Hair Tourniquet

A hair can become wrapped around a digit or the penis of an infant, causing constriction and potentially resulting in amputation if the hair is not removed.

Causes

• Male pattern baldness is considered normal in adult males. It is easily recognized by the distribution of hair loss over the top and front of the head and by the healthy condition of the scalp.
• Alopecia areata is a hair loss condition of unknown cause that can be patchy.
• Trichotillomania is the name of a mental disorder that causes a person to pull out his/her own hair.
• Fungal infections of the scalp usually cause patchy hair loss. The fungus, similar to the ones that cause athlete's foot and ringworm, often glows under ultraviolet light.

Symptoms

• Pain in the digit or penis

Signs

• Inconsolable crying
• Erythema and swelling of the digit
• Constricting hair can become enveloped in surrounding edematous tissue, thereby obscuring the correct diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment of underlying causes is most likely to restore hair growth, be it the completion of chemotherapy, effective cure of a scalp fungus, or control of a systemic disease. Vitamins B6 and biotin are thought to advocate healthy hair growth, as are the minerals zinc, copper, and silica. The herb horsetail contains silica, and can be taken as an infusion, or tea. Copper and zinc have been shown to inhibit growth of the enzyme that causes DHT production. Iron supplements may be useful in individuals whose hair loss is caused by anemia.

For hair loss caused by trichotillomania, behavioral therapy may be a useful treatment. If the hair loss itself is triggered by stress, there are a number of stress reduction therapies that can promote relaxation, including aromatherapy, muscle relaxation exercises, yoga, guided imagery, and biofeedback.