A Conversation With Crystal Aguh, MD
Dr Crystal Aguh is an associate professor of dermatology and director of the ethnic skin program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with honors. Dr Aguh completed her residency at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, serving as the chief resident in her final year of training. Her area of research focuses primarily on cicatricial alopecia, with an additional interest in pigmentary disorders and dermato-endocrine disorders. She has authored 4 books on hair loss, published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, and given multiple national and international talks on these topics. She is the co-founder and director of the Hair Health Summit, a continuing medical education (CME) conference focused on hair and scalp disease. As a result of her work, Dr Aguh is the recipient of numerous research awards and grants from the National Institutes of Health, Skin of Color Society, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and the Dermatology Foundation.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. I work in an academic institution, which means I spend much of my time educating trainees. I really enjoy the opportunity to work with and teach residents and medical students. I always enjoy the feeling of watching trainees master a difficult case and learn something new.
Q. Which patient has had the most effect on your work?
A. I have had many patients who have taught me about the emotional impact that hair loss has on them. I remember a patient who told me that her husband was threatening to divorce her because her hair was thinning. She grew up in a culture in which hair health was incredibly important and thinning hair served as a proxy for loss of femininity and womanhood. It really helped me grasp the impact that hair loss has on patients, particularly women. I try to emphasize this point when I give talks to dermatologists who may think that hair loss is solely an aesthetic issue. On the contrary, it has a tremendous impact on quality of life and the mental health of our patients.
Q. What is the best thing that has happened to you in the past 6 months?
A. Last year, I successfully hosted a new CME conference called the Hair Health Summit. It is the only clinical dermatology meeting solely focused on hair and scalp health in the United States. Along with my meeting codirector, Dr Maryanne Senna, we successfully hosted over 300 colleagues from around the world who came together to discuss the newest innovations in medical treatments for alopecia and hair care. It was such a monumental achievement, and I am so proud of myself for going out on a limb and taking the risk to build something that I hope will continue for many years in the future.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received?
A. I have 2. When I was a trainee, my attending dermatologic surgeon told me, “Everything you say before something happens is an explanation and everything that you say after the fact is an excuse.” I remind all my trainees of this when they are counseling patients about potential side effects of medications or surgical procedures, and it is also a useful mantra for life in general. The second piece of advice comes from my mom: “A word is enough for the wise.” Coming from a Nigerian mother to a teenage daughter, it sounded more like “don’t make me repeat myself” but as I have gotten older, I realize how relevant it is in many situations in life.
Q. What has been your most embarrassing moment?
A. Once when I was younger, I was walking through a mall in London and fell down the stairs while looking at a huge Calvin Klein underwear ad. Tragic.
