Hypertrichosis is a medical term, also known as "Wolfitis", referring to a condition of excessive body hair. It can be generalized, symmetrically affecting most of the torso and limbs, or localized, affecting an area of skin. It may be mild or severe. In most cases, the term is used to refer to an above-average amount of normal body hair that is unwanted and is an aspect of human variability. The following codes are used with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... Young Girl Fixing her Hair, by Sophie Gengembre Anderson Hair is a filamentous outgrowth from the skin, found mainly in mammals. ... Human variability, or human variation, refers to the range of possible values for any measurable characteristic, physical or mental, of human beings. ...

In medical practice, once generalized hypertrichosis has been distinguished from hirsutism, it is most often considered a variation of normal, primarily resulting from genetic factors. Hirsutism is defined as excessive and increased hair growth in women in locations where the occurrence of terminal hair normally is minimal or absent. ... Human variability, or human variation, refers to the range of possible values for any measurable characteristic, physical or mental, of human beings. ... Genetics (from the Greek genno γεννώ= give birth) is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. ...

Body hair

Nearly all the skin of the human body except palms of hands and soles of feet is covered with hairs. The density of the hairs (in hair follicles per square centimeter) thickness of the hairs, color of the hairs, speed of hair growth, and qualities such as kinkiness, vary from one part of the body to another, and from one person to another. All of these features have strong genetic determinants, as demonstrated by the heritability of these qualities.

Doctors generally distinguish scalp hair, vellus hair, and androgenic (terminal) hair. Scalp hair is the hair on the head. Its absence is termed "baldness." Vellus hair is the hair on the rest of the body which has not been stimulated and transformed by sex hormones. Androgenic hair is the hair that greatly increases in heaviness and rate of growth with puberty. Actor Patrick Stewarts bald head is considered part of his distinctive attractiveness. ... Vellus hair is short, fine, peach fuzz body hair. ... Sex hormones are hormones that affect the reproductive system. ... Androgenic hair is caused by the rising level of male hormones (androgens) due to puberty that causes a transformation process of vellus hair into terminal hair on several parts of the human body. ... Puberty refers to the process of physical changes by which a childs body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. ...

Vellus hair

Even children are covered with fine vellus hair, varying in density, length, and heaviness. Vellus hair is short, fine, peach fuzz body hair. ...

Androgenic hair

The hair follicles on much of the body respond to androgens (primarily testosterone and its derivatives). The rate of hair growth increases and the heaviness of the hairs increases. However, different areas respond with different sensitivities. As puberty progresses, the sequence of appearance of sexual (androgenic) hair reflects the gradations of androgen sensitivity. The pubic area is most sensitive, and heavier hair usually grows there first in response to androgens. The following regions also respond to androgens, in order of decreasing sensitivity: axillary and perianal areas, sideburns, above the upper lip, periareolar areas, chin and beard areas, arms and legs, chest, shoulders, buttocks, back, and abdomen. A hair follicle is part of the skin that grows hair by packing old cells together. ... Androgen is the generic term for any natural or synthetic compound, usually a steroid hormone, that stimulates or controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors. ... Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. ... Axillary vein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: transwikied dicdef to Wiktionary (wikt:Transwiki:Perianal); backlinks: 7 (2 lists) If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. ... General Ambrose Burnside, after whom sideburns may be named Sideburns are patches of facial hair on the sides of ones face, in front of the ears. ... Edgar Allan Poe had a simple moustache. ... Cross section of the breast of a human female. ... A beard is the hair that grows on a mans chin, cheeks, neck, and the area above the upper lip (the opposite is a clean-shaven face). ... The term chest hair is generally used to describe hair that grows on the chest of human males, the region between the neck and the abdomen. ... The term abdominal hair refers to the hair that grows on the abdomen (belly) of humans and non-human mammals, in the region between the pubic area and the thorax (chest). ...

It is the hair in these areas that appears earlier or grows to excess in disorders of excess androgen (e.g., precocious puberty, late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and polycystic ovary syndrome). Precocious puberty means early puberty. ... Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) refers to any of several autosomal recessive diseases resulting from defects in steps of the synthesis of cortisol from cholesterol by the adrenal glands. ... Polycystic Ovary by Sonography Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, also known clinically as Stein-Leventhal syndrome), is an endocrine disorder that affects 5–10% of women. ...

