Many factors are involved in the success of a hair transplant. The most important is the amount and the quality of the follicular units extracted from the patient’s donor area. The patient must get a diagnosis before any hair procedure to get a perfect and natural-looking result. Although, another critical factor is ethnical differences in hair transplant. This factor is determinant for many things in hair transplant. Ethnic groups have significant differences in hair, from hair types to hair customs.
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Ethnical differences in hair transplant : customs and hair loss
Hair customs may lead to hair loss. For example, Black women who braid their hair, straighten them or wear extensions are more concerned by traction alopecia than other ethnic groups. Traction alopecia appears in the front and the sides of the head.
Hair transplant is an individual matter; every one of us has a different hair type and must receive personalized advice, especially black patients who are subject to particular forms of fast and permanent hair loss. Bald patches are tough to deal with for patients. They can get a hair transplant, but all the doctors do not have enough experience with afro hair to carry a hair transplant on this hair type properly.
Patients' preferences depend on their ethnic origins
Depending on their ethnic origins, patients have different preferences for hair or beard transplant. Arab men are very self-conscious about their beards: it signifies power and manliness in their culture. They like sharp edges, while Europeans are into a more natural look.
It exists many hair types; however, there are three main categories: Asian, caucasian, African. Those categories are different in a matter of density, growth speed, and diameter.
Asian hair grows fast, about 15.3 cm per year, and has an average density; African hair has slower growth and a low density, while Caucasian hair has a high density and moderate growth. For a successful hair transplant, patients must have enough density in the donor area—the amount of hair per cm² and the thickness of the hair.
Ethnical differences in hair transplant : grafts type
There are several types of grafts, with one to four follicular units, and doctors use the most appropriate graft type depending on the patient’s race. African patients receive three-hair grafts, while Caucasians get up to four-hair grafts.
Black people have thin hair, but they look very voluminous as they are very curly. Curly hair may be harder to handle during a transplant, and the skin is thicker around hair follicles on black people. Due to this characteristic, those patients have more risks to develop keloid on the scars.
Keloid is scar abnormalities resulting from a lousy skin recovery after the surgery. Black people tend to be more concerned by this complication than other races. Black patients must be careful when picking their surgeon because they need someone experienced in afro hair transplant to avoid complications.
Ethnical differences in hair transplant : DHI hair transplant
This method is the best way to get volume in the hair, as the surgeon has complete control over the grafts’ implantation angle.DHI has other advantages, such as easier post-surgery recovery or an ultra-natural result.
What race is the best candidate for hair transplant?
All races can do a hair transplant, and the results will depend on the surgeon’s ability to adapt the technique to his patient’s hair. The best candidate for a hair transplant is a patient with lots of hair in their donor area. Hair transplant tends to look better on thick hair, but it does not mean procedures on thin hair will fail. The surgeon will need more grafts to achieve the best result, so the patient will need an extra session to get luxuriant hair.
