Hypertrichosis – Causes and Treatments

Hypertrichosis – Causes and
Treatments

 

Hypertrichosis is an
excessive hair disorder featuring abnormal hair density and length as compared
to normal growth expected for the individuals’s age, ethnicity and sex. A
diagnosis of hypertrichosis does not imply any particular hair distribution.
Except in very rare cases there is no androgen hormone involvement in cases of
hypertrichosis. In contrast, excessive hair growth diagnosed as hirsutism in
women involves androgen hormone activity and a male pattern of hair growth on
the chin, upper lip, and other areas where men have terminal hair growth.

 

http://www.hypertrichosis.com/hypertrichosis-causes/ > Causes Of Hypertrichosis

Hypertrichosis is the term used to describe
excess hair growth in any part of the body as compared to that of a normal
person of the same race, age or sex excluding androgen induced growth.

Hypertrichosis is usually categorized as
either generalized or localized but age of onset and the site of growth can
also be a basis of classification. Each of the generalized and localized types
is further sub-divided into congenital and acquired sub-types. Hypertrichosis
involves lanugo, vellus and terminal hairs.

Hypertrichosis is the term used to describe
excess hair growth in any part of the body as compared to that of a normal
person of the same race, age or sex excluding androgen induced growth.

Hypertrichosis is usually categorized as
either generalized or localized but age of onset and the site of growth can
also be a basis of classification. Each of the generalized and localized types
is further sub-divided into congenital and acquired sub-types. Hypertrichosis
involves lanugo, vellus and terminal hairs.

Generalized Acquired Hypertrichosis / GAH

Generalized acquired hypertrichosis (GAH) conditions are caused by drug intake
and by underlying abnormalities. GAH induced by drugs is more common and needs
to be separated from other forms of generalized hypertrichosis.

Drug induced GAH

Phenytoin, cyclosporine and minoxidil are
the better known among the several drugs that cause significant generalized
hypertrichosis.

Phenytoin induces hypertrichosis three
months or so after its intake. Hypertrichosis induced by phenytoin affects
women more than men and is more prominent on the extensor aspects of the limbs
and less on the face and trunk.

60% of patients treated with cyclosporine
develop hypertrichosis within six months. Thick pigmented hairs appear on the
face, trunk and limbs.

Oral minoxidil and, to a lesser extent,
topical minoxidil cause hypertrichosis after a few weeks of therapy. Face and
extremities are the affected areas.

The hair growth disappears within a year on
discontinuation of these drugs. Time for the condition to resolve depends on
the hair cycling characteristics of the affected area.

GAH
caused by underlying abnormalities

Exposure to chemicals, such
as hexachlorobenzene induces hepatic porphyria and associated hypertrichosis.

Head injuries often result
in hypertrichosis. Earlier the condition was attributed to phenytoin drug intake
by the patient but later hypertrichosis was found even in those with head
injuries but who were not on the drug. This explains why some lose their hair
and some do not after discontinuation of this drug.

Malnutrition and anorexia
nervosa causes hypertrichosis on the limbs and trunks of some people.
Hypertrichosis may also occur in children with celiac disease and in dieting
women when carbohydrates are omitted for prolonged periods of time.

Quite often, AIDS infection
causes localized hypertrichosis, but a generalized form has also been observed.
The
mechanism for the development of hypertrichosis is unknown, but probably
there are several contributing factors related to malnutrition, metabolic
changes, immunological deregulation and drug intake.

Hair Removal Treatments Of Hypertrichosis

 

Excessive hair disorders
like hypertrichosis give affected people a very repulsive appearance. This ugly
appearance makes people shun those affected producing serious emotional
problems in them.

 

Cosmetic treatments

 

Currently the common
cosmetic treatments available are shaving, plucking, epilation, chemical
depilation, electrolysis and laser application.

 

Shaving:
Shaving is the simplest but most tedious since to retain the cosmetic
appearance shaving has to be done frequently, perhaps daily. Moreover, women
oppose such masculine rituals. There is also the risk of getting
pseudofolliculitis due to shaving of kinky hairs.

 

Plucking:
Plucking involves uprooting the hairs by tweezers. It produces a more
attractive appearance but is slow and painful and impractical for large areas.
Also, plucking encourages hair growth by changing telogen to anagen. Repeated
plucking can produce disorders, such as, erythema, pigmentation, folliculitis
and scarring. It is suitable for small sites

 

Epilation:
Epilation, or waxing, is glorified plucking, where large numbers of hairs are
uprooted at one go. The site is covered with low melting wax, allowed to
solidify and then swiftly pulled off plucking the hairs sticking to it. The
cosmetic effect lasts longer for about a month but the treatment is painful.
Also, breaking of anagen hairs may cause folliculitis. Sometimes patients have
allergic reactions to the wax or whatever adhesive is used. Plucking is best
when the hairs are at least 1mm. long. It is too painful for children.

 

Depilation:
Chemical depilatories are easy to use and produce excellent results that can
last more than two weeks. They are mostly variants of thioglycolates used for
perming hair and work in the same way to reduce the hair mass to a soft jelly.

 

Laser Hair Removal

 

Laser hair removal systems
are currently widely used for long-term hair removal. The need to have a fast
and non-invasive treatment method led to the development of this treatment.

All laser treatment systems
use the principle of selective photothermolysis where a selected chromophore is
targeted by the laser to produce the heat that destroys the follicle. Therefore
deep penetrating wavelengths in the range of 600 – 1100 nano meters (nm) are
used. Care is taken to limit skin damage by restricting damage to the target
area. This is done by ensuring enough laser absorption by the target and using
a pulse rate shorter than the thermal relaxation time of the target.

 

The systems differ in the
parameters like wavelength, pulse duration, fluence, spot size and repetition
rate and in the cooling system used. The cooling device reduces heat conduction
limiting skin damage and pain. The selection of these parameters is important
for getting the ideal laser for an individual.