Research Initiative
Evidence built with our communities, not without them.
Hair loss research has historically excluded the people most affected by its most damaging forms. NAFPOC is building the funding, data and partnerships to correct that.
The Gap
You cannot treat what has never been studied.
Guidelines written from studies that excluded textured hair produce care that does not fit it. That is the gap NAFPOC's research program exists to close.
Our approach is deliberately community-first: research questions shaped by patient priorities, enrollment designed for accessibility, and findings published back to the community in language people can actually use.
Programs
Six pillars of the initiative
Research Grants
Seed and bridge funding for investigators studying scarring, traction and pattern alopecias in skin of color.
Patient Registry
A consented national registry capturing symptoms, diagnosis timelines and outcomes across ethnicities and hair textures.
Clinical Collaborations
Partnerships with dermatology practices to standardize documentation and improve early identification.
University Partnerships
Joint programs with academic centers to embed textured-hair training into dermatology education.
Community Surveys
Community-designed studies on lived experience, cost of care, stigma and access barriers.
Scholarships
Support for students of color pursuing dermatology, trichology and hair science research careers.
Roadmap
How we get there
Phase I
Establish
Build the registry, scientific advisory board and grant review process.
Phase II
Fund
Award the first cycle of investigator grants and student scholarships.
Phase III
Publish
Release community survey findings and plain-language research digests.
Phase IV
Scale
Expand multi-site clinical collaborations and national training programs.