Bamboo hair, also called trichorrhexis invaginata , is an abnormality of the hair shaft. It causes ridges to form on your hair, like those of a bamboo shoot, at regular intervals along each strand. Hair is generally dry, brittle and prone to breakage.
People who have bamboo hair usually find that the hair on their scalp is thinning and brittle. Their eyebrows and eyelashes are also affected, but not their nails. The unusual structure of hair is due to an irregular dispersion of keratin , which is the protein that gives hair its strength.
If you have this rare condition, you may be prone to other skin problems and infections.
Causes of Trichorrhexis Invaginata
Trichorrhexis Invaginata are a characteristic symptom of a genetic skin disease called Netherton syndrome. This disease affects the skin and hair, causing dry, scaly patches and characteristic bamboo hairs. Netherton syndrome is a lifelong disorder caused by an autosomal recessive genetic trait.
Autosomal recessive genetic conditions occur when both parents have the same recessive genetic trait. Parents will not show symptoms of hair disease , and not all of their children will necessarily develop the disease. This only happens if the child receives the recessive gene from both parents. There is a one in four chance that the child of parents carrying the same recessive gene will be affected by the disease in question.
Netherton syndrome is rare. Only 150 cases have been recorded in the medical literature, but it is possible that other cases were never reported or were misdiagnosed. There are physical symptoms of this disease, including distinctive abnormalities of the hair and skin. True diagnosis requires genetic testing.
Experts have linked Netherton syndrome to the SPINK5 gene, which controls the production of enzymes that digest proteins in the skin. People with Netherton syndrome produce too much of this enzyme. As a result, they have fewer outer layers of skin than most people.
The earliest signs of this condition are:
- Redness
- Flaky or scaly skin
- skin rashes.
These symptoms can easily be confused with other skin conditions, such as eczema. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, appears as itchy, red patches on the skin. Bamboo hair is a hallmark of Netherton syndrome, but because babies often have thin, wavy hair, it may not be obvious that your baby's hair is unusual and that he or she has this condition. .
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Appearance of hair affected by Trichorrhexis Invaginata
The bamboo hair characteristic often means that people with Netherton syndrome have thin hair. Since your hair shafts break easily, you may have difficulty growing long hair. Your eyebrows and eyelashes may also be thinning.
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