Physician Answered Q & As

Can An African American Have a Successful Hair Transplant?

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.

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.

I’m not sure why you haven’t seen many photos of successful surgery, but it certainly is possible to achieve great results. 

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The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons is a consumer organization that selectively screens skilled and ethical hair transplant surgeons. The IAHRS does not offer an open membership policy to doctors practicing hair transplatation, and is the only group that recognizes that all surgeons are not equal in their skill and technique. Its elite membership seeks to represent the best in the discipline, the true leaders in the field of surgical hair restoration.