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Category Archive for African American

 

Woman’s Hair Grows on the Sides of Her Head, But Not on Top

I am a 48 year old African American female. I am diabetic. I also relax my own hair. For a while, the hair on the sides of my head has grown considerably, but the hair on the top of my head had not. Is this indicative of any particular condition? Thank you for your help.

You may have chemical damage from relaxing your hair, or genetic hair loss…. or something else entirely going on. There are a variety of possible causes for hair loss in women (see here).

Without seeing you, I can not tell much. Make an appointment with a good doctor/dermatologist who will give you an opinion.

 

Hairline Options for Teens with African Hair Types?

I am a 18 year old Black Teen and I have a receded hairline. But I was born with it. And to top it off the hairline on the sides of my head do not match and look out of proportion. What can I do to lower and get a straighter hairline? is surgery possible? or are there other methods?

Surgery is possible, but often not recommended to men of your age because of the risks of balding that may impact your future look. I don’t know that there is anything you can do at this point, unfortunately.

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I Had a Bottle Busted On My Head and Want the Scar Removed!

Hello. I had busted my head from a starbucks cappuccino bottle(Please don’t ask how It’s a personal issue..) And I was bleeding harshly from my head so my parents wrapped my head with some bandage really tight and put some healing glue over the scar. In like a week in a half it healed and the glue came off like a scab and I was left with a very smooth scar on the back of my head near the root of my head about the size of a quarter, the top part of your pointer finger(the first line part and up cant explain it good). I know hair isn’t growing back because its been three years.

I want to have the scar removed from my head, the surgery is they cut it out then sew your scalp back together and your left with a lined scar that is barely visible when hair is grown a little. I do NOT want hair transplant please don’t give me information about it. Please explain as much as you can about the “scar removal” surgery I have in mind and also a cost for this.

What I would like to have is have a surgeon cut out the scar since its a little smaller than a quarter and stitch the scalp back together leaving me with just a tiny thin line scar that would be. No wider that the original sizer of the sizer or length. Also since I am african american, I want to cut my hair down low to about a 2 but I can’t cause of this baldspot, my dad is willing to try surgery but not until its reasonable. Remember it is about the size of a quarter which is very small compared to others.

Thank you please help me with my problem. Also the color of the scar is about my skin color maybe even a bit darker, I have black indian hair so a big brown baldspot sticks out. Please fill me in with everything you possibly can.

Scar removal from the scalp sometimes works well… and sometime doesn’t work well. That depends upon:

  1. Your healing abilities
  2. The location of the scar
  3. The direction of the excision scar
  4. The surgical technique used

I would have to see your scars to determine what I would do. From what you described here, I am at a loss. You need to see a cosmetic surgeon with experience in scar revision.

 

My Daughter’s Hair Hasn’t Been Chemically Processed for Years and Now It’s Breaking

My daughter is 15, she has not had a perm in 3 years or more. Just recently her hair began breaking off on the ends and around the edges of her scalp. She uses biosilk shampoo and conditioner and she does flat iron and blow dry her hair at least 3 or four times weekly. What can we do to stop the breakage and promote the growth of her hair? We are african american.

The use of the flat iron could still contribute to damage, but this is best managed by a good hair stylist with lots of experience with African hair types.

 

My Daughter’s Hair is Processed and There Are Bald Spots

13 year old african american daughter having continuous hair loss for several years. Hair is processed and has several bald spots especially in back. Suffers from excema if that helps. Please HELP! Beautician just sews false hair in her head but has yet to get it to grow. Can you please tell us where to start.

It sounds like your daughter is having chemical problems with the things that the stylist is using. Hair loss is common when chemicals are applied to relax the hair. I am wondering what you mean that the beautician is sewing false hair into her head, though.

 

I Chemically Relax My Own Hair and See Hair Loss

Hello. I am a 42 year old black female that is experiencing hair loss. I am wondering if this is due to me chemically relaxing my hair myself. I do have a low thyroid condition that I take medication for daily. Could this be contributing to my hair loss. It seems to be getting worse. I recently permed my hair but I burned my scalp pretty bad. Will my hair grow back? Could you give me any suggestions of products to use that might help? Thank you

Chemical damage and thyroid conditions can both contribute to hair loss, and there’s no way for me to try to pinpoint the cause via email. Try stopping the chemical use on your hair and give it a year or so to see if there is improvement. The hair could regrow, but it depends on the severity of the burn. At this point, all you can really do is wait it out to see.

