Low Prevalence of Twisted Hair in Anorexia Nervosa

In a study of 30 female patients with severe anorexia nervosa (AN), researchers investigated the prevalence of acquired pili torti (APT), a condition where hair shafts are twisted. The study found that true APT was not present, but twisted hair was observed in 2 cases (6.6%). The patients with twisted hair had extremely low body mass index (BMI) values of 12.2 kg/m² and 11.3 kg/m², respectively, and exhibited other symptoms such as skin xerosis, hypertrichosis, and severe effluvium. The researchers compared these findings with previous literature and suggested that genetic factors might predispose individuals to this hair shaft defect, as the largest series of pili torti cases were reported in countries like Israel and Egypt. They concluded that larger studies across multiple countries are needed to better understand the phenomenon of APT in AN.