Black women, if you decide that you need a medical opinions on your hair and/or scalp, please schedule with a Black dermatologist.
Most of the White dermatologists are only going to tell you something like "you have midshaft fragility." Or "You need to cut all of your hair off and come out of the relaxers." or "Don't braid your hair too tight."
Do we really need to pay a White dermatologist to tell us something that we could have "guessed" on our own? Some of the White dermatologists have went as far as instructing how to put in your own relaxer and touching your cornrows to tell you how tight a braid should be.
Most dermatologists are not cosmetologists, and most White dermatologists have not braided hair in their life.
Please by all means go to a dermatologist that has hair texture closer to your texture, and if you don't know if they have kinky hair or not, then ask at the time that you are making an appointment. It may take a few months to get scheduled with a Black dermatologist because they are not as plentiful; but I would trust their opinion on hair and scalp before I would trust a White dermatologist.
Please understand that I am not being racist; but I am discriminatory when it comes to Black hair.
Five years later, I am reviewing this article, and I must piggyback and mention that some Black dermatologists have hair more similar to a White dermatologist which means their recommendations still may not be the best advice for someone who has ultra coily and kinky hair. What may work for one person's hair may not work for the next person's hair. A veteran cosmetologist with over five years full-time experience with all types of hair should better be able to advise you on a custom regimen for your own individual hair needs as far as basic maintenance. If you need a prescription for scalp conditions, then of course, a dermatologist would be needed. Remember the scalp is living, but the hair is dead. Please search on this blog for other similar topics.
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