Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
Int J Dermatol. 2012 Nov;51 Suppl 1:12-6, 14-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2012.05556.x.
African hair in its natural state poses tenacious grooming challenges; consequently a large portion of the African cosmetic industry is focused on means to relax the tight curls of African hair to make the hair more manageable. In malnourished and hypoproteinemic states, African hair straightens in an uncomplimentary manner. Recently, we observed that in certain diseases African hair changes to a desirable silky wavy texture.
To identify the diseases that turn African hair silky and their parameters we examined 5612 dermatology patients at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. We then studied the clinical and basic laboratory parameters of those patients whose diseases were accompanied by the silky hair change.
Silky hair change similar to the hair of the African neonatal child was observed in five diseases, namely AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, pulmonary tuberculosis with cachexia, and Behçet's disease.
Our study identified retrogression of African hair to the neonatal structure in five diseases. Anemia of chronic illness, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and mild hypocalcemia were significant laboratory parameters. This is an important observation, which should excite and advance research into the nature and structure of African hair. The causes of structural hair changes should include these five diseases.
非洲人的自然发质存在难以梳理的顽固问题；因此，非洲化妆品行业的很大一部分专注于开发方法来使非洲人的卷发变直，从而使头发更易于打理。在营养不良和低蛋白血症状态下，非洲人的头发会变得无精打采地变直。最近，我们观察到在某些疾病中，非洲人的头发会变成理想的丝滑波浪状质地。
为了确定使非洲人头发变顺滑的疾病及其特征，我们在尼日利亚的一家三级医院检查了 5612 名皮肤科患者。然后，我们研究了那些患有伴有头发顺滑变化的疾病的患者的临床和基本实验室参数。
在五种疾病中观察到类似非洲新生儿头发的顺滑变化，即艾滋病、类风湿性关节炎、系统性红斑狼疮、肺结核伴消瘦和贝切特病。
我们的研究确定了五种疾病中非洲人头发向新生儿结构的退行性变化。慢性病贫血、红细胞沉降率高和轻度低钙血症是重要的实验室参数。这是一个重要的观察结果，应该激发并推动对非洲人头发的性质和结构的研究。结构头发变化的原因应包括这五种疾病。
