Afro hair transplant is a special case of hair transplant possible for people with African or curly hair. This is one of the hardest hair transplant surgeries in the world and very few surgeons are trained on it.

Basic characteristics of Afro Hair

Many black men tend to style their hairline as a straight line. Compared to others, their fronts are much less tortuous. With afro hair, it is important to respect the natural angles of the existing hair to ensure a natural and neat look.

Afro hair is usually tightly coiled and of course there are specific textures including looser curls, tighter curls, finer curls or ring curls. Therefore, this type of hair requires a very, very specific approach depending on the case. Afro hair is naturally drier and therefore requires more moisture and sebum (a type of hair-protecting oil produced by the scalp) along the strands. Due to the tightly curly texture of Afro hair itself, this sebum cannot circulate through the hair.

Despite the physical differences, African-textured hair is biochemically the same as all other hair types. It is composed of keratin, has an outer stratum corneum and is enclosed in the hair by strong connective tissue bonds.

Curly Hair makes Afro Hair Transplants very difficult to perform

One of the most critical factors in the hair transplant of an Afro hair patient is the analysis of the curls. Afro hair is tightly curled or kinky and has a distinct C-shape. The hair follicles are often not visible, as they tend to curve underneath the skin. Because of this, transection rates on curly and afro hair tend to be higher than on straight hair. Transection rate refers to the unintentional cutting of a hair follicle during a transplant. This can occur during the extraction stage of a transplant. Transections occur because of the pressure applied to the scalp during a hair transplant procedure, or by using blunt or incorrect tools.

Another important factor for an Afro Hair Transplant surgery is the correct estimation of the number of grafts. The high transection rates, mentioned above, makes this task very difficult.

Interventions with this complex procedure should be performed with a high level of physiological knowledge and experience of Afro hair properties.  For this reason, our Master Surgeon at Evolved Clinics in Perth, Australia has undergone extensive training on live cases to master this art.