Congenital hypotrichosis due to short anagen
September 2000
in “British Journal of Dermatology”
TLDR Some children are born with unusually short, fine hair because their hair growth phase is short, but this often gets better by itself during puberty.
The document reported on two cases of congenital hypotrichosis, where children had persistently short, fine hair from birth due to a short anagen phase, rather than slow hair growth. The condition was found to potentially have an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern and resolved spontaneously during puberty. Scanning electron microscopy showed a cuticular pattern typical of thin hair. The maximal hair lengths and estimated anagen durations were 6 cm and 176 days for patient 1, and 12 cm and 400 days for patient 2. The study confirmed the existence of short anagen cycles as a cause for short hair, a condition that may be treatable with minoxidil, which can prolong the anagen phase. These cases were the first documented instances of congenital hypotrichosis due to short anagen without associated abnormalities.
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