Scarring Alopecias: Pathophysiology, Diagnostic Clues, and Medical Treatment Options
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 …
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 … 
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this 56-year-old woman with pruritic hair loss for 3 months?
A. Lichen planopilaris
B. Androgenetic alopecia
C. Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia
D. Discoid lupus erythematosus
E. Folliculitis decalvans
F. Alopecia areata
To find out the correct answer and read the explanation, click here. … 
Slate recently published a first-person account of fibrosing alopecia in a pattern direction (FAPD) in the article, “I’m 25, and I Have a Cosmetic Problem That No One Wants – and That’s Maddening to Fix.” The article details the writer’s years-long experience with hair thinning, and how it took until an irregular blood test and scalp biopsy for an FAPD diagnosis. The writer’s treatme … 
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this 56-year-old woman with pruritic hair loss for 3 months?
A. Lichen planopilaris
B. Androgenetic alopecia
C. Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia
D. Discoid lupus erythematosus
E. Folliculitis decalvans
F. Alopecia areata
To find out the correct answer and read the explanation, click here. … 
Treating scarring alopecias in patients with skin of color requires a nuanced understanding of their unique clinical features and challenges. Dr. Susan Taylor, Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (@drsusantaylor), President-Elect of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and founder of the Skin of Color Society, has devoted her career to impro …