Hot Comb Alopecia

Hot Comb Alopecia was a condition observed in Negro women who used hot combs to straighten their hair, leading to irreversible hair loss on the scalp. This condition was characterized by incomplete hair loss confined to the crown, with obliterated follicles between surviving hairs. The use of hot petrolatum with the iron caused chronic inflammation around the upper segment of the hair follicle, resulting in degeneration of the external root sheath. Over time, the entire follicle was destroyed and replaced by a dense collagen band, forming a follicular scar.