Telemedicine Alopecia Assessment: Highlighting Patients With Skin of Color

The article "Telemedicine Alopecia Assessment: Highlighting Patients With Skin of Color" discusses the increased use of teledermatology (TD) for diagnosing alopecia, particularly in patients with skin of color, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic-induced stress was anticipated to increase the incidence of dermatologic diseases with psychological triggers, including hair loss conditions like telogen effluvium and alopecia areata. As a result, dermatology visits for alopecia diagnosis increased during the pandemic. The article provides a practical guide for dermatologists to efficiently and accurately assess alopecia through TD. A team of seven dermatologists developed workflows for conducting virtual scalp examinations, with an emphasis on patients of color. The previsit workflow includes instructing patients to provide all laboratory values and biopsy reports before the appointment, testing for a stable Wi-Fi connection, and providing a handout illustrating the required photographs of the scalp, hairline, and face that should be uploaded two hours before the visit.