Onamusi Toluwalashe, Ofori-Darko Afua, Hill Marc, Workman Kaelynn, Barlev Danny
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Int J Trichology. 2025 Jan-Feb;17(1):51-53. doi: 10.4103/ijt.ijt_102_23. Epub 2025 Jun 23.
Cosmetologists and hair stylists are often the first and most frequented professionals evaluating patients with alopecia. This makes them a strong ally for dermatologists. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of African-American cosmetologists regarding hair loss. The study focused on their confidence levels in identifying scarring alopecia conditions in clients, general knowledge of hair loss causes and risk factors, and the frequency of client referrals to dermatologists.
A survey was distributed among African-American cosmetologists, consisting of questions related to their confidence in recognizing scarring alopecia conditions, their knowledge of hair loss causes and risk factors, and their referral practices for clients experiencing hair loss. The survey was distributed electronically, and responses were collected anonymously. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data.
A total of 19 African-American cosmetologists participated in the survey. A majority of cosmetologist had never heard of lichen planopilaris (LPP) and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) (78.9% and 57.9%, respectively) The majority of cosmetologists reported avoiding or limiting tight braids/locs (100%), tight ponytails/buns (100%), tight hair weaves (89.5%, n=17). 94.7% (n=18) referred clients to a dermatologist for hair loss in the past year.
The findings revealed varying levels of confidence among cosmetologists in identifying different types of scarring alopecia conditions. The results highlighted gaps in cosmetologists' knowledge of hair loss risk factors. The results suggest that there is a need for increased education and awareness among African-American cosmetologists regarding hair loss and scarring alopecia. Addressing these knowledge gaps and improving the confidence levels of cosmetologists in recognizing hair loss can have a positive impact on client care and well-being. Collaboration and communication between cosmetologists and dermatologists are crucial in providing comprehensive support for clients experiencing hair loss.
美容师和发型师往往是评估脱发患者的首批且最常接触的专业人员。这使他们成为皮肤科医生的有力盟友。我们的研究旨在评估非裔美国美容师关于脱发的知识和做法。该研究聚焦于他们识别客户瘢痕性脱发状况的信心水平、脱发原因和风险因素的一般知识，以及将客户转介给皮肤科医生的频率。
向非裔美国美容师发放了一份调查问卷，其中包括与他们识别瘢痕性脱发状况的信心、脱发原因和风险因素的知识以及对脱发客户的转介做法相关的问题。该调查问卷通过电子方式发放，并且匿名收集回复。使用描述性统计分析数据。
共有19名非裔美国美容师参与了该调查。大多数美容师从未听说过扁平苔藓性毛发角化病（LPP）和中心离心性瘢痕性脱发（CCCA）（分别为78.9%和57.9%）。大多数美容师报告避免或限制紧辫子/发髻（100%）、紧马尾辫/发髻（100%）、紧发编织（89.5%，n = 17）。94.7%（n = 18）在过去一年中将脱发客户转介给了皮肤科医生。
研究结果显示美容师在识别不同类型瘢痕性脱发状况方面的信心水平各不相同。结果突出了美容师在脱发风险因素知识方面的差距。结果表明，需要提高非裔美国美容师对脱发和瘢痕性脱发的教育程度和认识。解决这些知识差距并提高美容师识别脱发的信心水平可对客户护理和福祉产生积极影响。美容师和皮肤科医生之间的合作与沟通对于为脱发客户提供全面支持至关重要。
