Post-Hair Transplantation Complication: Kinky or Severely Curly Hair

To investigate the etiology and preventive measures of posttransplant kinky or curly hair growth after female hairline correction surgery.

Hair transplant surgery can be accompanied by various adverse effects, one of which is severely kinky or curly hair after surgery. Posttransplant kinky or curly hair is not well-understood for its cause or prevention.

The study was targeted at a total of 980 patients who were confirmed whether they developed kinky or curly hair after female hairline correction surgery. Incidence, surgical method, degree of curliness, predisposed location, characteristics, hair caliber (thin, medium, and thick), and left-right differences were examined.

Among the total 980 patients, posttransplant curly hair (PTCH) was manifested in 38(3.9%) patients. None of the patients who underwent surgery at the present clinic developed posttransplant kinky hair; all 38 patients showed PTCH growth. In 36 cases, transplanted hair started to grow in curly patterns around 4 months after surgery. However, the remaining 2 cases showed no curly growth pattern when the transplanted hair was short at postoperative 4 months, but started to grow curly starting at 6 to 8 months after surgery as the hair growth direction was obstructed or compressed by the existing hair.

Familiarity with the cause, prevention, and management of posttransplant kinky hair and PTCH will be of great help to hair surgeons.