Hair transplants are an increasingly popular solution to hair thinning, uneven growth patterns, and hair loss. The expert teams at KSL Clinic consult with hundreds of clients every month keen to find a permanent and effective treatment option—including those with curly and afro hair.
Some hair transplant providers offer procedures only for certain hair types since curly and afro hair transplants are more complex and specialist procedures. However, hair loss certainly affects people with curly, dense and afro hair just as much as any other demographic.
Studies indicate that textured hair tends to grow at a slower rate, with typically less density, which can mean that a larger proportion of clients with curly hair would be eligible and benefit from a hair transplant. [1]
Key Facts About Hair Transplants for Curly Hair
- Curly hair transplants are considered more challenging and require greater surgical skill because tighter curls make it difficult to extract donor follicles and reimplant them while keeping the natural hair root intact and undamaged.
- As a specialist procedure, transplants for curly hair are less widely available but can be performed by talented hair transplant experts, including the teams here at KSL Clinic.
- Transplant procedures may command more precision and surgical ability, but clients with curly hair generally need fewer grafts. The tighter and denser the curl, the fewer grafts will be required to replenish hair loss and thinning.
Hair Transplants for Clients with Curly and Textured Hair
As we’ve indicated, curly hair transplants are absolutely possible and a way to permanently and naturally replenish hair loss and thinning.
That said, it is essential to use a specific, advanced hair transplant approach designed for curly and textured hair since conventional techniques have been shown to be less effective for clients with these natural hair characteristics. [2]
Although your hair type will not impact your eligibility for a hair transplant, it will influence the methods and processes used during our high-success FUE hair transplant process since we need to work to exacting precision to create a flawless hair growth pattern with consistent colour, texture, thickness and growth directions.
One of the benefits of a curly hair transplant is that, unlike finer, fair, and straight hair, most clients with thicker and tighter curls require fewer grafts to correct hair loss or thinning in a comparably similar-sized area.
That is because thicker individual follicles and curls, such as 3A or 2A curls, provide better coverage, which can mean we can achieve excellent density without as many grafts as required for a client with thinner, less textured hair.
Contrasts Between Hair Transplants for Clients With Straight and Curly Hair
Hair transplants can be transformative if you find that hair loss and thinning are affecting your well-being – regardless of your hair type. There is a proven link between hair loss and declines in self-esteem, making a hair transplant an effective solution to avoid long-term damage to confidence and mental health. [3]
Dr Matee, our Director of Surgical Services, says, ‘The reason a curly hair transplant is considered a more skilful procedure is all down to the structure of each follicle for people with naturally curly hair, where the strands grow in a spiral from the tip down to the root.
Surgeons need to be incredibly careful and precise when extracting, handling, grading and preparing donor follicles to ensure they remain intact and suitable for transplantation.
Another factor is that every bespoke hair transplant we perform is designed in advance with strategic mapping of where every donor follicle will be implanted. We then select follicles and check for the correct growth direction, ensuring the healed transplant is impossible to see with every strand growing in a uniform and consistent direction.’
Otherwise, the primary difference is purely in the number of grafts required—as we’ve explained, we may calculate that a curly hair transplant requires a lower graft count. However, the additional precision required usually means both procedures would take a comparable amount of time.
Get a cost for your hair transplant
Looking for a consultation regarding the hair transplant cost? Book a free consultation with us today to see what we can do for you.
Choosing a Specialist Curly Hair Transplant Provider
KSL Clinic’s nationwide practices are regulated and run by a team of GMC-registered surgeons with ample experience completing highly successful curly hair transplants and hair restoration procedures for clients with afro and textured hair.
Our advice is to look for a transplant clinician offering price transparency, obligation-free consultations and access to speak directly with a surgeon to ensure you go into the process fully informed about what is involved and who will be performing your transplant.
You’ll find plenty of before and after examples within our case studies to showcase the results we have achieved for thousands of clients with hair texture and growth similar to your own and can book a no-cost consultation at your convenience at any of our clinics to get started on your own hair restoration journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Curly Hair Transplants Less Likely to Be Successful?
No – quite the opposite! While we know some clients have found it very hard to find a reputable, accredited, and CQC-registered hair transplant surgeon who can perform a transplant for curly hair, this is related to the skill and experience necessary to conduct a curly hair transplant with confidence.
The reality is that curly hair’s thicker and more voluminous growth patterns mean that a transplant completed accurately and carefully is often more likely to deliver optimal results, where even a modest number of grafts gives a thicker, fuller appearance.
How Long Does it Take for Hair to Regrow After a Curly Hair Transplant?
Recovery times are similar for all clients but may depend on the extent of hair loss, the duration of the procedure, and how well you follow the aftercare instructions provided.
Usually, we’ll extract donor follicles selected from the areas of thicker, dense growth towards the back of the scalp. This ensures that your transplanted hair has an identical texture and colour as your other follicles without leaving any indication around the donor site that you have had a transplant.
Most clients see full regrowth around the one-year mark, although progressive growth and new hairs are visible just a few weeks after the procedure.
References and Sources
- National Library of Medicine: African Hair Growth Parameters
- National Library of Medicine: Comparative Study of a Novel Tool for Follicular Unit Extraction for Individuals with Afro-Textured Hair
- National Library of Medicine: The Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Hair Transplantation Satisfaction in Male Androgenetic Alopecia Patients
