Black Afro Caribbean Hair Transplants
Black Afro Caribbean Hair Transplant
Treating Afro-Caribbean hair is notoriously difficult. Very few clinics offer afro hair transplants, and there are very few experts worldwide who practice any form of Afro hair restoration.
This is because the roots of Afro-Caribbean hair are curly beneath the skin, not just the visible portion. This means the hair grafts take up more space and need to be placed in slightly larger incisions and not quite so densely.
Extracting afro hair for transplantation is a highly skilled art that few surgeons have relevant experience in. Donor strands can often be destroyed during extraction, or the hair can be simply too curly for successful transplantation. Because Afro-Caribbean hair tends to have a much lower density than Caucasian hair, the technical skill required too needs to be meticulously precise.
At The Private Clinic, we work exclusively with a method of hair transplantation called FUE, Follicular Unit Extraction. In the treatment, individual strands of hair are extracted from donor areas, normally toward the back of the head, before they are transplanted into the sparsely covered areas.
We are one of the very few clinics able to perform the treatment on Afro-Caribbean hair, owing to our highly qualified medical team, and we will never go ahead with a procedure that we don’t believe will give the results the recipient is expecting.
Causes of Afro Hair Loss
Afro hair grows just like any other type of hair. However, because of its structure, it’s naturally more delicate than other hair types.
Typical causes of Afro Hair Loss include;
- Male Pattern Baldness / Female Pattern Baldness (Androgenetic Alopecia)
- Traction Alopecia – Excessive pulling or tension on hair shafts which could be caused by braids, cornrows, weaves and hair extensions
- Fungal Disease / Scalp Conditions / Skin Disorders (eg; Trichophyton tonsurans, dermatitis & folliculitis)
- Over Manipulation / Excessive use of relaxers and hair dye/colourants
- Hormonal Imbalances
- Medications
Whilst Afro hair is just as susceptible to genetic hair loss as other types of hair. It is more at risk of breakage due to lack of moisture and damaging hairstyle habits.
Traction Alopecia
Traction Alopecia can occur due to continual pulling or tugging on the hair by mechanical means, for example, braids or hair extensions (see other forms of hair loss section). When hair is continually pulled in a particular area, the follicles slowly degenerate and eventually, give up any further growth as the follicle dies.
Black hair tends to suffer a lot more with Tractional Alopecia than European hair due to the frequent use of braids, hairpieces, weaves, extensions, bonding, and hot combing etc. Certain areas of thinning hair will be seen after a while in places like the crown, top and frontal areas, while the scalp can also become quite tender and sore.
Tight braiding can also cause flaky or pustular (spotty) scalp.
Folliculitis
This is a bacterial infection of the hair follicles caused by in-grown hair, resulting in inflammation and possible scarring (keloids). This condition can also be caused by extreme and regular clipper use or shaving.
