HT for africian americans? - BaldTruthTalk.com
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  1. #1
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    Default HT for africian americans?

    Quick background info:

    I'm a 27 YO black male and have been receding for a few years. I've been on rogaine since I was 22 and propecia since I was 24. While I have had consultations by a IAHRS doctor and am leading toward HT, I'm very heistant about it. The bottomline is, u don't see many before and after pics of ppl with hair like mine.

    I've done lots of research and found different facts. Sometimes, ppl say HT on black males in better than the usual HT because the "curly" type hair has much more density. Other accounts, say HT for black males is a harder procedure and the length of hair makes the scar more invisible. I don't know what to believe.

    I'm leaning towards HT in a few months. But the type of the guy to think things thru and research every aspect of something be4 doing it. All I kno is, the rogaine and propecia alone may be slowing the balding, but their definitely not stopping it.

    Thx for your time,

    Johnny boy.

  2. #2
    Administrator SpencerKobren's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnny_doeee View Post
    Quick background info:

    I'm a 27 YO black male and have been receding for a few years. I've been on rogaine since I was 22 and propecia since I was 24. While I have had consultations by a IAHRS doctor and am leading toward HT, I'm very heistant about it. The bottomline is, u don't see many before and after pics of ppl with hair like mine.

    I've done lots of research and found different facts. Sometimes, ppl say HT on black males in better than the usual HT because the "curly" type hair has much more density. Other accounts, say HT for black males is a harder procedure and the length of hair makes the scar more invisible. I don't know what to believe.

    I'm leaning towards HT in a few months. But the type of the guy to think things thru and research every aspect of something be4 doing it. All I kno is, the rogaine and propecia alone may be slowing the balding, but their definitely not stopping it.

    Thx for your time,

    Johnny boy.
    Hey Johnny Boy,

    I’m glad you found the forum! Sorry for the delayed response.

    First I’d like to say that it’s great that you're doing your research and “thinking things through.” There is no rush to have surgery, it will always be there for you.

    Afrocentric hair characteristics and dark skin can be a plus for two reasons:

    1. As you described, “black hair” has more curl and lends itself to providing more visual coverage. This usually means that it takes less grafts to achieve a dense looking restoration.

    2. The contrast between black or brown hair, and dark skin also lends itself to visual benefits that usually require less grafts to be moved.

    Remember, once you’re “cut your cut,” there is no turning back, so if you ever considered shaving your head, now might be the time to give it a shot before you move forward with a hair transplant.

    It’s also important to note that dark skinned people, and people of African decent tend to be more prone to keloid scaring. For most people, after the skin is injured or cut, the healing process usually leaves a flat scar. Sometimes the scar is hypertrophic, or thickened, but it’s usually confined to the margin of the wound. Keloids, by contrast, may start some time after the injury and extend beyond the wound site. This tendency to migrate into surrounding areas that weren't injured to begin with, distinguishes keloids from hypertrophic scars. So if you’ve ever cut yourself badly or have had surgery of any kind without healing complications, the is a good chance you will be fine, but you always discuss these issues with your physician.

    With that said, I have seen many examples of incredible work performed on African American men and women. Truly life changing stuff!

    Here's’ a link to an article written by IAHRS Member Dr. Robert Reese that discuss African American hair transplantation.

    http://hairloss.iahrs.org/hair-trans...ican-american/

    Hope this helps!
    Spencer Kobren
    Founder, American Hair Loss Association
    Host, The Bald Truth Radio Show

    I am not a physician. My opinions and knowledge concerning hair loss and its treatment are based on extensive research and reporting on the subject as a consumer advocate and hair loss educator. My views and comments on the subject should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the advice of a medical professional when considering medical and surgical treatment.

  3. #3
    Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnny_doeee View Post
    Quick background info:

    I'm a 27 YO black male and have been receding for a few years. I've been on rogaine since I was 22 and propecia since I was 24. While I have had consultations by a IAHRS doctor and am leading toward HT, I'm very heistant about it. The bottomline is, u don't see many before and after pics of ppl with hair like mine.

    I've done lots of research and found different facts. Sometimes, ppl say HT on black males in better than the usual HT because the "curly" type hair has much more density. Other accounts, say HT for black males is a harder procedure and the length of hair makes the scar more invisible. I don't know what to believe.

    I'm leaning towards HT in a few months. But the type of the guy to think things thru and research every aspect of something be4 doing it. All I kno is, the rogaine and propecia alone may be slowing the balding, but their definitely not stopping it.

    Thx for your time,

    Johnny boy.
    I think it’s great that you’re on medications and at your age it’s important to do everything possible to slow the loss and ensure that your existing hair is the best quality it can be.

    Even though you may not see many postoperative photos of African Americans I can tell you that in my experience hair restoration surgery can yield great results. The natural curl of the hair and the low contrast between skin and hair usually create a result that covers the scalp quite well and looks natural. African Americans have grafts with lower hair density, but what you do have is more hair volume per unit length of hair from the scalp due to the curl. The surgery is somewhat more technically demanding due to the nature of the curl, but for a surgeon with experience it is not really a major issue.

    In my opinion the visibility of the scar usually depends on several factors such as tension on the wound, accuracy of the surgeon, your natural healing characteristics, and the length of the hair adjacent to the scar site. Assuming that you don’t have an issue with keloid formation, and assuming the first three factors mentioned above are at least “average, “ the longer you wear your hair next to the scar there is a lower likelihood of a scar that’s readily visible.

    I think you should talk to a physician that has experience in transplanting African Americans and ask to see their surgical results and possibly talk to one or two of their patients. The surgeon will evaluate your current state of hair loss and listen to your expectations and devise a treatment plan. If you are satisfied then you can feel confident in your decision to proceed.

    I hope that my reply answers your questions.

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