Vellus hair and hypertrichosis

When the unwanted or excessive hair occurs in other places, and especially in other sequences of appearance, it is rarely due to a disorder of androgen excess. For example, it is not unusual for a young girl to be taken to a pediatric endocrinologist because her mother is distressed by the heaviness of the girl's arm and leg hair, but this condition is never due to a disorder of androgen excess if pubic hair has not appeared. Pediatric endocrinology is a medical subspecialty dealing with variations of physical growth and sexual development in childhood, as well as diabetes and other disorders of the endocrine glands. ...

Most hypertrichosis is genetic, but a small number of unusual systemic disorders can sometimes increase vellus hair. Some drugs (e.g., diazoxide, diphenylhydantoin, and minoxidil) and toxins (e.g., mercury) can induce generalized hair growth as well. Unusual hypertrichosis can also be caused by untreated infection, or by malnutrition. For this reason, it is an occasional sign of anorexia nervosa. Diazoxide is a potassium channel activator, which causes local relaxation in smooth muscle by increasing membrane permeability to potassium ions. ... Minoxidil is a vasodilator and originally was exclusively used as an oral drug (Loniten®) to treat high blood pressure. ... The venom of the black widow spider is a potent latrotoxin. ... General Name, Symbol, Number mercury, Hg, 80 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 6, d Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 200. ... Malnutrition is a general term for the medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient (undernourished) diet. ... For other uses, see Anorexia nervosa (disambiguation). ...

Severe hypertrichosis

Fedor Jeftichew

Severe hypertrichosis is quite rare, almost certainly due to unknown genetic defects, and can result in excessive or animal-like hair on both face and body. Some of these people have been displayed in carnival sideshows with names such as "dog-boy" or the "bearded lady." Fedor Jeftichew and Annie Jones are well known examples. Image File history File links Fedor_Jeftichew_Jo-Jo_The_Dog-Faced_Boy. ... Image File history File links Fedor_Jeftichew_Jo-Jo_The_Dog-Faced_Boy. ... Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival is a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ... The Bearded woman has been a phenomenom of legend, curiosity and ridicule. ... Fedor Jeftichew Fedor Jeftichew, (1868-January 31st, 1904) better known as Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy, (later Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Man) was a famous sideshow performer. ... For details of the Australian actress, see Annie Jones (actress) Annie Jones (circa 1860 - 1902), was a US bearded woman, born in Virginia, who toured with showman P. T. Barnum as a circus attraction. ...

Localized hypertrichosis

In some cases an area of skin can react to repeated trauma or to some other asymmetric stimulus (such as wearing of a cast) with increased hair growth. Look up Cast in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Treatment

In the vast majority of cases, hypertrichosis is a cosmetic problem. The treatments range from camouflage (e.g., bleaching with hydrogen peroxide), to temporary removal by waxing, or permanent removal by electrolysis or laser destruction of hair follicles. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. ... Waxing is a temporary method of hair removal, which removes the hair from the root. ... Electrology is either of two electrical depilation (often spelled epilation in this context) methods for the permanent removal of human hair. ... Lasers range in size from microscopic diode lasers (top) with numerous applications, to football field sized neodymium glass lasers (bottom) used for inertial confinement fusion, nuclear weapons research and other high energy density physics experiments. ...

Cultural references

• An episode of CSI, (first aired January 5, 2006) featured the murder of a man with hypertrichosis.
• This condition has sometimes been falsely referred to as "Wookism" or "Wookieeism," a stereotypical nod to the hairy creature known as a Wookiee from the world of Star Wars.
• This condition was also used as the basis for the character of Tara in the movie Blood Moon (Canadian title) (Wolf Girl, American title)
• In the novel The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell, the character Jean-Baptiste Chandonne suffers from congenital hypertrichosis.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a popular Alliance Atlantis/CBS police procedural television series, running since October 2000, about a team of forensic scientists. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Wookiee is a member of a fictional race of hairy bipeds in the Star Wars universe. ... The cover of the 2004 DVD widescreen release of the modified original Star Wars Trilogy. ... Patricia Cornwell frequently writes about her hometown, Richmond, Virginia. ...

See also

• Hirsutism
• Hair
• Facial hair
• Chest hair
• Abdominal hair
• Pubic hair

Hirsutism is defined as excessive and increased hair growth in women in locations where the occurrence of terminal hair normally is minimal or absent. ... Young Girl Fixing her Hair, by Sophie Gengembre Anderson Hair is a filamentous outgrowth from the skin, found mainly in mammals. ... A typical full beard and moustache. ... The term chest hair is generally used to describe hair that grows on the chest of human males, the region between the neck and the abdomen. ... The term abdominal hair refers to the hair that grows on the abdomen (belly) of humans and non-human mammals, in the region between the pubic area and the thorax (chest). ... Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region. ...

External links

• The Wolf People