Guidelines on Hair Restoration for East Asian Patients
July 2016
in “
Dermatologic Surgery
”
TLDR Hair restoration for East Asians should consider their unique characteristics like head shape, hair thickness, and hair density, and use modified procedures and treatments to minimize scarring and maintain hair density.
In 2016, researchers provided guidelines for hair transplantation in East Asian patients, considering unique characteristics like head shape, hair and skin color, hair thickness, and hair density. East Asian males typically have a larger hair diameter (100 μm) compared to Caucasians (70 μm), and lower hair density, with Korean men having 137 hairs/cm² in the occipital area and 118 hairs/cm² in the temporal area. The follicular length from the epidermis to the dermal papilla is longer in East Asians (5.5 mm) compared to Caucasians (4.5 mm), increasing the risk of transection during donor harvesting. The researchers recommended modifications to hair transplantation procedures and treatments to accommodate these characteristics, and suggested techniques to minimize postoperative scarring, which is more common in East Asians. They also recommended the use of oral finasteride and topical minoxidil to maintain existing hair and enhance perceived density after transplantation. The paper also discussed hairline shape in female patients, techniques for hairline correction, and eyebrow and pubic hair transplantation.
