Yet ANOTHER example of Dr. Albert Kligman, on the wrong side of history. This time teaming up with two other white men to describe a hair disorder in Black women and blame it on their hair care practices. Let’s take a look at the original paper from 1968. THREAD. https://twitter.com/AADmember/status/1324761728228511744

The authors hypothesized AND concluded that a disorder now known as Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (a common cause of hair loss in Black women) was caused by “hot petroleum” from hot combs dripping onto the scalp leading to burn injuries and resulting hair loss.

Look at this methods section. How did anybody take these conclusions seriously? They “studied” 51 Black women but offered no actual clinical information about these women.

The authors even included figures in the manuscript of a hot comb and a Black woman straightening her hair. LMAO.

Even better, read how three white men write about Black women straightening their hair with a hot comb. "the iron is too hot!" Comedy. LMAO.

The risk of burn is not the “petroleum” but the hot comb itself, unless you are doing it wrong. ALSO, the burn risk is on the edges and not the central scalp.

The term “hot comb” alopecia didn’t really get seriously challenged in the literature until the 1990s. Its usage lingers today.

Thinking about the history of the term is also a reminder of why diversity is important because Kligman’s hypothesis was ridiculous from the jump. Ask a Black woman.