Scarring alopecia: Acquired Pili torti
Acquired Pili torti
Scarring alopecias are a group of diverse hair loss conditions that are associated with the presence of scar tissue in the scalp. This scar tissue can damage growing hair follicle and affect how they grow.
A common finding in many scarring alopecias is the twisting of hairs in a patient with otherwise straight hair. This “twisting” of hair is called pili torti and when it develops long after birth we call it “acquired pili torti.” This photos shows typical pili torti in a patient with frontal fibrosing alopecia. Some straight unaffected hairs can also be seen in the photo as well (bottom right). Dilated veins typical of FFA can also be seen.
This article was written by Dr. Jeff Donovan, a Canadian and US board certified dermatologist specializing exclusively in hair loss.