New Pattern Hair Loss in Young Turkish Women: What's Wrong in Their Daily Life?

In the 2019 study, 35 young Turkish women who used thermal hair straighteners at least twice a week for over six months were compared with 25 patients with telogen effluvium to assess the impact of hair straightening on hair loss patterns. The study utilized dermatoscopic examination, photographic scales, and laboratory tests to analyze the effects. Results showed that the hair straightener group exhibited significantly higher instances of hair damage and CCCA-like symptoms, such as peripilar white halos, hair diameter diversity, and single hair perifollicular units. White patches on the scalp, which suggest follicular scarring, were also correlated with the duration of hair straightener use. The mean age of the patients was 25.33 ± 9.40 years, and they had been using hair straighteners for 2 to 7 years. Laboratory findings were normal and comparable to those with telogen effluvium. The study concluded that hair straighteners could lead to CCCA-like hair loss in these women, initially resembling Female Androgenetic Alopecia and potentially progressing to cicatricial alopecia. This was the first study of its kind in an Asian population, and it called for further research with larger and more diverse groups to confirm these findings.