Loading ...
Board-certified dermatologist. Hair restoration surgeon. Researcher and inventor.
Some patients come to Dr. Sanusi Umar at the first sign of hair loss. Others arrive after years of painful scalp disease, unsuccessful treatments or disappointing surgery. His work brings together medical diagnosis, surgical skill and original research to understand what each patient needs and what may be possible.
Known as Dr. U, he leads Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic in Manhattan Beach and serves as Head of the Scalp and Hair Disorders Section in the Dermatology Division at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He is also a Clinical Instructor in the Dermatology Division at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Dr. Umar’s international practice has included royalty, heads of state and leaders in business and industry. Discretion is integral to that work. He brings the same commitment to privacy and personal attention to every patient, whether or not they live in the public eye.
His contributions include the UGraft hair-transplantation system, Athena suture guards and published research on inflammatory scalp disorders. His patient care has been featured on Good Morning America and in two separate patient stories on TLC’s Dr. Pimple Popper.
Using state-of-the-art technology, Dr. Umar gently targets the root causes of skin and hair conditions. Using minimally invasive state-of-the-art procedures and little to no downtime, Dr. U even helps individuals make subtle refinements in facial contours like the cheeks, chin, nose, and tear troughs. Using the advanced FUE technology(The UGraft Zeus) he invented, he repaired and restored many hair loss situations ranging from nature-induced to unfortunate cases resulting from poorly executed hair procedures. Hair loss situations can be addressed in any part of the head and body, including beard, facial hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and body hair restoration, producing the most natural appearance possible.
Dr. U has innovated techniques and tools for treating acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) and Keloids, a condition that disproportionately afflicts men of color. His Bumpinator clinic caters to all presentations of AKN and Keloids. The result is a protocol that offers long-term results and even cures in many affected patients regardless of disease extent.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery awarded Dr. Umar its 2025 Platinum Follicle Award, recognizing contributions to research, invention and advances in hair restoration. The announcement highlighted his patented instruments and his work on Afro-textured hair, acne keloidalis nuchae and keloids.
Dr. Umar’s approach starts with the diagnosis, not with a particular procedure. He considers the history of the condition, previous treatments, examination findings and the patient’s goals. For hair and scalp concerns, this may include trichoscopy, a magnified examination of the scalp, and a biopsy when the findings warrant closer investigation.
That distinction matters when a concern is more than cosmetic. Inflammation, scarring and the condition of the remaining follicles can influence both treatment choices and the suitability of a hair transplant. A plan may involve medical treatment, surgery, or a carefully timed combination of the two.
Hair restoration, from natural hairlines to difficult repairs
Dr. Umar’s work includes scalp hair transplantation, beard and body hair transplantation, eyebrow and eyelash restoration, and repair of previous hair-transplant procedures. He has published on the use of alternative donor sources for patients whose scalp donor supply is limited.
In a published study of 122 patients, Dr. Umar documented the use of body hair in selected patients with severe baldness or inadequate scalp donor reserves. This work helps inform the assessment of patients who need options beyond conventional scalp-only transplantation.
Planning also considers the details that make a result look natural: hair caliber, direction, curl, placement and the transition at the hairline. The aim is to match the approach to the individual rather than force every patient into the same technique.
Read the body-hair transplantation study
Inflammatory and scarring scalp conditions
Dr. Umar evaluates and treats conditions ranging from pattern hair loss to severe inflammatory and scarring scalp disease. His work includes acne keloidalis nuchae, folliculitis decalvans, dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, keloids and scarring forms of hair loss such as lichen planopilaris and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia.
For patients with recurring scalp bumps, drainage, discomfort or progressive hair loss, the goal is to understand the disease as well as its visible effects. His clinical work and research examine both the affected areas and signs of disease elsewhere on the scalp.
Medical and cosmetic dermatology
His practice also includes acne and acne-scar care, pigmentation concerns, laser treatments and selected cosmetic procedures. The same attention to diagnosis, skin characteristics and individual goals guides care beyond hair restoration.
