HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is one of the most controversial and still stigmatized topics in medicine. In recent decades, knowledge of the disease has greatly expanded, and thanks to modern antiretroviral therapies (ART), HIV-infected people can live long, healthy and active lives. Despite this, many medical and aesthetic procedures still raise questions about their safety and feasibility in infected individuals. One such procedure is hair transplantation and the questions asked: hair transplantation and HIV. Can a person with HIV undergo a hair transplant? Does the virus automatically disqualify them as a candidate for the procedure?
HIV and the patient’s health status
The most important factor determining the feasibility of hair transplantation in a person with HIV is not the fact of the virus infection itself, but the patient’s overall health. Today, many patients with HIV, thanks to effective antiretroviral therapy, achieve almost undetectable levels of the virus in their blood, and their immune systems function at normal levels. In such cases, these patients are not significantly different from uninfected individuals in terms of operative risk.
The primary indicator used to assess the functioning of the immune system in people with HIV is the CD4 lymphocyte count. If the number of these cells is above 500/mm³ and the patient is under constant medical supervision, a hair transplant can be considered. Some specialists perform such a procedure already at CD4 levels above 200/mm³, if the patient is stable and there are no other health contraindications.
Medical aspects and safety of the procedure
Hair transplantation is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, but requires extreme caution on the part of both the patient and the medical team. In the case of HIV-positive patients, it is crucial to ensure the safety of all participants in the procedure – both patient and staff.
Hair transplant clinics that choose to accept patients with HIV must have appropriate sanitation procedures in place, including strict protocols for disinfection, sterilization of instruments and personal protection of the surgical team. Significantly, some clinics may refuse to perform the procedure for people with HIV – not because of the risk to the patient, but because the staff is not adequately trained or has inadequate technical facilities.
Choosing a clinic matters
HIV-positive people who are interested in hair transplantation should carefully research potential clinics and make sure that the facility has experience working with seropositive patients. In many countries – including Poland – there are facilities that offer such services, but they do not always inform openly about it. It is therefore worth contacting selected clinics directly and inquiring about the possibility of performing a transplant in a particular case.
Possible limitations and risk of complications
Like any surgical procedure, hair transplantation carries the risk of complications – such as infections, inflammatory reactions or an unsatisfactory aesthetic result. In people with HIV, these risks may be somewhat higher, especially if their immunity is weakened. For this reason, a doctor deciding whether to qualify a patient for the procedure must carefully review the patient’s laboratory results, medical history and current health status.
Some studies indicate that wound healing may be slightly slower in people with HIV, but this is not the rule. Well-controlled disease, proper treatment and proper postoperative hygiene minimize the risk of complications and allow for good results.
According to the doctor
Since the beginning of my professional work, I have detected the presence of HIV in several patients in tests ordered before hair transplantation surgery. In such a situation, the procedure must be postponed until antiviral treatment is implemented and an undetectable viral load is achieved, i.e. until the virus is undetectable in blood tests,” says Dr. Artur Kierach, a hair transplantologist and trichologist. – Another group of patients came to my office for a hair transplant consultation because they had been denied the procedure at another facility. These patients were aware of carrying the virus and were taking regular antiviral treatment. In blood tests, the virus was undetectable and there was no contraindication to the procedure.
Safety
However, the latest antiviral drugs are so effective that the virus cannot be detected in the blood and carriage is now treated as a chronic condition rather than a fatal one. The doctor and the team working during the procedure always have a protective barrier in the form of masks and gloves, and PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis in the form of antiretroviral medications, can be taken in case of a tool prick. Thus, if the patient is taking medication and the virus is undetectable in the blood, there is no contraindication to hair transplantation or other plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine procedures.
Summary – hair transplantation and HIV
The presence of HIV is not an automatic obstacle to hair transplantation. The patient’s overall health, CD4 lymphocyte levels, viral control, and the experience and medical facilities of the clinic performing the procedure are crucial. Thanks to advances in HIV treatment and growing awareness among doctors and patients, hair transplantation is also becoming available to seropositive patients who want to improve their appearance and mental comfort.
The most important thing is to consult with your treating physician and a hair transplant specialist to jointly assess whether the procedure will be safe and feasible in your case.
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See the effect of a hair transplant at Kierach Medical Clinic:
