Can I Have a Hair Transplant if I’m HIV Positive?

The following thorough response to a question from the Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums, was written by forum member “Gillenator”.

I have [tag]hair loss[/tag] and I am HIV positive. I’d like know if it is possible to have a [tag]hair transplant[/tag]. I mean, is there any problem with the doctors to have a HIV+ patient?

This subject has come up many times over the years. Generally speaking, there really are no “national guidelines” with the few exceptions where HIV is more prominent in the country’s population. For example, there are countries on the African continent that have much higher cases/incidents of HIV individuals.

Clinics tend to form their own policies and protocols for treating HIV positive patients as they administer various forms of medical care regardless of the type of care being provided.

Several decades ago, when HIV positive individuals first impacted a significant portion of the US population, various clinics, hospitals, and other medical facilities developed protocols that prevented the spreading of the disease. This clearly did not imply that HIV patients were not able to receive the same level of medical care and treatments, quite the opposite.

Regarding [tag]hair restoration[/tag] clinics in the USA, many quickly adopted pre-op blood screening and that was in effect for about a decade or so. Then it seemed many got away from doing pre-op labs although some still do them.

Some clinics have their enrolled patients first complete a written disclosure which asks about being HIV positive. Some define their policy regarding HIV patients and ask that every patient complete the form prior to surgery, with their signatures being acknowledged.

In the USA, you would have no problems finding many hair transplant clinics that would provide you a procedure without any discrimination or exclusion. Back in the days when I used to work inside the clinics, I assisted probably no less than two dozen patients that were HIV positive.

And as was stated, the clinics, hospitals, and other medical facilities also have a legal obligation to inform and to also provide the appropriate protective clothing and gear to their employees and representatives.

You can also go online and look at each clinic’s website to see if they have any protocols for HIV patients. You can also communicate with each clinic’s staff ahead of time to get the clarity that you are seeking.

Best wishes to you and hope you get the answers you are seeking.

Gillenator
Independent Patient Advocate
Supporting Physicians: Dr. Glenn Charles, Dr. Jerry Cooley, Dr. Jim Harris, Dr. Robert True & Dr. Robert Dorin

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community.