Hair casts combined with traction alopecia. Case report.

Abstract

We report the case of a 17-year-old girl who lost in 6 months her frontal hair line and showed a severe alopecia, especially affecting bilateral temple regions and sparing the nape of the neck. Along many shafts of the hairs in the frontal and temporal areas at different intervals there were one to two yellowish-white, firm but not hard accretions, 0.3 to 4.0 mm in length. These formations surrounded the hair and could readily be slipped up and down along the shaft. Alopecia had started at the age of approximately fifteen years. The only feasible etiological agent elicited by history taking was her habit of pulling her hair backward and upward into a smoothly compacted corded hair bundle to form a bun for 14 years prior to the onset of the disorder. After consultation her hair was cut short and unrolled freely. Without any treatment, her hair regrew in the area of hypotrichosis and hair casts disappeared after 3 months.