Dr Mwamba - Fit shaven in black patient is quite a challenge.

[Dr. Patrick Mwamba]

30yo – NW2 – 1093 FIT Shaven – 1 year and 3 months results

 

Kinky hairs have the tendency to be curve underneath the epiderm or skin. The curvature can be up to 90 degrees.

Strip surgery will be appropriate for such patients because of visual control under microscope (everyone knows it is not an easy job). The doctor has to modify the angle of the blade when harvesting the strip.

 

But linear scar is a big issue especially in this type of patient who prefers short haircut. Fit/Fue should be the answer and it is more difficult to get healthy grafts.

With a proper technique and by taking time, we could make it.

As you will notice in the pictures below you have three portions in black hair shaft: first portion is the one we are seeing exiting the skin. 2mm inside the skin, it changes its direction in a perpendicular way. Then at the end of the hair shaft you have a splay.

 

I will describe the technique we used to address this issue:

With a sharp punch of 1mm you score the skin for about 2mm. Then you look at hair direction with proper magnification With a second punch, dull, set at 4mm for his depth, you adjust the pinch direction according to what you saw. To finish the process you will need to use a needle to go around the splayed graft to avoid damages. The entire process will double or triple your extraction time .

One year later you will harvest satisfaction and patient happiness.

 

Following pictures illustrate a case where the patients was concerned about his face shape especially when he goes to the barber who is unable to design a nice hair line with his shaver because of receding hair line He didn't want high density or very low hair line (realistic expectation). We proposed him a conservative approach with a grafting density of 40 fu/cm2.

Here are his results one year and 3 months later.

 

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

By mywhtc at 2012-07-13

[RCWest]

This is the first time I've seen donor grafts from an African American patient. That is some serious curl under the skin! Very nice job for such a small graft total, and the healing was excellent. Also your presentation is excellent and thorough.

[irishsailor]

Great presentation. Lovely result

[Dr. Patrick Mwamba]

Thank you for your comments .

Transected hairs or damaged hairs is lowered when you have a better visual control.Therefore , Strip/FUT ,is still a better choice for black patients .You will have to cut the skin no deeper than 2 mm and then use a spreader ( haber spreader ,rose spreader or others ) to complete the process.

The only issue you will have to deal with is the scar in the back.

Black has tendency to hypertrophic scar and they do like today to have short hair cut .

Maybe a fox test will be appropiate for such patients .