Alopecia barbae severity score: a novel scoring system to estimate the extent of beard loss and success of treatment

Abstract

healthy textured hair, as identified by a literature review [3][4][5][6] (Table 1).Our search for 'natural hair dermatologist' yielded only six videos by four dermatologists. The average number of followers was 335 152 across all 79 unique authors represented in our sample, reflecting the engagement power of YouTube and its potential to reach a large audience. Our results showed that 46 of 90 influencer videos discussed some combination of specific recommendations for textured hair (protective styling, wearing satin bonnets, gentle or wet detangling), while only one of the six dermatologist videos mentioned these topics. Twenty-five of the 90 influencer videos promoted potentially harmful practices like hair dyeing, heat styling or tight hairstyles. None of the dermatologist-authored videos promoted any harmful hair practices, but they also did not provide any recommendations specific to natural hair.The small sample size of videos by dermatologists and absence of information specific to textured hair demonstrates the need for more dermatologist-generated content on natural hair. While influencers frequently discuss natural hair and represent the majority of our analysed videos, their video content is not always accurate. Influencers discuss trends like biotin supplementation, protein treatments and scalp stimulation, despite warnings from the Food and Drug Administration about the risks of biotin and lack of evidence for protein treatments or scalp stimulation. 7 Despite their engaging nature, influencer videos are often not evidence-based and highlight the need for an expert-generated standard for natural hair care. Limitations of this analysis include the sample size, which was representative but not comprehensive, and difficulty performing a direct comparison of videos. Score differences across videos may reflect varying video length and topic choice, rather than educational quality.It is important for dermatologists to step into the role as experts on natural hair care. YouTube has a large audience and represents a potential platform for dissemination of this information. It is currently used by influencers who develop engaging content that is not always accurate. Our patients are seeking this information and it is important that dermatologists contribute to the development of accurate information and present it in a place and form where patients are most likely to receive it.

Alopecia Areata Barbae in a Nutshell

“…The ALBAS tool considers effect modifiers such as grooming preferences, pre-existing scars, atrichia and shows high inter-rater confluence scores. The ALBAS tool shows that the neck region was most affected, having a median score of 6.8/10 followed by the left and right beard regions (combined median score of 5.2/10) [40]. This finding corroborates with findings in other studies that showed the neck and beard sides to be the most visibly affected by BAA [7,30,36].…”

Alopecia areata: a review of diagnosis, pathogenesis and the therapeutic landscape

“…Despite widespread use, such terms are only vaguely descriptive. Several tools have been created to assist with assessing scalp AA severity in clinical practice and clinical trials [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] .…”