Hair transplant and curly hair
By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2020-11-19
Hair transplant and curly hair generates many questions and doubts that arise due to the special characteristics of this type of hair, which make it very different from straight hair. It is a common belief that curly hair has more density, or that it 's worse for a hair transplant in Turkey; but, is this true?
If you have long curly hair -or even afro hair- and you are searching for information on the cost of a hair transplant in Turkey because you suffer from alopecia, surely you have lots of doubts about the operation, how the results will be, or whether your type of hair will pose some kind of additional difficulty before or after the transplant. Do you want to find answers to all your questions? Well, keep reading then.
Can curly hair be transplanted?
Yes, a curly hair transplant is possible; however, there are several factors that have its influence in the results of a hair transplant operation: hair length, elasticity, density, colour, texture, whether it is curly hair or straight, etc. This can be especially important with regard to donor area hair - usually taken from the back of the head - which we will use to repopulate the areas devoid of hair during the hair transplant.
Since curly hair has different characteristics from straight hair, this will influence when performing a FUE hair transplant operation (using the Follicular Unit Extraction technique), since the shape of curly hair both outside - in the scalp - and inside - within the hair follicle - will determine the extraction, the subsequent grafting, and the final result.
In any hair transplant, it is very important to take into account the shape, size and angle of hair in the area to be grafted; but this is even more relevant when it comes to curly hair. It is also vital to extreme precautions during the extraction phase from the donor area, since curly hair can break more easily.
Remember that it is the shape of the follicle what determines the external appearance of the hair, and whether it will be straight or curly; so, usually a curly hair follicle will have a more complex shape inside the scalp, and will be more difficult to extract. Only if all these factors are taken into account, and if the medical staff carrying out the operation have the necessary knowledge and experience, a curly hair transplant can be carried out successfully.
What about afro hair?
If the patient has afro-type hair, the complications already present in a curly hair transplant are further aggravated; like the visible part, the afro hair root is also extremely curly: this means that follicle extraction must be carried out carefully and by highly qualified personnel to avoid breaking hair roots.
Again, it is also important to take into account the size, depth and angle of the hair in the grafting area, so that grafted hair appearance is as natural as possible and the operation is successful. In addition, these patients tend to suffer a different form from alopecia compared to those of Caucasian origin, and therefore the staff leading the intervention must also know these differences in order to guarantee lasting results.
However, although an afro hair transplant implies a great difficulty, it should be noted that hair transplants with afro hair also offer a clear advantage: given that normally this is a black-type hair with a great thickness, the hair density achieved through an afro hair transplant - as long as it is done correctly - is usually very high, achieving spectacular aesthetic results.
What results can I expect from this type of hair transplant?
The success of a curly hair transplant will depend on the condition of each patient's hair. However, in general - and contrary to common belief - wavy or not excessively curly hair is usually the ideal one to achieve a perfect hair transplant - that is, one providing a natural appearance and high density - especially if it's black curly hair with a good thickness.
On the contrary, thin and straight light hair, although usually easier during the extraction and grafting phases, offers poorer results in terms of hair density after the operation. This is important: we are talking about the apparent hair density achieved after a transplant, not about the natural density, which is different.
If we just refer to natural density (number of hairs per unit area), blonde people are the ones who have the highest hair density in their scalp, while redheads are those who naturally have a lower density. Long curly hair, due to its own shape, provides more volume than straight hair and offers a denser appearance, real or not; but a very short curly hair does not have to be denser.
Once all doubts about hair transplant and curly hair have been answered, the most important thing - we insist - is to seek professionals with enough experience in transplanting this type of hair. At Clinicana we offer you the best hair transplant in Turkey, and we have experts in this type of operations: just take a look at our patients' reviews on hair transplant in Turkey, ask now for a free consultation... and discover by yourself why we are the best-rated clinic.
