Jessica, Crown Hair Institute’s Practice Manager, recently sat down with hair transplant surgeon Dr. Drummond to discuss the unique considerations of doing a hair transplant on a patient with naturally curly hair. Read on to gain the insights from their conversation.
Jessica: So Dr. Drummond, let’s dive right in. How can people reverse hair loss when they have naturally curly hair?
Dr. Drummond: Well, many people don’t know this, but patients with curly hair have the same options that patients with straight hair have to reverse hair loss. Curly hair transplants are 100% real and doable.
Just like straight hair transplants, there are two different techniques for curly hair transplantation, FUE and FUT. FUE, or follicular unit extraction, involves using a small surgical punch to remove healthy hair follicles and transplant them into areas where hair is thinning or balding. FUT, or follicular unit transplantation, involves excising a strip of scalp tissue, dissecting it, and then transplanting it into the thinning or balding areas of the head. There are differing advantages
with each technique, but what’s most important is that both procedures produce beautiful results.
Then there are non-surgical options, like natural injections which contain growth factors that help to reverse hair loss. Think about it like fertilizer for your scalp! Many of my patients like to combine a hair transplant with natural injections for the most optimal results. During our consultation, the patient and I will solidify which technique will best suit their unique situation.
Jessica: Really great information, thank you. There’s one thing you said that stuck with me. You said “Many people don’t know this but patients with curly hair have the same options that patients with straight hair have”. Why do you think people don’t know about curly hair transplants?
Dr. Drummond: Well, based on my research and experience, a lot of people don’t know that hair transplants for people with curly hair exist because many hair transplant surgeons don’t know how to do them or they refuse to do them. For years, surgeons have labeled curly hair transplants as “too hard” or “too difficult” when in reality, all they require is a willingness to learn about the nuances of curly hair.
To combat this misinformation, I’ve made it my job to become an expert in curly hair transplants and reach the curly haired community that has been denied access to them.
Jessica: Wow, very well said. I agree with you, I’ve had experiences of my own where people with curly hair didn’t believe it when I said that we perform hair transplants on all hair types at Crown Hair Institute.
Dr. Drummond: Exactly. It’s unfortunately an uncommon procedure, but me and my team are doing our best to change that.
Jessica: You touched briefly on the nuances of curly hair. What nuances are there and why are they important?
Dr. Drummond: There are a few unique attributes of curly hair that require careful consideration in the hair transplantation process. First, the process of extracting curly hair is slightly different. The approach angle using the surgical punch is different and you have to visualize the curl of the hair follicle into the scalp. Second, transplanted curly hair needs to be artistically placed with an expert eye that can recognize curl patterns. The angle and direction of the transplanted hair is very important.
Other nuances include the inherent characteristics of curly hair like volume, texture, and tendency to form clusters. Taking this into account, I can carefully tailor the density and distribution of the transplanted hair. Understanding all of these aspects of curly hair allows me to seamlessly blend the transplanted hair with the natural hair.
Jessica: That’s incredible! I didn’t know that there were so many factors that you constantly had to be thinking about. It’s very impressive.
Dr. Drummond: “Thank you. It really is all very important. And that’s why it’s even more important for people with curly hair to find a surgeon that knows about these nuances and understands all aspects of the patient’s unique situation because hair loss affects everyone differently. Picking a surgeon for any cosmetic procedure is difficult in general. Picking one for a specialty that not many surgeons perform and perform well is even harder. And that is one of the main reasons we started Crown Hair Institute.
Jessica: I am so happy to be a part of such a revolutionary company that is helping to change the hair restoration industry for the better. Thank you so much for your dedication to your craft and for your time today Dr. Drummond.
Dr. Drummond: Of course! I am extremely excited to see this need in the industry be realized and I’m excited to have such a strong team with decades of experience by my side. I can’t wait to see how many people’s hair and confidence we can restore!
Stay tuned for more hair restoration information from Dr. Drummond and the Crown team.