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I Only Lose Hair in the Winter Months — Is it a Skin Condition?

Hello,
I am a 20 year old African American who has experienced some hair loss for the last two years. There is no history of male pattern baldness on either side of my family so im pretty confident its not genetic. I noticed I only lose hair during the winter months, but the loss is significant. I believe it is related to a skin condition I have. My mother said it happened to me when I lost hair when I was a few weeks old, but it came back when she moisturized my scalp.

My questions: can it be due to the same condition? Is the loss permanent? Is there anything I can do to regrow my hair?

Thank you

On occasion, I have heard that a rare cycling of hair loss occurs when the weather gets colder. A possible skin condition that causes hair loss in winter months doesn’t make much sense to me. This isn’t something I’m familiar with, so I don’t know if the loss is permanent or if there is a treatment for it. Have you seen a doctor?

 

Balding in Mixed Race Men

Hi, i’m a 21 years old male, and i’m mixed caucasian/african.

Here’s my question. My dad’s (caucasian) been balding since age 30, and is now completely bald at age 60. He is the worst case of MPB in my entire family. On my mom’s side, there is no history of hairloss whatsoever. Myself, i’ve got a lot of hair, semi-african and semi-european, but very dense, with a kind of “coarse” afro look (very far from my dad’s hair). I have my mom’s hairline (mature, typical from her race, where there are no hairloss), and thick hair (i think).

I’m afraid i might end up as my father, but is there really a risk? If i ever go bald, at what age it might happen? Don’t the african genes dominates caucasians’ (i’m dark skinned)? What about mixed people in MPB?

Thanks a lot for your help!

There’s no way to tell if you will be bald simply based on your race… mixed or otherwise. Even with a family history, it is never truly clear. It’s possible that the balding gene exists somewhere in your mother’s family tree, too (and it can skip generations).

The best thing to do is to go see a doctor for an examination. Tests such as miniaturization studies and bulk measurements can establish a baseline so that you can track what is going on with age. You can also get a genetic test called HairDX, which is about 70% accurate, to find out if you have the gene. It won’t tell you if/when it’ll express itself, but it’s a start.

 

Razor Bumps Causing Hair Loss in the Back of My Head

I’m a 26-year-old black male. I have suffered from razor bumps in the back of my head for about 10 years. The razor bumps have now caused hair loss in that area. I have a scar in the back of my head and hair won’t grow in that area. What can I do? I want my hair back. Is it possible that it will grow back? What type of treatment do I need?

If this has been progressing over 10 years or so, then it is likely that you have lost your hair in the various areas where these bumps are. Consider not shaving your head completely, but perhaps just clipping it with a #1 guard electric shaver. Then wait up to 6 months or so and then you may know if this process reverses. Hair transplants could be used if the problem is not too extensive. I’d have to see what you’re describing to recommend much beyond just playing the waiting game.

 

What If I Stop Using Chemicals and Grow Out My Afro?

Hi, I’m a 17-year-old african male who’s experiencing hair thinning at both the left and right frontal areas of my head. I’m sure it isn’t hereditary as my older brother of 19-years still has a head full of healthy hair. I think this may be due to the numerous products I’ve used in recent years to maintain a wavy texture in my short hair. Now that I wish to grow an afro, the thinning is more visible than if I have short hair. I was wondering if growing an afro could disguise the thinning or if it could allow the thinning hair to strengthen again?

Thanks

Let your hair grow out and you should see that it will take on its natural appearance. The new hair that grows out from the scalp never had product or chemicals on it, so this hair will curl/kink if that is your normal character. I am assuming that the chemicals you used did not damage the hair below the skin.

That being said, you might have a maturing hairline or early genetic loss. Unless you used excessive chemicals in just the hairline, it sounds like it could be genetic (which could skip generations). You might not necessarily follow the exact timetable as your older brother if there is hair loss in your family history. I wouldn’t be able to make that determination without an examination, so you should talk to a doctor if you’re concerned.

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