Hair and Nail Abnormalities

Disorders of the skin appendages, the hair and the skin, are important to know. Hair abnormalities in children are a source of great anxiety to parents, and hence commonly encountered in practice. Nail disorders are usually minor aesthetic aberrations. But they may mirror systemic disease that must be recognized. Disorders of the skin appendages, the hair and the skin, are important to know. Hair abnormalities in children are a source of great anxiety to parents, and hence commonly encountered in practice. Nail disorders are usually minor aesthetic aberrations. Hair consists of the proteinaceous shaft and the root, anchored in the follicle, which is an involution of the epidermis. Trichoscopy, using a handheld dermatoscope, is increasingly being used as a diagnostic aid for various hair and scalp diseases. Hypotrichosis signifies diffuse forms of extensive hair loss leading to sparse hair. Positive hair pull test and depigmented growing vellus hairs are pathognomonic of alopecia areata. Diffuse thinning of the upper biparietal and vertex regions, with preservation of the frontal hairline is the commonest pattern. The hair shaft is protected by the hair cuticle with overlapping cells, akin to shingles on a roof. Autosomal dominant disorder characterized by short hair, barely a few millimeters long and beaded.