Ms. Wilson is from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey. Dr. McMichael is from the Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Alexis is from the Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York. Dr. Agbai is from the Department of Dermatology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California. Dr. Elbuluk is from the Department of Dermatology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Dr. Callender is from private practice, Glenn Dale, Maryland. Dr. Burgess is from Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, and private practice, Glenn Dale. Dr. Taylor is from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
The authors report no conflict of interest.
Correspondence: Britney N. Wilson, MBS, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103 (Bnw11@njms.rutgers.edu).
Alopecia has been one of the more common concerns reported at teledermatology (TD) visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the growing use of TD, a team of experts were consulted to develop workflows for virtual hair and scalp examinations, with particular consideration for skin of color patients.
• Traction alopecia commonly presents with the fringe hair sign.
Scalp Symptoms—The experts noted that the presence of symptoms (eg, pain, tenderness, pruritus) in conjunction with the pattern of hair loss might support the diagnosis of an inflammatory scarring alopecia.
When do symptoms raise suspicion of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia?
• Suspected in the setting of vertex alopecia associated with tenderness, pain, or itching.
When do symptoms raise suspicion of FFA?
• Suspected when patients experience frontotemporal tenderness, pain, or burning associated with alopecia.
• The skin hue of the affected area might be lighter in color than, and contrast with, the darker hue of the photoaged upper forehead.11
