Hair Density in African Americans

Abstract

ALTHOUGH the diagnosis of hair disease depends on the comparison of normal with abnormal findings, data on normal hair density are incomplete. After studying hundreds of scalp biopsy specimens from African American patients, I have observed that hair density tends to be lower in this racial group than in whites. Therefore, clinically and histologically normal hair density on biopsy specimens from African Americans would be labeled as abnormally low (ie, demonstrating alopecia) if existing data were to be applied. This study was performed to quantify any differences between white and African American patients.