Are African American Men Good Hair Transplant Candidates?

Written by Peter Panagotacos, MD on June 12, 2008

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. Many African American men have wavy hair which is not in tight curls and do not have the problem of pseudo-folliculitis,” shaving bumps”, and they have a greater success rate since the donor hairs do not self destruct with scars as they grow out after the transplant.

Peter J. Panagotacos, MD
Member, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons
Member, American Hair Loss Association

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