Subclinical Speckled Perifollicular Melanosis of the Scalp

The study conducted in 2002 examined the presence of a bicompartmental functional system in the epidermal melanocyte population on scalps unaffected by pigmentary disorders. The study involved 100 men with varying degrees of androgenic alopecia. Using a videocamera equipped with an internal ultraviolet light-emitting unit, the researchers found a subclinical hypermelanosis, a speckled pattern centered on every single follicle, in 92 of the men. As baldness severity increased, another epidermal hyperpigmentation pattern involving the interfollicular area was superimposed on the perifollicular pattern. These patterns were also found on the faces of adults, but not in children. The study concluded that the perifollicular subclinical melanotic pattern is a regional characteristic of cephalic skin, possibly related to the local production of melanocortins, particularly alpha-MSH by the pilosebaceous unit.