Traction alopecia (Q98603)

Traction alopecia is a form of permanent scarring alopecia brought about by hair styles that impose sustained pulling on the hair roots. The clinical features in the many variants of this syndrome include folliculitis, hair casts, reduction in hair density with vellus hairs and sometimes broken hairs in the affected areas, and eventually scarring alopecia. Traction alopecia is seen most commonly in African and Afro-Caribbean hair styles where the hair is tightly braided. The hair loss commonly begins in the temporal regions and in front of and above the ears, but may involve other parts of the scalp.