Can people with curly hair have a replacement procedure?

So you’ve got curly hair, and you’re wondering whether or not the hair transplant procedure will be different for you now that you’ve decided you’re ready to have it done. The fact is, anyone can have a hair replacement procedure. It doesn’t matter if your hair is straight, curly, or wavy. But just as you’ve guessed, there’s something just a little different involved to match the unique nature of your hair. This post will share what these differences are and what you can expect during your hair replacement procedure.

What’s Different?

Great question! For the most part, hair transplant procedures are generally the same regardless of your hair type as a patient or whether the procedure is a traditional, micro, or discreet FUE. However, the graft extraction process is the main difference in procedures for patients with curly hair. While this may not be obvious, the hair curl you see with your hair sometimes extends well below the surface of your scalp and can extend further downwards below your scalp into the skin of your head. And since our main goal during your hair replacement procedure is to safely extract these hair follicles at the very bottom of your hair shafts, we need to access and transfer the entire hair follicle to get your hair to grow in this new location.

Our Solution

Due to the curved nature of your hair, it can be severed during the collection process without the proper attention and equipment to do the job. However, as long as a patient consults with the right professionals for the procedure, such risks are entirely avoidable.

Here at Northwestern hair, we have a couple of options to correct this and deliver just as good a result as someone else with any other hair type will get.

Smaller-Sized Bit

The first option is to use a much smaller bit during the extraction process. This method allows us to get more area to ensure we can get the hair follicle within the punch. This way, there’s a lesser chance of your hair getting severed compared to a larger bit.

Different Extraction Technology

Another option is to use an entirely different technology and technique during the phase of your hair transplant procedure. In this case, we’ll extract your hair follicles with technologies that use vibrations and suction that will slowly pull the hair out without risking the shaft being severed in the process. This way, even though the individual hairs remain curved, we can safely get each follicle out and transfer them to your recipient area for implanting.

What Should You Watch Out For?

While it may seem like a change in technology and technique is all you need to ensure the result of your hair transplant procedure is as excellent as anyone else’s, that’s really not all there is to it. If you’ve curly hair, the number one thing you want to look for while planning your procedure is who your team will be.

The goal here is to ensure that the team handling your procedure has worked with people with curly hair frequently in the past, especially African Americans. Therefore, a reasonable requirement is for such a person to have at least 10 to 15 years of experience performing multiple transplants for patients within your ethnic population before you should be comfortable with them.

Takeaway

In summary, hair transplant procedures are suitable for almost anyone with baldness or hair thinning issues. Even people with curly hair are suitable candidates for these procedures, although they may have different considerations than people with straight hair. Overall, these procedures are safe and effective, and the right candidate can enjoy a new lease on life after these surgeries.

Schedule a Consult

Interested in hair replacement? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Northwestern Hair specialist. Choose between comprehensive in-person and convenient virtual consultations.