1 Core Messages
External factors may result in hair loss, increased hair growth, or changes in the color and texture of the hair.
External factors responsible for hair loss are drugs, radiation, traction, fungi, pesticides, plant toxins, heavy metals, and several other chemicals.
Several groups of drugs may be responsible for unintentional induction of hair growth.
Texture and color of hair may be changed by drugs, metals, and ultraviolet and other radiation.
Full recovery is the rule after elimination of the responsible factor.
2 Introduction
Hair has many useful biologic functions, including protection from the elements and dispersion of sweat gland products. It also has psychosocial importance in our society, and patients with hair loss (alopecia) or excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis or hirsutism) often suffer tremendously. Not surprisingly, patients being confronted with hair disorders will seek for medical care in order to find the cause of their hair disorder. Hair disorders...
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Li, B.S., Pasch, M.C., Maibach, H.I. (2018). Hair Disorders Induced by External Factors. In: John, S., Johansen, J., Rustemeyer, T., Elsner, P., Maibach, H. (eds) Kanerva’s Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40221-5_26-2
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