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my son is a 7 years old african american. he is having the worst problem ever with his scalp. i have tried every kind od dandruff shampoo there is and still no relief. i wash his hair 2xs a week now because the flaking and the scabs are so embarrassing. after i wash his hair its looks clean and free of scales and flakes but his scalp is red. usually after 2 days of washing this whole process reoccurs with the itchy, scaly flakyness. what should i do?

If I had a 7 year old son, I would want an expert to examine and diagnose him. You need to take him to a pediatric doctor, one with an interest or experience in dermatologic conditions. There are many causes of flaky scalps and you need to consult with a good doctor.

I washed my hair one day after pulling out braids. I went to my personal hairdresser to get my hair redone only to be told “Honey you know you have a bald patch” then she proceeded to rub it with her finger. It was as smooth as could be. It now has a few strains of hair and i have bought things specifically described for hair loss near to the neck. It itches a the bottom of the spot. Just tell me what exactly to do please cause it really bugs me out.

You describe a condition known as traction alopecia, where hair follicles are permanently damaged with constant traction (in your case braids). That area may never grow hair back. You need to see a hair specialist (a good hair transplant surgeon may help), but you should wait for 6 months to see if it does grows back.

I am a 42-yr old African American woman. I had hair restoration surgery in March 2006 for androgenic alopecia in the crown. For the last year and a half, I’ve been taking Propecia in pill form 2.5mg/day as well as topically. I’ve noticed since taking the meds, I’m experiencing diffuse thinning all over my head now. Have you heard of Propecia causing accelerated hair loss? Is this a temporary side effect? If I stop now, will my density return?

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is an oral medication for the treatment of androgenic hair loss approved only for use in men. It blocks a hormone known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is responsible for hair loss in men. Propecia is not approved for women, because female hair loss is not necessarily caused by DHT and it may cause birth defects when women take the medication. Finally, only 1mg of finasteride is recommended for the treatment of androgenic hair loss. Taking 2 mg or 2.5 mg is not necessarily twice as better or effective. It will however increase the potential for more unwanted side effects. I would recommend that you see your doctor and address these concerns to him/her and or see another physician for a second opinion. This website is NOT a second opinion.

The question should be: Will taking Propecia harm me if I am not going to get pregnant? We really don’t know the answer to that, as the appropriate clinical studies were not done on women so safety and effectiveness are still up in the air. I couldn’t possible know the cause of your hair loss without an examination and a detailed medical history.

Also worth noting, Propecia is not available in a topical form or available in 2.5 mg strength.

I am a 54 year old Africia American Female that has Central Centrifugal Cicatrical Alopecia, is there hope? and if so what can I do.

Also called “hot comb alopecia” in the past, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) is a rare condition that presents with cicatricial alopecia in the central scalp. This lesion grows larger around its center and tends to destroy the hair follicles and causes permanent balding.

It was thought that this condition has to do with combing or use of oil for hair styling in African-American women. The cause of this type of hair loss is still not known and its treatment is difficult, as seen with this and other similar scarring alopecias. This condition that is usually seen in African women presents as an unusual sensation (pins and needles) on the top of the scalp followed by tenderness in those areas. There is no visible sign of inflammation in the area. Skin color may change to become fleshy and eventually hyper-pigmented (darker). Hair loss in this condition is usually permanent.

i am seriously considering a hair transplant on the sides of my hairline. i am a african american women who have had traction alopecia for quite some time now. i have a small keloid on my ear, and my dermatologist has been giving me injections to clear this up. he also told me that if i get any plastic surgery, there is a chance that i will develop keloid scarring. i do want my hair transplant, are there things that they can do to remove the keloid from the donor site?

Keloids are very rare on the scalp. Many people have stretched (flat) or hypertrophic (raised) scars, but actual keloids (they look like tumors growing out of a wound) are so rare that they are worth reporting in medical literature. You can test the donor and recipient areas with a punch wound and/or a needle and then wait it out to see if it forms keloids. That may be the best way to know for sure.

Hi, i am an African American teen whose hair is shedding and i do not know why. Could gel possibly cause your hair to fall out? Like the edge of the top part of my hair is constantly getting thinner and i dont understand why this is occurring. My hair is really thick and shoulder length. Or maybe the bleach i used in october is taking my hair out, then then it could possibly be the dye i used a two weeks ago. I do not know what is going on. Yet, dr. if you know whats wrong or have any hair loss prevention tips, please let me know. Thanks for your time. God bless

ALL are possible, but there are many other reasons for hair loss. I just can’t diagnose your condition via the internet. The more junk you put on your hair, the higher the risk of hair damage, particularly bleaching or straightening compounds. It is unlikely that commercial grade hair gels will cause hair loss. If you are concerned you should see a doctor for a more complete evaluation.

I am a 20 year old black woman. I have an extended forehead that seems different form what other women have. Most women’s hair line is close to their face whereas mine is so back onto my head. It has never grown since childhood and i have a sister who has the same thing. I am thinking that maybe its hereditary but how can you be of any help to me? Would i be a good candidate for this procedure? and are there any tablets that i could take that might change it or foster the growth of hair there? Please help!!!!!

Women can have a hairline lowering procedure, which advances the hairline downward. If you are not a keloid former, you might be a good candidate for this. You need to be evaluated. There are no magic pills to fix this.

im an african american male who wants to go get my hair examined for minuturization.The only problem is that my hair is high like in a small afro.Do i have to cut my hair and have a short haircut for the doctor to be able to check for minuturization

No, you do not have to cut your hair to get your hair mapped out for a miniaturization analysis.

This is an African American patient 8 months after a single hair restoration procedure of 2148 grafts and a Norwood Class 3V balding pattern. Click the photos to enlarge.

Here’s his before photos for comparison:

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I’m a 24 year old female with African origin. I would like to lower my hairline through transplant. Would there be a problem for someone like myself with afro hair to get a hair transplant done? How much would it cost?

Women with African hair should not be a problem for hairline lowering procedures, providing there is no tendency to scarring. Costs of hair transplants will be about $6,000 (rough estimate) with possibly two procedures to accomplish the goals provided that the hair supply is adequate. The hairline lowering procedure costs can be found here and if any scar should show up, then transplants may be needed to address any widened scar.