2 -hair & nails Flashcards
what are 3 main hair types?
- lanugo = fine hair in premature babies
- vellus = fine, short hair
- terminal hair = long, coarse on scalp & pubic area (growth influenced by androgens)
what is importance of scarring or no scarring with hair loss?
scarring = means follicles gone & permanent hair loss
non-scarring = means follicles still there so potential for hair regrowth
what are causes of localised non-scarring alopecia?
- alopecia atreata (autoimmune)
- androgenetic/pattern alopecia (normal ageing)
- trichotillomania (pull it out by yourself, psychological)
- traction alopecia (due to styling of hair, pulling tightly)
- tinea capitis (fungal infection)
what are causes of localised scarring alopecia?
- burns or trauma
- chronic discoid lupus erythematosus
- lichen planus
what are generalised non-scarring hair loss causes?
- telogen effluvium (major stress like childbirth causes disrupted hair growth)
- endocrine like thyroid disease
- drugs
- dietary deficiencies e.g. iron, zinc vit D
- diffuse alopecia atreata (rare autoimmune everywhere)
- malnutrition
- androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss)
what are ways to investigate if fungal infection of scalp causing hair loss?
skin scrapings, hair pluckings, wood lamp examination (UV light - some fungal infections light up)
what type of hair seen if alopecia atreata?
stubby broken off hair (exclamation mark hair) still see hair follicles
what is treatment of alopecia atreata?
topical steroids (can get watery solution or injection into scalp)
- also wig on NHS (more hair lost less likely to grow back)
what is a treatment of androgenetic/pattern hair loss?
minoxidil (regaine) = can vasodilate & preserve hair - only works while being used, as soon as tops then hair falls out
what is hirsutism?
excess hair growth in male distribution but in females
- can be due to increase in androgen level either from endocrine or hormonal problem like PCOS also could be androgen secreting tumour in older person
what is hypertrichosis?
= excess hair but in atypical pattern (just like everywhere)
what are beau’s lines on nails?
caused by nail transiently stopped growing e.g. stress or illness
what is paronychia of nails?
bacterial infection at side of nail (can be sore & usually staph aureus or strep pyogenes)
