Changes in Cuticle of Scalp Hair in Mild Acquired Zinc Deficiency: A Study Using Scanning Electron Microscopy

The study reported a case of zinc deficiency in a 5-month-old Japanese girl, who exhibited red crusted papules but no hair loss. Her serum zinc concentration was 24 μg/dl, which improved with oral zinc supplementation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that her scalp hair had an irregularly shaped cuticle and was unusually small and thin in diameter. These hair changes occurred before skin symptoms appeared and persisted after they disappeared. The hair cuticle pattern and thickness returned to normal 2 months after zinc supplementation, while skin eruptions resolved more quickly. The study suggested that scalp hair damage in mild acquired zinc deficiency occurs before skin eruptions and recovers more slowly.