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I interesting in learning what can be done for Black Women who are lossing their hair. And the physcians are saying it from the chemicals that we use. Ex. perms. they say the only treatment is rogaine and injections which will also cause complete baldness if we can no longer afford that treatment while they give the white women hormone replacement. Can you help and give better advise

Chemicals (like relaxers) can cause damage, but many black women will also see traction alopecia, which is permanent hair loss caused by the pulling of tight braids, many times from when they were very young. For women, the only FDA approved hair loss treatment is Rogaine (minoxidil). Hormone replacement likely won’t regrow your hair and I’m not sure which injections your doctor is recommending.

This isn’t an issue of race so much as gender. For men, the great majority of cases of hair loss are from genetics and there’s an oral pill for that. For women, there’s a large list of possible causes of hair loss and no truly great solutions. So it’s not that black women have less options, but rather, all women have limited treatment options.

See this page for more — Female Genetic Hair Loss Is Different From Male Genetic Hair Loss.

Hello doctors,

I’m a black male with very early stage thinning in a 3v pattern. I’ve been on finasteride for about two years, and am basically satisfied with the results.

I’ve talked to friends and family who might have similar patterns of thinning, and in discussing the options, several of them are skeptical about the effect transplants would have.

My question is this: what is the authoritative opinion on how well transplanting can cover up balding (specifically, can It be made to look like I have virtually no thinning?)

Your question isn’t really fair. You are asking a hair transplant surgeon who thinks about hair transplant surgery as a matter of livelihood. It’s like asking a chef if you should eat their food.

My point is you should be asking these questions to the patients who had hair transplants. You should meet them face-to-face to judge what the value has been based upon the change you see. Looking at some before and after photos has some minimum value, but face-to-face meetings like we have at our monthly Open House events in San Jose and Los Angeles give you the opportunity to see for yourself!

Hair transplants all depend on the supply of donor hair and the size of the balding area. Setting patient expectations is critical to what we do. You will never look like when you were 16 years old with regard to hair fullness. Maybe you can come close, but that depends on the number of grafts, hair color, hair texture, hair style, and skin color. For example, curly black hair on dark skin gives great coverage and fullness over thin straight black hair on while skin.

I am a black (African American) woman in my mid thirties, and in the top of my head and on the right side, in the front around my ears, my hair is continuously thinning and no new hair is growing so the area is getting bald. I chemically relax my hair, and when the straightened hair grows out and the new curly hair grows from my scalp, I notice that in the area with thin hair there is no new growth.

How possible would it be for me to get a hair transplant to that area of my hairline, that extends to my right ear, and about two inches back from my forehead?

I suppose it might be possible, but this isn’t something I could agree to doing without a consultation. You might not be a candidate for surgery. I don’t know how long you’ve been waiting for the hair to regrow, but it could take a year or two.

There’s just too many variables to be able to give you a yes or no about having a hair transplant without seeing you in person. I’d meet with your doctor to find out if this is chemically related loss or if there is something else at play like a series of autoimmune diseases which can cause localized hair loss. You should try to figure out why you’re losing hair before you try to surgically correct it.

Since last year I have been experiencing hair loss. I am a 49 year old african american female who in December 2009 had a noticeable bald spot that began appearing at the left side of my crown. From December until January 2010 the spot began to move from one side to another and then became quite bad. I finally went to see a physician who diagnosed me with autoimmune disease and alopecia. He prescribe a topical steroid (betamethasone dipropiontate lotion) and encouraged to take biotin. The back of the hair has grown back and now between a nickle and a quarter spot still remains at the crown. I am experiencing hair growth and to the roots it is quite coarse.

Would you recommend that I put a kiddie relaxer in it to get some of the thickness straighten out?

If you are asking whether a hair relaxer will help or make your condition worse, I would guess “no” to both. If you are asking if a hair relaxer will help with your look, that’s a styling question and I would rather leave that up to you.

