Greetings,

Today I will discuss the difference in hair type for hair transplants. Based on studies 0.1mm increase in the diameter of the hair follicle can add up to 30% increased cosmetic density. This means that the greatest factor affecting cosmetic density is the thickness of the hair follicle. People with coarse hair will have a much better cosmetic result than people with fine hair with the same number of follicles. In addition, curly hair will yield a better cosmetic result than straight hair. Also, the less color contrast between the hair and the scalp (grey hair on light skin versus dark hair on white skin) the better the cosmetic result.

The analogy I typically use it to imagine a forest of trees in front of you. If the trees are thick with large wavy branches you will see through less of the forest than thin trees with small flimsy branches. This is the same with hair. Coarse curly hair will always yield a better cosmetic result than fine straight hair.

This is not to say that people with fine straight hair are not good candidates for the procedure, on the contrary they can be excellent candidates. Prospective hair transplant patients need to know this information in order to prepare themselves for realistic expectation of the outcome of their hair transplant procedure.

All the best,

Marc Dauer, M.D.