Getting to the Root of African American Hair

Online, November 6, 2009 (Newswire.com) - MIAMI, FL, November 6, 2009: On the wave of actor-producer Chris Rock's new documentary "Good Hair," conversation has exploded about the issue of hair and self-esteem in the African-American community and society's evolving standards of beauty. Traveling from salons to hair dealers to barbershops, the film examines the unique hair struggles of African American women and the multi-billion dollar hair product industry that caters to this community, but it only skims the surface on the physical and emotional subject of hair loss - even as the popularity of restoration procedures continues to grow.
"While the choice of relaxed vs. natural hair evokes much debate, the need for African American hair transplants is on the rise due to harsh chemical relaxers and modern hairstyles that stress the hair and scalp, including cornrows, tight braiding and weaves," said Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, renowned hair restoration expert and founder of the Foundation for Hair Restoration and Plastic Surgery. "And while special conditions must be taken into account, the myth that African American men and women aren't good candidates for hair transplants is simply false."
In assessing a prospective African American patient for hair restoration, physicians evaluate a number of hair and skin characteristics in the patient's medical history and physical examination:
 Hair texture - because African American hair transplants tend to involve curly hair, certain techniques are used in the preparation and transplantation of the grafts.
 Keloids - black skin is more prone to formation of keloids in response to injury. Although this is not a widespread problem, patients with a history of keloid formation are evaluated carefully in regard to their existing scars. Fortunately, patients who even have a history of keloidal scarring rarely develop them when proper surgical technique is used.
 Postoperative skin discoloration- Both loss of skin color and increased skin color occur more commonly in black skin than in white skin after injury or surgery. The patient's medical and family history may indicate any predisposition to postoperative skin discoloration. In many instances the discoloration may be temporary, or may be covered with cosmetics.
"Choices abound for African American women when it comes to reaching their ideal vision of good hair, whether it means lighter, darker, straighter, curlier, longer or thicker," continued Epstein. "Hair restoration is an important scientifically-proven tool on that path toward beauty and can yield excellent results. In fact, the curly character of most African American hair gives these patients a real advantage in surgical restoration because the curl creates the appearance of denser or more hair."
For men who want to keep their hair short, shaving of the scalp is now possible after a transplant due to the use of the state-of-the-art procedure of follicle extraction that avoids a linear donor site incision.
About the Foundation for Hair Restoration and Plastic Surgery

Since 1994, Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, facial plastic surgeon and founder, has devoted his practice to surgical hair restoration. Recognized worldwide for their expertise on the treatment of hair loss and the full scope of aesthetic concerns, the Foundation is a full-service practice, offering hair restoration, facial and body plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery that use the latest and most cutting-edge proven therapies. The Foundation's surgeons are among the most respected in the industry and attract patients from across the United States and globally due to their unparalleled expertise. The Foundation has offices in Florida, New York, Arizona, California and Maryland. For more information, visit www.foundhair.com or www.plasticsurgeryoftheface.com.

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Contact: Naomi Goldman
Phone: 310-770-2765
Email: [email protected]

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