When it comes to black men and women, Kris Johnson, Director of Medical Procedures and Surgical Operations, says there is virtually no difference in how hair transplantation is performed when compared to other white people, Asians and other races.
"The whole procedure is approached the same way," Mr. Johnson said. "The vast majority of black people make good hair transplant patients."
Mr. Johnson pointed out that his clinic has performed 1000s of hair transplants on black people and they enjoy some natural advantages. Black men and women often have better results with their hair transplants because the black, curly hair gives the illusion of more density. This illusion holds true for not only black patients, but even white people with black hair, curly hair or both.
"The curly hair comes out in layers, laying on top of each other and this gives a fuller appearance," Mr. Johnson said. Patients with light colored hair have a softer appearance that blends with the scalp easier and gives a less fuller, thinner appearance.
Mr. Johnson cautions that some hair transplant clinics cut too deep when they extract the donor strip for hair grafts."You have to take special care to not go too deep. You only need to go as deep as the dermis layer, to the top edge of the fat layer underneath." Mr. Johnson said.
Many hair transplant clinics and surgeons go past the hair bulb, dermis and into the fat layer when harvesting the donor scalp. "This causes more pain in the first week of healing and takes longer for the feeling and nerves to bounce back," Mr. Johnson said.
"We only go as deep as we have to and this results in faster healing time, less discomfort and the temporary numbness bounces back faster," he added.
Mr. Johnson warns that he is seeing an increase in black patients who come to him for treatment of traction alopecia, - permanent hair loss caused by braiding, weaving, cornrows that pull out the hair and/or damage it with harsh chemicals.
Those with traction alopecia often require 500 to 700 hair grafts in the temple region and frontal regions, Mr. Johnson said. Traction alopecia hair transplant patients should definitely change their hair style to a more loose and free style that does not pull or damage the new hair grafts, he added.
"The only way permanent traction alopecia can be treated is with hair transplants," Mr. Johnson said. He is concerned about the increasingly popular hair styles that can result in traction alopecia and cautions patients to wear their hair in "looser" styles that won't pull or damage the hair permanently.
