Hair Flashcards
During the Physical Examination of the Hair, inspect and palpate: (4)
Colour
Texture
Distribution
Lesions
___ comes from melanin production and may vary from pale blonde to total black.
- Greying begins as early as the third decade of life because of reduced melanin production in the follicles.
- Genetic factors affect the age of onset of greying.
Hair colour
_____ may be fine or thick and may look straight, curly, or kinky. It should look shiny, although this characteristic may be lost with the use of some beauty products such as dyes, rinses, or permanents.
Abnormal Findings
Note dull, coarse, or brittle scalp hair.
Scalp hair
Grey, scaly, well-defined areas with broken hairs accompany ____, a ringworm infection found mostly in school-age children.
tinea capitis
Fine vellus hair coats the ___,
whereas coarser terminal hairs grow at the ____, ____ & ____.
body;
eyebrows, eyelashes, and scalp
During ___, distribution conforms to normal male and female patterns. At first, coarse curly hairs develop in the pubic area, then in the axillae, and last in the facial area in boys.
puberty
In the genital area the female pattern is an ____.
inverted triangle.
The male pattern is an _____ with pubic hair extending up to the umbilicus. In individuals of Asian descent, body hair may be diminished.
upright triangle
- Separate the hair into sections and lift it, observing the scalp.
- With a history of itching, inspect the hair behind the ears and in the occipital area as well.
- All areas should be clean and free of any lesions or pest inhabitants. Many people normally have seborrhea (dandruff), which is indicated by loose white flakes.
Normal Findings on Hair
Abnormal Findings
Head or pubic lice.
Distinguish dandruff from nits (eggs) of lice,
Oval, adherent to hair shaft, and cause intense itching.
Lice
Abnormal Conditions of Hair
- Seborrheic Dermatitis (cradle cap)
- Tinea Aapitis (scalp ringworm)
- Toxic Alopecia
- Alopecia Areata
- Traumatic alopecia, traction alopecia
- Trichotillomania
- Pediculosis Capitis (head lice)
- Folliculitis
- Hirsutism
- Furuncle and Abscess
Thick, yellow to white,greasy adherent scales with mild erythema on scalp and forehead
- Very common in early infancy
- Resembles eczema lesions except this is distinguished by absence of pruritus, by greasy yellow-pink lesions, and by negative family history of allergy.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis (cradle cap)
Rounded patchy hair loss on scalp, leaving broken off hairs, pustules, and scales on skin.
- Caused by fungal infection
- Lesions may fluoresce blue-green under Wood light
- Usually seen in children and farmers
- Higly contagious
- Routes of transmission includes other people, domestic animals, and soil.
- Tinea Aapitis (scalp ringworm)
Patcy, assymetrical balding that accompanies severe illness or use of chemotherapy
- Growing hairs are lost and resting hairs are spared
- Regrowth occurs after illness ends or after discontinuation of toxin
- Toxic Alopecia
Sudden appearance of sharply circumscribedd, round or oval balding patch, usually with smooth, soft, hairless skin underneath.
- Unknown cause; when limited to a few patches, person usually has complete regrowth
- Alopecia Areata
Linear or oval patch of hair loss along hairline, a part, or with scattered distribution
- Caused by trauma from hair rollers, tight braiding, tight ponytail or barrettes.
- Traumatic alopecia, traction alopecia
Traumatic self-induced hairloss usually the result of complusive twisting or plucking. Forms irregularly shaped patch, with broken off, stublike hairs of varying lengths; does not cause complete baldness.
Occurs as child rubs or twists area absent mindedly while falling asleep, reading, or watching TV. In adults it can be a serious problem and is usually signs of a personality disorder
- Trichotillomania
History includes intense itching of the scalp, especially the occiput. The nits (eggs) of lice are easier to see in the occipital area and around the ears, appearing as 2- to 3-mm oval translucent bodies, adherent to the hair shafts.
Common among school-age children.
- Pediculosis Capitis (head lice)
Superficial infection of hair follicles. Multiple pustules, “whiteheads,” with hair visible at centre and erythematous base. Usually on arms, legs, face, and buttocks.
- Folliculitis
Excess body hair in women that forms a male sexual pattern (upper lip, face, chest, abdomen, arms, legs); caused by endocrine or metabolic dysfunction; occasionally idiopathic.
- Hirsutism
Red, swollen, hard, tender, pus-filled lesion caused by acute localized bacterial (usually staphylococcal) infection; usually on back of neck, buttocks, occasionally on wrists or ankles.
- __(a)__ result from infection of hair follicles, whereas __(b)__ result from traumatic introduction of bacteria into the skin. ___(b)___ are usually larger and deeper than ___(a)___.
- (a)Furuncle and (b)Abscess
