Coping with Hair Loss | My life with Alopecia
Former Black hair and beauty blogger, Gina Knight is a 40-something mother of two and the brains behind award winning name sake wig making brand Gina Knight Wig Design - an off the shelf and bespoke service wholly fuelled by Gina's personal experience with the hair loss condition - Alopecia.
Hair loss in Black women is a condition we take very seriously at Black Skin Directory. Whilst we wave the flag to not be defined by our hair, we know the significance and respect that we attach to Black hair.
With so many variants of Alopecia, it’s an often poorly understood condition that can sometimes be unfairly blamed on Black cultural hair care practices. In addition, our standard healthcare service isn't always equipped to deal Black women and hair loss because of a lack of knowledge and experience with the various sub types of the condition.
We are grateful to Gina for sharing her story and experiences.
WHAT WAS YOUR HAIR REGIME PRIOR TO HAIR LOSS?
I’ve kept my hair natural since 2008 and started to experience hair loss issues in 2012, so my hair practices were actually very good. I only used natural hair care products, rarely wore my hair in protective styles such as braids or twists and I maintained a relatively healthy scalp.
WHAT WAS THE HAIR LOSS TRIGGER?
After I had my first baby in 2012, I suffered from Post Natal Depression (PND) and Post Traumatic Stress. Unbeknownst to me, I didn’t realise that this could trigger hair loss and I ignored my hair loss for a year thinking it was a natural pattern of post partum hair shedding. It was almost two years later that I was finally diagnosed with Alopecia.
WHAT WAS THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL IMPACT OF HAIR LOSS?
It was extremely stressful which made the hair loss even worse. The more I worried, the more patches I would find and the more thinning I’d encounter. It really knocked my confidence especially as I was a popular hair blogger at the time and worked in the salon industry so my hair was a big deal.
HOW SOON DID YOU VISIT A GP ONCE YOU NOTICED THE HAIR LOSS?
I visited my GP after a year as I was told the hair loss was normal after pregnancy.
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THE GP? DID THEY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS/SHOW EMPATHY?
My GP wasn’t very helpful or knowledgeable about hair especially Black hair conditions and tried to pass it off as a result of pregnancy, but by then I had huge bald patches all over my head.
Then my hair practices were blamed, though I’d been natural for years, rarely wore braids and never worn a weave. Finally the GP said it’s was a fungal infection and prescribed me a topical shampoo, and later suggested steroids and a possible biopsy which I declined as I didn’t see how pumping drugs into my body or cutting open my head was useful when they had already shown incompetence in diagnosis.
WERE YOU REFERRED TO A DERMATOLOGIST? DID YOU ATTEND AN APPOINTMENT? IF NOT, WHY? IF YOU DID, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
I was never referred I had to seek my help for myself. I finally saw a doctor, a Black woman who said that perhaps the hair loss was linked to my PND she was the only one who spoke about alternatives as opposed to this culture of blaming the patient or diagnosing based on stereotypes. She suggested that the hair loss could be stress induced which could also be affecting my immune system.
WHAT SORT OF HAIR LOSS WERE YOU DIAGNOSED WITH?
I was diagnosed with Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) which can be triggered by a whole host of things from bacterial or fungal infections, illness and hormonal fluctuations, stress, genetics and auto immune conditions.
Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) is a disease characterized by permanent hair loss in the crown region of the scalp, inflammation, and scarring. It occurs almost exclusively in Black women aged 30 to 55 years. It is estimated that CCCA may affect up to 15% of Black women, but the precise number of individuals affected in the general population is unknown.
Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)
Courtesy of Gina Knight.
WHAT REMEDIES WHERE YOU GIVEN e.g medication?
I was offered over the counter topical ointments however I found these to not be as effective as changing my lifestyle.
WHERE YOU GIVEN ANY LIFESTYLE ADVICE e.g. LOWER STRESS LEVELS, DIETARY CHANGES?
I took it upon myself to change my lifestyle when I was diagnosed with PND as I didn’t want to be medicated in anyway. I looked into a lot of holistic remedies. Meditation really helped me with my stress level as well as a more balanced diet.
WERE YOU ADVISED TO STOP ANY HAIR REGIMES YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY FOLLOWED OR CURRENTLY PRACTICING?
I made the decision to practice a very simple hair care regimen that I follow to this day. I only use natural products and I don’t style my hair with braids, twists or use heat. I wear wigs most of the time to avoid having to manipulate my hair.
HAS THE HAIR LOSS CEASED?
The hair loss has slowed, I still get flare ups and where the hair was most severely lost, it did not grow back.
WHAT IS YOUR POST HAIR LOSS HAIR CARE REGIME?
Now I have sporadic hair loss, so I keep my hair shaved. I do this ever 2 - 3 days to keep it smooth. If I’m wearing my head out will usually apply some of my hydrating and moisturising skincare products to my scalp or just use a light serum.
I also use a face and body foundation on my scalp to conceal scarring from the Alopecia and disguise the patchy new growth.
HOW HAS THIS EXPERIENCE CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
The experience changed my life in many ways - I started a business selling my wigs filling a gap in the UK market for wigs that truly protect hair and scalp without the use of glue and adhesives. Importantly they realistically mimic natural Afro hair textures.
It’s helped me gain a lot more knowledge of hair and scalp issues and see what’s lacking in the industry and healthcare system.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE TIPS TO OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HAIR LOSS?
Don’t be put off by doctors.
Do your own research and trust your instincts.
Get a second, third and forth opinion if need be.
Stay positive!
Black Skin Directory Advice
It’s very important to seek help as soon as you notice any type of hair thinning or loss, especially if you’ve had any type of stressful upheaval or life event. A Trichologist or Dermatologist will be better able to provide a swift diagnosis and remedies to help. You can use the BSD Clinic Search tool to find a professional.
Don’t suffer in silence.