Acute ‘relaxer’-associated scarring alopecia: a report of five cases

May 2007 in “ British Journal of Dermatology ”

Nonhlanhla P. Khumalo, Komala Pillay, Reginald M. Ngwanya

scarring alopecia hair relaxers lye relaxers no lye relaxers contact dermatitis alopecia erythema papules nodules scarring hair loss chemical hair straighteners

TLDR Hair relaxers can cause lasting scalp damage and hair loss.

The document reported on five cases of acute scarring alopecia associated with the use of hair relaxers, which are chemicals used to straighten African hair. These relaxers, categorized as 'lye' or 'no lye', can cause adverse effects such as contact dermatitis and alopecia. The patients experienced discomfort during or shortly after salon procedures, leading to persistent patches of hair loss. Symptoms included erythema, papules, and nodules, with some cases showing no pus. Despite variations in presentation, all cases involved scarring on the vertex of the scalp, with some lesions extending beyond this area. The study highlighted the potential for relaxers to cause significant and lasting scalp damage.

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