As far as I know, hair relaxer for kids contains the same chemicals as hair relaxer for adults, but it is just marketed differently. In other words, you still run the risk of causing chemical damage.

well i seem to be having a thinning problem at the crown of my head. The real problem is that i am only 14. It appears that this runs in my family because my uncle is in his twenties and he has the same problem. I am an African American male.

I have also heard that African hair is fragile. i brush my hair with a boar brush that is quite hard. So i am wondering if the hardness of my brush could possibly make my hair look even more thin at the crown. currently i am also obtaining that popular waves hairstyle that is quite popular among african american males is this also a factor?

African hair is fragile, but if your brush is indeed too ‘hard’ on the hair I’d suspect you would notice thinning everywhere you brush.

It’s not too common for male pattern baldness to start in 14 year olds, but it is not outside the realm of possibility and it could start with puberty. Considering you have an uncle with early loss, it certainly points to your genetics. You might even find others in your family line had similar issues in their youth. See a doctor, get a diagnosis, and have a miniaturization study done to see what is really going on.

I am an African American male age 46 with a keloid on the back of my head which resulted from two surgeries to remove it. Now I have a keloid the size of a strawberry which leaves a bald patch in my hair. Can a hair transplant or hair patch be put in that area to cover it for good? If so will it cause more problems in the future or no?

I often see patients that wish to cover scars (and keloids), but hair growth on this tissue can be less than optimal and patients often require addition surgery to increase the density of hair. In the end, the scar and keloid is still there, but it might be covered with the new transplanted hairs.

Transplanting into keloids, however, also runs the additional risk of making them worse. If you’re known to form keloids on the scalp, then having more surgery (like a hair transplant) could result in more of the same. You already tried to surgically excise the keloid on your scalp and it caused it to grow larger? I don’t think its worth the risk, though without an examination I couldn’t make a definitive opinion.

What are the side effects of Rogaine and the Afro American Male.

The same potential side effects occur from Rogaine (minoxidil) in all skin colors and hair types. Those side effects include skin irritation and chest pain, but you can read the full list here.

I am a 47 year old african american female. I have been losing massive amounts of hair for the last three weeks. I have consulted with my family doctor, dermatologist and even a gynecologist. My scalp is very itchy and I also have external genital itching. Where else can I go for help?

Female hair loss can be tricky in determining the source (see here). I don’t know that the scalp hair loss and itching in the pubic area are related, though.

If you are on the east coast, see Dr. Bernstein in New York and if you are on the west coast, you can see me. Alternatively, go to ISHRS.org and look up a doctor in your area.

I am an African American female and experiencing hair loss. I currently use home relaxers on my hair because it’s easier to manage. What can I do to strengthen my hair to help prevent the hair loss? Thanks

Keep in mind that I am a hair transplant doctor. With that said, from my point of view there is not much you can do to strengthen hair. Despite all the hype, there really is no secret formula. Use what works for you. Eat a healthy diet. Minimize chemical exposure to your hair. I generally will not name supplements and shampoos to give credibility on how to make one’s hair stronger. If this isn’t satisfactory, a hair stylist might be able to recommend some products he/she is likely ready to sell you.

Snippet from the article:

While Chris Rock’s new documentary, Good Hair, is certain to get laughs, it’s sure to leave the audience talking. And that’s the point, the comedian says.

“When you talk about something with some weight to it, like hair, even when it’s over, you’re still in people’s heads,” Rock said. “That’s what I wanted with this film.”

The movie, which opened Friday, examines the issue of hair in the African-American community and the pressure to straighten or lengthen naturally coily hair.

Read the article and interview with Chris Rock at Chron.com.

I believe hair is important to people of all races, but Chris Rock explores the issues that black women have with their hair, including the use of chemical straighteners, weaves, wigs, and other things I’m sure I’m forgetting. The movie trailer looks hilarious and I’m interested in seeing it at some point.