As a woman of color, you already know that your hair can be a real issue. What you may not realize, however, is that your hair issues are actually genetic. Your hair has an innate fragility that is causing all of that breaking, thinning and hair loss.
Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia, or CCCA, is the number one cause of hair loss in black women. This disorder causes inflammation and destruction to the hair follicles that leads to scarring and even permanent hair loss.
This genetic disorder is only made worse by certain hair styles, including braids, buns, slicked-back ponytails, chemical relaxers, and wearing weaves. What this means is, while black women are predisposed to this condition, hair styles and chemical treatments are making matters worse.
A new study published earlier this year and presented at the American Academy of Dermatology’s 74th Annual meeting in Washington shows that not only are black women more prone to hair loss, but they are also less likely to seek professional help to rectify the problem.
As a result, instead of seeking treatment for CCCA or other causes, women are covering their hair loss or thinning hair with wigs, weaves, or braids. This can compound the problem and make already damaged hair worse and can even negatively affect the scalp to the point of irreversible hair loss.
It is possible to get back on track to healthy hair and scalp. Contact Hans Wiemann to learn more about our treatments. In the meantime, avoid tight hair styles that put tension on the follicles, like braids and weaves, and limit the use of chemical relaxers in order to reduce the risk of hair loss.
