Abstract
Human hair consists of hair follicles. Hair follicles on the scalp are the longest and strongest type. The approximately 100,000 scalp hair follicles follow a characteristic hair growth cycle: about 3–6 years of growth (anagen), about 2 weeks of involution (catagen), followed by 2–4 months of rest (telogen). Every day, 60–100 hairs can fall out and be replaced without any visible thinning of the hair. Hair color is determined by the incorporation of eumelanin, pheomelanin, and neuromelanin. Hair structure is based on ethnic imprints. For example, Asians usually have straight hair with a round cross-section, black Africans have frizzy hair with irregular cross-sections, and Central Europeans can exhibit the entire spectrum of hair growth. A distinction is made between increased daily hair loss (effluvium) and visible hair thinning (alopecia). Effluvium can be caused by heparin injections or child birth. Hereditary hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) often has gender-typical patterns, namely temple and vertex thinning in men, and clearing in the middle parting in women. Round hairless areas can be caused by alopecia areata, microsporia, scarring alopecia, or syphilis. Trichodermatoscopy and the trichogram are of diagnostic value. Hair shaft anomalies are detected by light microscopy. The treatment of the different hair diseases depends on the causes. Systemic finasteride or topically used minoxidil are the best treatments for androgenetic alopecia; topical corticosteroids are used for lichen planopilaris, while antibiotics are used to treat folliculitis decalvans. Unwanted hair growth in women is called hypertrichosis or hirsutism. Possible causes may be medications or hormonal disturbances. Most often, hypertrichosis is ethnically determined. In any case, modern flash lamp or laser treatments can significantly reduce undesired growth of hair.
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Wolff, H. (2020). Diseases of Hair. In: Plewig, G., French, L., Ruzicka, T., Kaufmann, R., Hertl, M. (eds) Braun-Falco´s Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_73-1
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