Key Steps for Conducting a Hair & Scalp Exam
Ronda S. Farah, MD, FAAD, knows the impact of hair and scalp disorders on patients’ quality of life. Dr. Farah is an associate of professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota and founder of Alluma Dermatology. For Dr. Farah, quality care begins with a thorough hair and scalp exam. In this Next Steps in Derm video interview, conducted in partnership with the ODAC Dermatology Conference …
Ronda S. Farah, MD, FAAD, knows the impact of hair and scalp disorders on patients’ quality of life. Dr. Farah is an associate of professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota and founder of Alluma Dermatology. For Dr. Farah, quality care begins with a thorough hair and scalp exam. In this Next Steps in Derm video interview, conducted in partnership with the ODAC Dermatology Conference … Continue reading "Key Steps for Conducting a Hair & Scalp Exam"
Scarring alopecias in skin of color are increasingly recognized and remain a major cause of irreversible hair loss. During the 2025 Skin of Color Update in New York City, Susan C. Taylor, MD, presented an updated clinical approach to identifying and managing lichen planopilaris (LPP), frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) with a focus on early detect … 
Scalp biopsies are an important tool in diagnosing central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), especially in atypical presentations where making an accurate diagnosis through other means is challenging. Even though a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis could lead to hair-saving treatment, hair loss patients sometimes balk at the recommendation to biopsy. The authors of a brief communication published … 
This article was originally published on October 22, 2019, and updated on February 2, 2026, by the Next Steps in Derm Editorial Team to include updated links to recent research on the use of biotin for hair loss, as well as a CME opportunity for clinicians seeking advanced training in hair and scalp disorders.
A full head of hair. This is how I came away from Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd’s lectu … 
Next Steps in Derm, in partnership with Skin of Color Update, interviewed dermatologist Dr. Victoria Barbosa, associate professor at University of Chicago Medicine. Watch as Dr. Barbosa shares why it may be challenging for an alopecia patient to visit a dermatologist and why it’s important to address the psychological burden of hair loss. Hear how considering a broad differential is essential t …