Knowledge gaps in healthy hair care practices and hair loss within the African American community

Abstract Our objective was to identify knowledge gaps in healthy hair care practices in African American clientele and the hair stylists and barbers who serve them. This was a cross sectional population-based survey study, distributed from August 2021 to November 2021 in salons and barbershops within Philadelphia and the surrounding regions. Participants were a random sample of 202 self-identifying African American clientele and 115 hair stylists/barbers, ≥ 18 years old. Survey response rate was 71%. Results revealed that 66.8% of clientele prioritize healthy hair over the style of their hair, 43.1% of clientele would consult their hair stylist/barber first when experiencing hair loss, while 21.3% would consult a dermatologist first. When concerned about client hair loss, 59.1% of hair stylists’ and barbers’ first step was to give advice based on their own expertise. Hairstylists and barbers had a higher mean score than clientele (2.9/5 vs 2.4/5) regarding knowledge of hair styles that increase risk of hair loss. In summary, the key points are: 1) In the African American community, healthy hair is a priority and clientele are more likely to refer to their hairstylists and barbers regarding management of hair loss. 2) There may be a gap in knowledge pertaining to hairstyles that increase risk for alopecia amongst hairstylists, barbers, and their clientele. 3) Dermatologists should partner with hair stylists and barbers to develop outreach programs targeting knowledge gaps within the community to improve prevention and early detection of hair loss.