Follicular Unit Extraction in Black Men and Women
Follicular Unit Extraction in Black Men and Women
I few weeks ago I wrote a blog about considerations when performing follicular unit extraction (FUE) in black men and women. Because hair in black men and women tends to be curlier than caucasian hair, there are several considerations that need to be carefully addressed before performing surgery. Unless such care is taken, precious follicular units may be cut or 'transected.' Today, I read a great article in the journal Dermatologic Surgery by New York hair transplant surgeons Drs Singh and Avram. They outlined some practical points when performing FUE.
Key Aspects of Follicular Unit Extraction
The authors outlined four points, which I have summarized here:
1. Maximal sized punch. It's important to choose a big enough punch to accomodate hairs. 1.3 mm sized punch may be acceptable depending on the patient.
2. Minimal depth. It's important not to go to deep to limit the chance of transection
3. Manual punches instead of motorized. The authors proposed that manual punches give better control for some patients.
4. Meticulous attention to following the angle the hairs emerge from the scalp. This ensures that transection is limited.
On account of the greater curl, follicular unit extraction is black men and women presents several differences compared to caucasian or asian hair. However, with carefully attention to fundamental principles outstanding results can be acheived.
Reference
This article was written by Dr. Jeff Donovan, a Canadian and US board certified dermatologist specializing exclusively in hair loss.