Hair Loss in Afro-Americans




Hair loss in Afro-American people is a little different than in Caucasian. Although it happens equally often for the representatives of both races, it is more noticeable in Caucasian people, so it is easier to recognize the alopecia and treat it on the early stages before the person actually gets bald spots.

The reason why it is less obvious in Afro-Americans is because they usually have higher hair density and as a rule it is curly: both the strands and the follicles are curved and this affects the treatment of hair loss for them.

The cases of hair loss are basically the same: it might happen after certain prescription drugs or special medical treatments, due to heredity, very tight hairstyles, bad diet or some diseases like thyroid disease or cancer.

It is very common among Afro-American people to have cornrows as well as some other tight hair styles like braids, weaves and extensions. All of them have a bad influence on hair, because they put too much pressure on scalp and hair follicles. The same happens when a person braids too many beads in the hair. Usually a hairstylist could explain if the particular hair style the person has will contribute to hair loss and what should be done to minimize the problem.

All Afro-Americans are born with black curly hair, but as well as people of other races, some of them do not agree with the color or texture of the hair given by nature, so they work hard on changing it. A lot of processing such as perming, breaching, straightening, and coloring is damaging for hair and might lead to hair loss. The help can come from a hairstylist again who can chose the most generous treatment which will not ruining hair as much as the ordinary products would do.

As it has already been mentioned, most of Afro-American people have high hair density, so the hair should be taken care of in a specific way. The person with thick hair should be very careful about heavy conditioners and greasy hair products because they clog follicles if they are applied too thickly and are not washed away completely. In order to avoid the problem it is better to use specifically designed hair treatments for Afro-Americans.

Bad eating habits and poor diet cause a lot of trouble to hair too. Hair strands are made of protein. They also need certain vitamins and minerals for strength and health. The high popularity of fast food and pre-processed unhealthy meals does not provide enough of the nutrients for hair. If it is hard to switch for better food, the person should at least take some daily vitamin and mineral supplement to balance out the necessary nutrients.

All of the above mentioned hair loss reasons can be fixed by elimination of the problem. If the person is very concerned about hair loss, it is recommended not to make tight hair styles or use thick and greasy hair products, stop overprocessing the hair and start eating healthy food. However, there are some conditions when hair loss is unpreventable. Heredity, diseases, special medical treatments can cause both temporary and permanent hair loss.

If it happens, Afro-Americans can use numerous treatments. Such topical solutions as Rogaine or Provillius work well, if applied in the initial stages of hair loss. Hair transplant surgery can be used as well. Many patients have admitted that it worked perfectly for them.

Alex Bright

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Posted on October 3, 2009 
Filed Under Hair Loss, Hair Loss Conditions, Hair Loss Reasons, Hair Loss Treatments

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