Apr 23, 2020
Hosts of the dermatology podcast Dermasphere, Luke
Johnson, MD, and Michelle Tarbox, MD, join MDedge host Nick Andrews
to talk about COVID-19 and dermatology as well as how their podcast
works.
Dr. Johnson is assistant professor of dermatology at the
University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, and
Dr. Tarbox is assistant professor of dermatology at Texas Tech
University Health Science Center in Lubbock.
You can find Dermasphere on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are
found.
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Hair salon closures during the coronavirus pandemic have left
women of African descent to care for their own hair -- whether
natural, processed, or synthetic -- at home. Dr. Lynn
McKinley-Grant, president of the Skin of Color Society, talks to
Dr. Susan C. Taylor about
hair care products these patients can use so that
dermatologists can help African American women take care of their
hair and manage dermatologic conditions. “With COVID-19, many women
are at home -- me included -- and it’s important for women to
understand that they have to continue to groom their hair. Just
because no one sees you doesn’t mean that you don’t regularly
shampoo and condition as well as comb and style your hair,” says
Dr. Taylor.
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Key takeaways from this episode:
- Dermatologists should know how to recognize and differentiate
between natural, processed, and synthetic hair in women of African
descent to inform diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
- Regardless of hairstyle, it is important for all African
American patients to shampoo, condition, detangle, and style their
hair with products that contain appropriate ingredients.
- Shampoos with sodium lauryl sulfate contain the harshest
detergents that can dry out the hair and scalp. “For our skin of
color patients, or African American patients, we suggest shampoos
that contain sodium laureth sulfate, which is a much milder
detergent to clean the hair, and it helps to leave the hair
moisturized,” Dr. Taylor explains.
- Social distancing provides an opportunity for African American
women to concentrate on conditioning the hair while taking a break
from damaging hair care practices. “I personally think this is a
great time to minimize what you do to your hair in regard to heat
from blow-dryers and flat irons and curling irons. I also think
it’s a great time if you have a weave or braids and extensions to
take them out to really give your hair a rest,” Dr. Taylor
recommends.
- Many patients seek to avoid products containing controversial
ingredients such as parabens, mineral oil, and tetrasodium EDTA
because of concerns that they may be carcinogens or endocrine
disruptors. “I think the jury is still out. There are a whole host
of products that do not contain those particular ingredients, so I
think our patients have to have choices,” Dr. Taylor says.
- Prescription shampoos for seborrheic dermatitis in people of
African descent can dry out the scalp. “What I suggest to my
patients is that they apply the shampoo directly to the scalp with
a 4- to 5-minute contact time and then rinse the shampoo out of the
scalp, followed by the use of a conditioning shampoo to actually
shampoo their strands of hair. That way they’re minimizing the
contact time with the prescription shampoo,” Dr. Taylor
advises.
- Although daily shampooing typically is not recommended for
individuals of African descent, health care workers and first
responders will need to wash their hair more frequently during the
coronavirus pandemic. “I think rinsing the hair with water, not
necessarily doing a full shampoo every day, could be helpful.
[Also] putting in a leave-in conditioner and reapplying the
leave-in conditioner every day I think can really help combat
potential dryness they can experience,” Dr. Taylor suggests. It
also is important to thoroughly dry the hair after each wash so it
doesn’t stay damp, which could lead to infection.
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Hosts: Nick Andrews; Lynn McKinley-Grant, MD
(Howard University, Washington)
Guest: Susan
C. Taylor, MD (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia)
Disclosures: Dr. Taylor reports no conflict of
interest. Dr. McKinley-Grant reports no conflict of interest.
Show notes by: Alicia Sonners, Melissa
Sears
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You can find more of our podcasts at http://www.mdedge.com/podcasts
Email the show: podcasts@mdedge.com
Interact with us on Twitter: @MDedgeDerm