Hair Loss in Women of Color Toolkit: A step toward closing the gap

Hair loss is a primary reason for women of color to seek dermatologic care. In addition to physical disfigurement, patients with hair loss are more likely to report feelings of depression, anxiety, and low self- esteem. There exists a critical gap in advocacy efforts and educational information intended for this demographic. We investigated the American Academy of Dermatology resources and advocacy efforts and found that none of the six main public programs (https://www.aad.org/public/public-health) nor any of the eight “Academy Advocacy Priorities” (https://www.aad.org/member/advocacy/priorities) focus on outreach to minority communities. The Virginia Dermatology Society planned a virtual event on hair loss and practical political advocacy for women of color in July 2021. Event attendees completed pre-and post-event Likert-scale surveys which assessed participant attitudes, knowledge, and awareness surrounding hair loss. Based on preliminary pre-event survey data of the 399 registrants, specifically 34.3% (n=137) of participants disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with the statement “I am familiar with the various and specific resources and treatments for hair loss in women of color,” a resource toolkit for both patients and physicians was created for distribution. The toolkit included articles about evaluating, diagnosing, and treating different types of hair loss that would be beneficial for dermatologists, as well as informational articles, links, and videos that would be helpful to patients. Resource toolkits combined with outreach events can be used to engage communities, disseminate information, and close gaps that have led to healthcare disparities.

2022 UVA Health Disparities Conference - Breakout Session 2: Promoting Health Equity in Health Professions Education