What are symptoms of monilethrix?

Monilethrix is a rare inherited disorder characterized by sparse, dry, and/or brittle hair that often breaks before reaching more than a few inches in length. The hair may lack luster, and there may be patchy areas of hair loss (alopecia).

What is the cause of monilethrix?

Monilethrix is caused by mutations in one of several genes. Mutations in the KRT81 gene, the KRT83 gene, the KRT86 gene, or the DSG4 gene account for most cases of monilethrix. These genes provide instructions for making proteins that give structure and strength to strands of hair.

Is beaded hair a disease?

Monilethrix (also referred to as beaded hair) is a rare autosomal dominant hair disease that results in short, fragile, broken hair that appears beaded. It comes from the Latin word for necklace (monile) and the Greek word for hair (thrix).

What causes beaded hair?

This very distinct shape is caused by the diameter of the hair shaft changing throughout the length of the hair. In many cases this is a result of an individual unable to produce proper keratin, the structural protein necessary for forming hair, skin and nails.

Can Monilethrix be treated?

Some patients have reported spontaneous improvement, particularly during puberty and pregnancy, but the condition rarely disappears completely. While there is no recognized definitive treatment for monilethrix, oral acitretin and topical 2% minoxidil have shown good clinical and cosmetic results with continued use.

Is there a cure for Trichorrhexis Nodosa?

Trichorrhexis nodosa can be cured by taking proper and gentle care of the hair. Most of the cases are acquired due to external environment factors like perming, high heat treatments, exposure to ultraviolet light and chemical treatment of the hair.

What is ringed hair?

▼ Description. Pili annulati, or ‘ringed hair,’ is a disorder in which scalp hairs show alternating light and dark bands. It is often an incidental finding, and the hair usually does not show increased fragility (Green et al., 2004). See also pseudopili annulati (613241), a distinct entity.

How do I get rid of Monilethrix?

Unfortunately, the is no cure for monilethrix. Some patients have reported spontaneous improvement, particularly during puberty and pregnancy, but the condition rarely disappears completely.

How can Monilethrix be prevented?

The avoidance of trauma is the most effective method of managing this anomaly. Congenitally abnormal hair tends to have an increased susceptibility to weathering and cosmetic damage (eg, sunlight exposure, dyeing, bleaching, perming, curling), which can prevent hair from growing to its maximum length.

How is trichorrhexis nodosa detected?

Among the symptoms (and signs) for this condition are the following:

lack of apparent hair growth.
hair appears patchy.
hair breaks easily close to scalp.
hair may have thickenings or nodes in the shaft.
ends of hair thinned or split.
whitish discoloration of hair tips.
hair breaks easily at tips.

What is the background to the disorder monilethrix?

Background. Monilethrix is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by a beaded appearance of the hair due to periodic thinning of the shaft. The phenotype results in hair fragility and patchy dystrophic alopecia. The term monilethrix is derived from monile (Latin), which means necklace, and thrix (Greek), which means hair.

What kind of hair loss does monilethrix have?

Is there a cure or treatment for monilethrix?

While there is no recognized definitive treatment for monilethrix, oral acitretin and topical 2% minoxidil have shown good clinical and cosmetic results with continued use.

What are the mutations in the monilethrix gene?

Monilethrix is a genetic disorder that is caused by mutations in the following genes: The condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, when KRT81, KRT83, or KRT86 is involved. However, when the DSG4 gene is involved, the condition is transmitted in an autosomal recessive manner.