TLDR Assessing newborn scalp hair can reveal important health information.
The article discussed the importance of assessing scalp hair and its characteristics in newborns as part of their initial physical examination due to its association with the development of the central nervous system and various genetic, metabolic, and neurologic disorders. It reviewed the embryology of fetal scalp hair formation, normal hair growth cycles, and typical newborn hair characteristics such as color, quantity, texture, growth direction, hairlines, and whorls. The article also presented conditions linked to abnormal hair traits through clinical photographs and highlighted the implications for clinical care and further investigation.
57 citations,
November 1987 in “Pediatric Dermatology” Children's hair grows in different types from before birth through puberty, with growth rates and characteristics varying by age, sex, and race.
Baldness is often hereditary and linked to male hormones, becoming noticeable when half the hair is lost.
30 citations,
May 2018 in “Experimental Dermatology” The conclusion is that future hair loss treatments should target the root causes of hair thinning, not just promote hair growth.
Some treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, and surgery can help with hereditary hair loss.
23 citations,
April 2006 in “Skin Research and Technology” The study concluded that a special imaging technique showed women with hair loss have slower hair growth and a faulty hair replacement cycle.
236 citations,
July 2001 in “Trends in Molecular Medicine” Future hair loss treatments should aim to extend hair growth, reactivate resting follicles, reverse shrinkage, and possibly create new follicles, with gene therapy showing promise.
26 citations,
January 1994 in “McGraw-Hill eBooks” Many hair loss conditions can be treated.
