Hair and nail disorders of childhood

Hair and nail disorders are quite common in childhood. A great number of these disorders are congenital, attributed to inherited diseases or to defects of the ectoderm formation. The acquired disorders may be chronic or indicative of systemic disease. Important for both dermatologists and pediatricians is the knowledge of clinical pictures that, although seem to be pathological, are normally present at infancy or childhood. Studying this wide spectrum of diseases, one realizes that it is easier to diagnose than to treat. We comment on this difficulty because most hair and nail disorders in childhood consist mainly of a cosmetic problem with psychological implications for both parents and children.