Poliosis – What is it, Causes and Treatments!
What is Poliosis (White Hair)? It is a small localized patch of White Hair that develops into regular hair. In this condition, the melanin pigmentpresent in the hair follicles in this area significantly thins out white hair, which results in hair discoloration.
Depending on the underlying causes of these gray hairs, Poliosis can be either short-term or long-term. Poliosis can be found in people of all ages, regardless of gender. Although Poliosis is mostly seen on the head, a person can develop Poliosis from this stretch of white hair on the other parts of the body as well. See below for some types, Causes and Treatments of Poliosis .
Different Types of Poliosis: Poliosis in the head can be divided into the following 2 categories:
1. Congenital Genetics : Poliosis can sometimes be hereditary. And they can be present at the time of a baby’s birth due to mutation of certain genes or other genetic issues.
2. Acquired: If not congenital, Poliosis is considered acquired. It can be the side effect or after effect of certain medical conditions that becomes visible in later parts of life.
What are the Causes: There are a wide variety of causes behind the formation of such patches of white hair on the head of Poliosis . Genetic disorders: piebaldism, Waardenburg syndrome, Marfan syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome, giant congenital nevus, and Alezzandrini syndrome.
Autoimmune Diseases That Cause Poliosis: Vitiligo , hypogonadism, hypopituitarism, skin cancer , thyroid disease, sarcoidosis, GAPO syndrome, neurofibromatosis, idiopathic uveitis, intradermal nevus, post-inflammatory dermatoses, halo nevus, post-trauma and pernicious anemia , alopecia areata, melanoma, herpes zoster, halo moles, radiation therapy, hypo or hyperpigmentation of the eyes, melanisationdefets, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, dermatitis, albino, leprosy, injuries, aging, stress and certain medications.
How to Diagnose: Poliosisisa disorder that is not associated with a single medical condition, it is important to follow a thorough check-up for proper diagnosis. At the beginning, the healthcare professional would go through the detailed medical history as well as the patient’s family record. After that, the following assessments will be carried out:
- Full physical inspection
- nutritional research
- endocrine research
- blood test
- Analysis of a skin sample
- neurological causes
Is There Any Effective Treatment? Proper treatment has not yet been discovered, especially if it is congenital. However, there are many preventative methods that can be followed to prevent Poliosis from such conditions in the later stage of life. These include:
- Try to eliminate the causal factors that can lead Poliosis to the formation of patches of white hair on the head.
- Treating all these factors can also help to avoid the situation.
- Put an end to excessive intake of antibiotics.
- Increased exposure to UV-B lamps.
- Apply Ammi majus medication (lotion or ointment).
- Submit an epidermal graft over the depigmented skin present under the stretch of white hair.