more scalp than straight hair.

When seeking a physician to perform this surgery it is helpful to ask about his or her experience with African American patients. Although the procedure is essentially the same as the surgery performed in patients with straight hair there are some differences that require special attention in the graft dissection and implantation phases of the surgery. Read the Story