Some clinical challenges call for a different instrument or a different way of using it. Dr. Umar’s work as an inventor grew alongside his practice, with a focus on improving how surgeons harvest hair follicles and manage difficult scalp wounds.
UGraft and UGraft Zeus
Dr. Umar developed the UGraft family of follicular unit excision instruments, including the UGraft Zeus system and its Intelligent Punch. His designs address differences in skin firmness, skin thickness, hair curl and donor location, including scalp, beard and body hair.
His published work includes a 2021 description of an all-purpose, skin-responsive FUE device and a 2023 multicenter study involving patients of African descent. These publications examine how adapting to the skin and follicle can improve the approach to technically demanding hair harvesting.
Read the device study · Read the multicenter study
Athena suture guards
Dr. Umar developed Athena suture guards for use in wound closure under tension. The guards distribute suture pressure over the surrounding skin, addressing a practical challenge after the removal of large scalp lesions.
His work includes a patented retention-suture assembly and a published surgical approach using guarded high-tension sutures for treatment-refractory folliculitis decalvans.
View the retention-suture patent · Read the surgical study
Gashee botanical formulations
Dr. Umar is the developer of Gashee, a line of botanical hair and scalp formulations produced by FineTouch Laboratories. He and his collaborators have published exploratory case series involving the formulations in central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia and lichen planopilaris. These early clinical reports are part of an ongoing research program; larger controlled studies are needed.
He owns Dr. U Devices, the company behind UGraft, and has an ownership interest in FineTouch Laboratories. These relationships are disclosed in the relevant research publications.
Read the CCCA case series · Read the lichen planopilaris case series
A recurring question in Dr. Umar’s research is why some scalp conditions persist or return even after the most obvious problem has been treated.
With his collaborators, he has investigated a microscopic pattern of inflammation and fibrosis around hair follicles known as PIILIF. The work examines changes that may be present even where the scalp appears unaffected, and what those findings could mean for diagnosis and treatment.
A 2023 study examined this pattern in patients with acne keloidalis nuchae. Subsequent studies published in 2026 investigated inflammation and fibrosis in androgenetic alopecia, commonly called pattern hair loss, and in dissecting cellulitis of the scalp.
In 2026, his team also described a candidate syndrome combining acne keloidalis nuchae, scalp-wide dissecting cellulitis and secondary cutis verticis gyrata, a condition involving deep scalp folds. These studies raise questions about how scalp disorders may overlap and reinforce the importance of evaluating more than the most visible lesion. The proposed relationships remain subjects of further research.
For patients, the practical emphasis is straightforward: treatment planning should consider the underlying scalp condition, not simply the appearance of the hair.
Born in Kano, Nigeria, Dr. Umar earned his medical degree at the University of Maiduguri College of Medical Sciences. He is a naturalized United States citizen.
Volunteer medical service in Namibia
Dr. Umar served as a volunteer physician at Oshakati State Hospital in northern Namibia. He began as a house officer, completed a rotating internship and continued as a medical officer.
His internship included surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and anesthesiology. He volunteered in response to an appeal for African medical professionals to help address the country’s shortage of healthcare personnel.
Training in internal medicine and dermatology
Dr. Umar completed his internal medicine residency at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York, and his dermatology residency at King/Charles Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles. He then completed fellowship training in cosmetic surgery.
He is a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and previously held certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine.
His background in internal medicine, dermatology and surgery informs his approach to patients whose skin or hair concerns require consideration of their wider medical history.
Dr. Umar speaks English and Hausa fluently.
Board certification. Diplomate, American Board of Dermatology. Previously certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Clinical practice. Founder and owner, Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic, Manhattan Beach, California.
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Head, Scalp and Hair Disorders Section, Dermatology Division. Previously Head of Cosmetic Dermatology.
UCLA. Clinical Instructor, Dermatology Division, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Professional fellowships. Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.
Academic and research honors
Dr. Umar was selected as a Mobil Scholar by the dean at the University of Maiduguri College of Medicine.
