title: The basic science of hair biology: what are the causal mechanisms for the disordered hair follicle?
abstract: A hair disorder can be difficult to define, but patients are typically motivated to seek treatment when their hair growth patterns are significantly different from their cultural group or when growth patterns change significantly. The causes of hair disorders are many and varied, but fundamentally the disorder is a consequence of aberrant alterations of normal hair biology. The potential trigger factors for hair disorders can be attributed to inflammation, genetics, the environment, or hormones, of which the relative contributions vary for different diagnoses, between individuals, and over time. This article discusses the causal mechanisms for the disordered hair follicle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, The University of British Columbia, 835 West Tenth Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Trisia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Breitkopf
authors.forename: Gigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Eddy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: McElwee
mesh_terms: D006197:Hair / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D006201:Hair Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans