Anisotrichosis: A Novel Term to Describe Pattern Alopecia

The document introduces "anisotrichosis" as a new term to describe the variation in hair shaft diameter observed in pattern alopecia, which includes androgenetic alopecia, androgenic alopecia, or common baldness. This condition is characterized by a pauci-inflammatory response, an increase in fibrous tract remnants, and miniaturization of terminal hairs. The term "anisotrichosis" is derived from the Greek roots "an-" meaning "not," and "isos" meaning "equal," similar to the term "anisocytosis" used to describe variation in cell size. The authors suggest that the term "anisotrichosis" be used to represent the considerable variation in the clinical or histologic size of hairs, which is a distinguishing feature helpful in the diagnosis of pattern alopecia.