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aestheticmed.co.uk HAIR RESTORATION

understood by the public. Although aesthetic practitioners
may have access to the tools to help address some of these
concerns, such as PRP therapy or mesotherapy, they may
feel less confident in diagnosing hair loss conditions which
aren’t due to common causes such as androgenetic alopecia
(balding). Practitioners may feel even less confident in
diagnosing and managing hair loss in patients with skin
of colour with afro-textured hair. This is potentially a lost
opportunity to cater for a segment of the market which has
a significant need.
AFRO-TEXTURED HAIR
Human hair has commonly been classified according to
three conventional ethnic human subgroups; African, Asian
and European. This broad classification doesn’t factor in
the high complexity of human biological diversity resulting
from both multiple and past or recent mixed origins. For
example, indigenous African hair varies from very curly
in the southern part of the continent to nearly straight
in northern areas. This article will focus on the needs of
black, tight curly African hair, hereafter referred to as Afro-
textured hair, which does have significant diversity. The
classification of hair will be covered more thoroughly in
article two of three.
There is little data about the epidemiology of hair loss
in people with Afro-textured hair in the UK, but data from
the US indicates that hair loss is the fourth most common
reason for African-Americans to see a dermatologist. 1 A
US-based survey conducted at predominantly African-
American churches in 2014 found that more than 50% of
African-American women reported excessive hair loss.
28% percent had visited a physician to discuss hair issues,
but only 32% felt their physician understood African-
American hair. 2 The perceived lack of understanding of
black hair and hairstyling practices can lead to delays in
seeking help. 3
Ophelia Dadzie’s study was the first UK epidemiological
full head of hair is an important contributor study exploring hair loss in women with “Afro-textured”
to the aesthetic ideal of looking young and hair and concluded that hair loss in black women should be
rejuvenated. Hair loss can be emotionally considered a public health issue, as it found that around 50%
devastating, and as such aesthetic practitioners of its sample of women of African descent experienced
Amay wish to address hair loss concerns. There some form of hair loss. 4 This suggests that a different
are a wide range of causes of hair loss and hair thinning, approach is needed so that this patient group feels able to
including nutrition, genetics, disease, medications and hair- come forward with hair loss concerns. Patients with Afro-
care practices. textured hair often report how their hair loss concern was
At present the available alternatives to surgical dismissed by some GPs and dermatologists, and they were
restoration of the hair and associated costs are not widely simply told to get a wig.

Aesthetic Medicine • June 2020 29