Category: African American Hair

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Hair Loss InformationHypothyroid Condition and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been told thet i have a hypothyroid condition. I take synthroid. Since I have been on this medication my hair has had severe breakage at the top and middle of my head. I have been using olux foam and selseb shampoo. I still continue to have sore spots in my head and several bumps to come in these spots. I am a 59 year old afro american female. I have also had injections in my head. My hair still does not seem to be starting to grow back. Do you think I am on the right track or should I talk to my doctor about some other type of treatment.

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Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to really know what is happening to you just by reading an email. Hypothyroidism can produce hair loss and changes in the character of your hair. Apparently you are under the management of someone who is injecting something into your scalp. I can guess what that is, but rather than do that, I would suggest that you ask the doctor who is treating you the question you asked me. Any good doctor will discuss the treatment plan and his/her expectations with regard to that treatment plan. These bumps you are getting need a professional opinion, not something I can do competently over the internet.

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Best Hair Color For Thinning Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

what is the best hair color to camflouge thinning hair?

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The best hair color is your skin color. For white people, white hair, for blonde skin, blonde hair, for dark skin, matching dark hair. Make sense?

Now that you are an expert, let me say that light hair always looks better than dark hair and the lighter the hair the better. Black men with white hair look fuller with the same amount of hair that might look thin when naturally darker. If this sounds confusing, think of a newspaper print and how it might look if the paper was dark and the print was white,

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Traction Alopecia from Dreadlocks? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m an african-american and I’ve had my hair in dread locks for the last 6 years. Because of work I have to wear my hair in a bun at the back of my head and I have noticed for the last couple of years my hair has stopped growing not along the hairline inside the bun. Is it responsible for what is happening and what can I do about it?

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Yes, dreadlocks do cause hair loss. When it stops growing, this may be the first sign for the hair loss that will follow. Change your styling and hope that it is reversible.

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African Hair and Noses – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am an African American man and I want my frontal hair loss fixed and a nose job. I do notice that more white people get these types of surgery than black people. Why is that?

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The kinky hair of African individuals makes it slightly more difficult for hair transplants if the surgical team is not able to manage the hair grafts that are not straight below the skin. Hair transplantation is a peg in a hole skill (like fine needle work), but when the grafts are not straight, it is more difficult to put them into a straight hole. With the right skills, the team can coax the hair into the needle holes created in the recipient area.

I’ve asked Beverly Hills based plastic surgeon and UCLA Medical Center’s Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery, Jon Perlman, MD, to answer the nose question. Here’s his response:

Black people’s noses are more difficult due to a general lack of cartilage available from the septum to build up the height of the missing bridge. Some doctors (not myself) prefer to use silicone grafts however though not unreasonable, it is associated with a much higher risk of future extrusion from within the nose. The advantage is that it comes in a package and can be relatively easily placed on the bridge of the nose to build it up.

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Fuller Hair Volume – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am aged 23 years old and i am a African American. My hair is long to some sort. It falls to my mid upperback. But i have one problem, its thin. I do not have full thickness and on each side is thin as well. I have never dyed it but have used perms. I may perm 3 times a year about every 4 months. I tried hair thickness oils and all the hair volume supplies u will find in a beauty supply store. What can I do to receive full volume and to cease the thinning on the sides.

The things you are doing may be damaging your hair and causing hairs to break off, making the bulk appear less full and giving the appearance of a finer, thinner hair shaft. The more you treat it and abuse it, the worse it will get. There are hair thickeners that will cause the hair shaft to absorb water, making it appear thicker. Check with your hair stylist for recommendations. This is not a doctor problem.

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Folliculitis Decalvans Specialist in Atlanta? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr.:
I found the previous blog on Folliculitis decalvans very helpful as I am a 23 year old of African descent also suffereing from the same problem. I am searching for a dermatologist with specific training in this area as you suggested but I haven’t had any luck. The listing of Doctors on the American Academy of Dermatology’s website is pretty basic. Do you have any specific pointers or referrals on this. I live in the Metro Atlanta Area. Thanks for your help.

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Try to go to a major university clinic. They are bound to have those that focus in this disease. You have a number of good university medical centers in Atlanta.

For the readers of this blog, note the following references for clarification. This is a bad problem which in essence reflects an aggressive infection of the scalp hair follicles, amongst other causes.

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Hair Loss After Stitches in My Scalp – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey,
I’m 18 years and of african descent. My problem is that I’ve noticed that whenever I get my hair cut (down to the skin) the hair on the right-forward side of my head grows slower than the left. I have noticed signs of possible hair loss in future but nothing like this, hardly even a horseshoe pattern.

Also quite recently I was involved in an accident and got stitches on the boarder of my scalp (this was after I noticed thinning). I want to ask if this affects possible hairgrowth in the area. Thanks.

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It is not unusual to have hair loss around the scar for a distance of a mm or two. Most of the hair around the scar should grow back within a year but there may be a small area around the scar that will not grow hair. Sometimes, people who are genetically prone to hair loss may find that a bad cut or accident on the head could start the process off and without any balding present, the sutures can produce some hair loss. It may just appear as thinning or it could advance to general hair loss. If the scar is too big and unacceptable to you, hair transplants into the scar can help, but the diagnostic mapping of your head is critical for you to define just what is going on.

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I Took Out My Hair Braids, And Now It Is Thinning – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi doctor,
I am a 24 year old black man with no real history of baldness in my family, For the past year I have watched my hair shed every since I took the braids I had in my hair for 2 years, I have been going to see a doctor about this for the past year and in doing so they’ve checked my blood and have not found anything abonormal but I am really worried. I work fulltime, I also go to collage fulltime, getting ready to have a baby and get married, I also eat lots of fast foods. my hair never did anything like this pior to me growing braids, can you help me by giving me so advice on how to prevent my hair from continuing to shed and give me an Idea as to what may be causeing this. Thnks and hope to here from you soon

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There may be two different things going on here:

  1. Putting your hair in braids for 2 years may have caused traction alopecia if they were tight.
  2. You may have a component of male pattern hair loss (even without a family history).

    3. Or you may have a combination of both 1 and 2.

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My Hair Is My Beauty and I’m Running Out Of It – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 21 year old African American female who has been dealing with Seborrheic Dermatitis and eczema since the age of fourteen. I have used everything from Mycolog, Desonide lotion to Selenium sulfide based shampoos. Now don’t get me wrong the do relieve me from the itching and greasy scaling of the skin. However in 2004 I noticed that the back region of my hair was thinning out. Also the right side had become infected due to constant scratching and became inflammed. About 2 weeks later the hair in that surrounding area started to fall out. I decided to do a biopsy so they could see exactly what was going on and hopefully remove the extra skin. I was later told that it was growing so I could either leave it in the state it was right now or try again. I chose to wait because it has really been frustrating for me and I didn’t want to make it worse than it already was. The only thing that bothers me is that I’m a young adult and I hide because of my appearance. It’s just a well known fact that a woman’s hair is her beauty and I’m running out of it. I just need some help and guidance and was wondering if you would point me the right direction. I was wondering will my hair ever grow back and how will I restore so it doesn’t happen again.

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It seems you are being followed by medical doctors for the cause of your hair loss. If there is an infection on your scalp complicated by your dermatitis and eczema, most medical doctors are well trained to address your problems. I realize hair loss can be a devastating experience for both men and women, but it is my opinion to treat the underlying medical condition and your hair should return once you get your medical problem solved.