Dr. Sanusi Umar

Sanusi Umar is a dermatologist and hair restoration surgeon certified by its board. He practices at Dr. U FineTouch Dermatology in Manhattan Beach, where he also runs Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic. He heads the scalp and hair disorders group within the dermatology department at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and teaches clinically in that same department at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. His general dermatology work covers cosmetic and aesthetic treatments, medical care for skin disorders and diseases, acne and acne scarring, pigment problems and laser procedures. On the scalp, he handles pattern hair loss and inflammatory or scarring conditions such as acne keloidalis nuchae, folliculitis decalvans, dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, keloids, lichen planopilaris and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia. His transplant procedures include scalp, beard and body hair, plus eyebrows and eyelashes, and corrective work on earlier transplants. He performs singular follicle extraction, a technique he helped pioneer, along with advanced FUE hair transplantation. Patients include people seeking help at the first sign of thinning, as well as those with long-running scalp disease, failed treatments or dissatisfying surgery. Depending on what he finds, he may use trichoscopy or a biopsy, and treatment may pair medication with surgery on a set timeline. His cosmetic treatments include Botox for forehead lines, frown lines and crow's feet, Juvederm for lips and laugh lines, and Fraxel Dual combined with Spectra laser for age spots, skin texture and acne scars. He tailors each plan to existing skin conditions, ethnic differences and skin type, aiming for results that look subtle and natural. He has designed UGraft follicular unit excision instruments, Athena suture guards and a patented retention-suture assembly, and he developed Gashee botanical formulations made by FineTouch Laboratories. His publications include a study of 122 patients using body hair in selected cases of severe baldness, research on acne keloidalis nuchae and other scalp conditions, and earlier work on AIDS and Sturge Weber Syndrome. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery awarded him its 2025 Platinum Follicle Award, and his patient care has appeared on Good Morning America and in two patient stories on TLC's Dr. Pimple Popper.