Scarring (Cicatricial) Alopecia: Signs of Follicular Injury

Signs of Follicular Injury

Scarring alopecias are a group of hair conditions associated with the formation of scar tissue beneath the scalp. This scar tissue damages the hair follicle and affects how it emerges from the scalp. Minor degrees of follicular injury can give twisting of hairs known as pili torti. Severe injury to hairs such as shown here leads to highly curled hairs. This type of coiling is seen in scarring alopecias as well as in some post op hair transplants in which hairs were subjected to extreme injury during the procedure (especially FUE procedures).