Can You Change Your Hair Type With Surgery?

Can you change your hair type with a hair transplant? This is a question that surprisingly pops up a lot and most people looking into surgery have no idea of the reality. It’s a fair question and it’s understandable that people may have concerns about having surgery only to find that the transplanted hair looks different than their own, or out of place.

However, I want to reassure you and explain the reality of hair transplant procedures. So, can you change your hair type with surgery? Let’s read on to find out!

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Understanding Hair Texture and Type

First, let’s take a look at the nuances of hair texture and type so you can understand the differences and what could change.

Texture

There is a lot of misinformation regarding hair texture. Some people think texture relates to when your hair feels oil or lank while others think texture means the feel of hair when you touch it. This is not the case.

The texture is essentially hair thickness and there are three texture types – fine, medium, and thick. In relation to hair transplants, whatever the texture (thickness) of the donor hair is, the texture of the transplanted locations will be also.

Therefore, if you have medium-thickness hair, you will still have medium-thickness hair after a hair transplant surgery. You can see some examples in our hair transplant before and after photos for a clearer understanding.

Type

There isn’t really a hair “type” and this is just a generic term used to describe style or even ethnic hair differences.

Generally, there are three broad classifications of ethnic hair types – Asian, Afro, and Caucasian. Within these broad ethnic classifications, there are numerous nuances, differences, and regional variations in color, texture, direction, and hair growth.

The underlying point relating to hair transplants is that your hair type will remain the same after the procedure. If you have ethnic Asian hair, you will still have this hair type after your surgery. So there is no need to worry that you are going to lose some of your unique ethnic traits with a hair transplant surgery.

Styling

Styling is the only way that your hair can change with a hair transplant. Styling is unique and something that can always be changed. This relates to how you have your hair cut, and positioned, and how you wear it from day to day. It is perfectly possible to change your hairstyle after a hair transplant.

Is it Possible to Change Your Hair Type With a Hair Transplant?

To answer quickly – no, you cannot change your hair type with a hair transplant. For example, if you have curly hair, and you want to keep it this way, a hair transplant won’t affect this providing the donor hair is selected from a suitable spot.

Hair Transplants Use Your Own Hair

The main reason that your hair doesn’t change is due to how transplants work. Unlike organ transplant surgeries where you receive an organ from a relative or deceased donor, a hair transplant takes your OWN hair.

The hair transplant surgeon will assess your hair quality and find a suitable donor patch from where hair grafts are extracted. The follicles from these grafts are then transplanted to the sites where you have hair loss – simple.

Therefore, if you have medium-thickness dark brown hair at your donor site, for example, you will still have medium-thickness dark brown hair at the new transplanted site!

The only instance where there could be a minor difference is if your hair has a different thickness from the donor site and the graft site. Regardless, the color, straightness, and ethnic uniqueness will be exactly the same and have no difference.

If you had hair transplanted from a third-party donor, then yes, your hair type could be changed with surgery. However, this is not a reality as like organ transplants, your body will attack the third-party donor hair as a foreign object and it will be rejected. Immunosuppressant drugs are not prescribed for hair transplants, so surgery ALWAYS uses your own hair.

A Consultation With a Hair Transplant Expert Will Help

I hope you have found this information useful and you now have a clear idea of how hair transplants work, and the reality of changing your hair type or ending up with different hair than your own. Can you change your hair type with surgery?

No. As any hair transplant surgeon will explain, you are using your own hair as the donor hair during an FUE or DHI hair transplant. As a result, your hair will have the same texture and type in its transplanted position. If you need clarification on something, it is recommended to book a consultation with a surgeon who can explain the nuances of this procedure.