During his internal medicine residency, he received the Department of Medicine’s Outstanding House Officer of the Month award. He also won first prize in the Long Island Infectious Disease Society’s annual research competition and first prize in Nassau University Medical Center’s annual research competition.
ABC’s Good Morning America featured Dr. Umar’s eyebrow-transplantation work through the experiences of three patients: Pamela Penrose, Shannon Morrison and Sarah Tirosh.
The report explored their concerns before treatment and their postoperative results, including a return visit with Penrose three weeks after surgery. Dr. Umar explained his use of donor hair from the arms, legs or nape of the neck to better match the characteristics of eyebrow hair.
Dr. Umar appeared with dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee in two distinct patient stories on TLC’s Dr. Pimple Popper.
Reggie’s story, “Big Pop on Campus” (2021). Dr. Lee referred Reggie to Dr. Umar for surgery on a large area of acne keloidalis nuchae. The episode featured Dr. Umar’s surgical treatment and his approach to closing the resulting scalp wound.
Robert’s story, “Scarry Scarry Night” (2022). Dr. Umar and Dr. Lee treated Robert’s recurring scalp keloid after previous removal attempts had been followed by recurrence.
He also appeared on KCAL9 to discuss hair care and hair-loss prevention.
The New York Times reported on Dr. Umar’s use of leg hair to reconstruct a softer frontal hairline. MSNBC’s The Body Odd featured his body-hair transplantation work in a report by Bill Briggs, “Fix that Receding Hairline with some Leg Hair.”
Dermatology Times has also covered his hairline-restoration technique and the instrument he developed for harvesting donor hair.
The New York Times report · MSNBC / The Body Odd report · Dermatology Times coverage
Media appearances do not imply endorsement of the clinic, its products or its services by the broadcasters.
Dr. Umar’s groundbreaking work on hair transplantation has not gone unnoticed by the media. Dr. UGraft’s success and Dr. Umar’s research have been featured in several highly-rated news reports.
Dr. Umar is the creator and featured physician of The Bumpinator, a medical docuseries following patients with severe skin, scalp and hair conditions. The series shows the clinical decisions, treatment and follow-up behind cases that often involve years of unsuccessful care.
He also created and hosts The Baldcast, a companion podcast and video series that gives patients space to discuss the experience in their own words. The conversations extend beyond a before-and-after photograph to explore recovery, confidence and life after treatment.
Together, the programs offer a closer view of his work and the people at its center.
Watch The Bumpinator · Explore The Baldcast and patient stories
Hair Peace Foundation
Dr. Umar founded the Hair Peace Foundation and serves as its president and director. The organization supports financially disadvantaged patients with disfiguring hair and scalp conditions, including traumatic hair loss, complications of previous hair transplants, acne keloidalis nuchae and keloids.
Learn about the Hair Peace Foundation
Los Angeles Hair Restoration Courses
He is president of Los Angeles Hair Restoration Courses, the foundation’s educational division, and organizes its workshops. The programs bring physicians and other medical professionals together for lectures, hands-on training and surgical demonstrations.
His teaching also includes clinical instruction and mentorship through his academic work at Harbor-UCLA and UCLA.
Whether you are considering treatment for the first time or looking for a fresh assessment after previous care, start by sharing your concerns, treatment history and goals with the clinic.
You do not need to arrive committed to a procedure. The purpose of an evaluation is to understand your condition, discuss the available options and determine an appropriate next step.
Request a consultation Call (310) 318-1500
Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic · Manhattan Beach, California
Treatment suitability, recovery and results vary. An individual medical evaluation is required before treatment recommendations can be finalized.
Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology
Fellow of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons
Dr. Umar’s original works, often groundbreaking, have been published in medical peer-reviewed medical journals.
Dr. Umar is known around the world for his amazing hair restoration results, even for seemingly impossible cases, such as severe baldness and extreme hair repair.
His patented innovations helped him to improve and advance FUE hair transplant surgeries.
Reviewed by Dr. Umar himself. Completely free.
