calm down inflammation. This allows the follicles to reorganize their growing pattern and
improve the quality of the hair shaft, which is
damaged during the inflammatory process. I
also try my best to educate my patients that
this is not an isolated event. By virtue of them
having this scalp disorder, women who are
related to them are at a higher risk of also
having it as well. Increasing the knowledge
through education of family, friends, church
members, and work colleagues can go a long
way.
Another hair loss condition experienced
by Black women is hair breakage. A natural
coil to the hair shaft characterizes black hair.
This can make the hair more prone to drying out and damage. Having such fragile hair
shafts makes it even more important to protect the shafts from damage by minimizing
direct heat, chemical processing (relaxers, texturizers, and coloring), and tight pulling. Moisturizers and hair conditioning agents (such as
jajoba oil and dimethicone) can help minimize
fragility of hair shafts and are recommended
following any chemical hair treatment1.
What I would like everyone who is
experiencing hair loss to understand is that
it is never normal. Seek someone out to find
the answers. If you are not satisfied with the
answers provided, keep asking questions until
you are! Empowerment over your own health
through education and knowledge, not just
with respect to hair loss, but with every aspect
of your health, will bring you a very rewarding
feeling and sense of overall well-being.
5 warning signs for inflammatory
scarring scalp conditions:
1. Extensive shedding or hair breakage
2. Burning and itching of the scalp or extreme
scalp sensitivity
3. Excessive scaling of the scalp
4. Shiny texture to the scalp
5. Notably less follicles on the scalp with
increased space between next actively growing hair folliclet
About the author: Dr. Alyssa Daniel is a dermatologist in Charlotte, North Carolina. She
received her medical degree from University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
and has been in practice for 5 years. She is certified in Dermatology by the American Board of
Dermatology and has her medical license from
the State of North Carolina. She completed her
residency in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest
University.
1. Dias TC, Baby AR, Kaneko TM, Valasco MV. Protective eddect of conditioning agents on Afro-ethnic hair
chemically treated with thiogycolate- based straightening
emulsion. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008 Jun;7(2):120-6. doi:
10.1111/j.1473-2165.2008.00374.x.
2. Ogunleye TA, McMicahel A, Olsen EA. Central centrifugal
scicatricial alopecia: what has bee(2):173-1. Doi:10.16/j.
det.2013.12.005. Epub
www.pneupathforliving.com 43