Black Women's Hair: the Main Scalp Dermatoses and Aesthetic Practices in Women of African Ethnicity

Overview

Journal An Bras Dermatol

Specialty Dermatology

Date 2015 Sep 17

PMID 26375213

Citations 16

Authors

Aline Tanus

Camila Caberlon Cruz Oliveira

Delky Johanna Villarreal Villarreal

Fernando Andres Vargas Sanchez

Maria Fernanda Reis Gavazzoni Dias

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Afro-ethnic hair is different from Caucasian and Asian hair and has unique features. Ethnic hair is more prone to certain conditions or diseases. Such diseases are not only related to the fragile inner structure of the hair, but also to the cultural habits of hairstyles that often exert traction forces upon the pilosebaceous follicle. Women with African hair subject their hair to chemical treatments such as hair straightening and relaxing, and thus modify the structure of their hair shaft, making it more susceptible to damage. For this reason, hair complaints are common among black women and represent a diagnostic challenge to the dermatologist, requiring a thorough clinical examination of the hair and scalp, and a detailed medical history of the patient. The purpose of this review is to warn of the potential side effects and sequelae related to hairstyles and hair treatments used by black women, and to highlight the major diseases that affect this ethnicity.

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