Alopecia Option for Black Women - Hair transplantation plays emerging role

Maui, Hawaii - While medical treatment and patient education on proper hair care practices are the mainstays of management for traction alopecia and central centrifugal scarring alopecia (CCSA) in black women, hair transplantation can have an important role as a second-line measure to correct hair loss, Valerie D. Callender, M.D., said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar, sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation.

"Medical treatment and changing hair practices are critical for stabilizing disease and preventing progression of these hair loss disorders. However, existing hair loss has devastating psychosocial consequences on affected patients and is not addressed by those measures. While, historically, blacks have been shunned away from hair transplant procedures because of the challenges of hair harvesting and concern about the risks of hypertrophic and keloidal scarring, with use of proper techniques in appropriately selected patients, hair transplantation allows us to do something positive to improve appearance for these suffering women," said Dr. Callender, clinical assistant professor of dermatology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, and in private practice in Mitchelville, Md.

No-No's
Before surgery is attempted to address areas of hair loss affected by traction alopecia or central centrifugal scarring alopecia, patients should be under medical management with stable disease for at least six months and be convinced about changing their hair styling techniques...Click here for the full article at Dermatologytimes.com.