Common types of hair loss experienced by black women
Women of colour will experience many of the same forms of hair loss as men and women with other hair types. However, there will be certain types of hair loss that are more common amongst black women.
Dear Dr Ingrid, what are some of the common types of hair loss that black women can experience?
Traction Alopecia - tends to happen after tight pulling hair styles and hair pieces which cause repeated pulling (traction) on the hairs. What you see is shortened hairs at the temples and at the front.
Acquired Proximal Trichorrhexis Nodosa (APTN) - Also categorised as hair breakage - this is when hair is so fragile that even minor trauma such as combing the hair or putting it in a particular hair style may break the hair. It tends to happen after years of using chemicals and heat devices to straighten the hair, and excessive combing with the wrong kind of comb, especially when the teeth are too small and rough or brush. Sometimes hair breakage it can be the first sign of a problem that is more common in Black women called CCCA. It can also be a sign of nutritional deficiencies
Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA): This condition starts at the top and middle region of the scalp and progresses outward. It is a potentially permanent form of hair loss that primarily affects people of African descent and usually occurs more in women than men. Last year, it was discovered that there is a gene mutation called PADI3, which typically runs in families. It is important to avoid traumatic and weighty hair care practices that put Afro hair under a lot of stress.
Ophiasis Alopecia Areata - this type of hair loss is often underdiagnosed in Black women because there is a tendency to diagnose it as simply traction alopecia. You would tend to see a horizontal band of hair loss at the back and sides of the hairline.
It is important to tackle hair loss promptly and seek solutions from qualified experts. Follow the Afro Hair Loss series for more help and advice.
Edited by Nateisha Scott.