Hair manifestations of endocrine diseases: A brief review

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2018 Sep-Oct;84(5):528-538. doi: 10.4103/ijdvl.IJDVL_671_17.

Abstract

Hair disorders are common in clinical practice and depending upon social and ethnic norms, it can cause significant psychosocial distress. Hair growth, cycling and density are regulated by many endogenous factors, mainly circulating hormones. Thus, diseases affecting the endocrine system can cause varied changes in physiological hair growth and cycling. Diagnosis and treatment of these disorders require a multidisciplinary approach involving a dermatologist, gynecologist and an endocrinologist. In this review, we briefly discuss the influence of hormones on the hair cycle and hair changes in various endocrine disorders.

Keywords: Endocrine disorders; hirsutism; hyperandrogenism; hypertrichosis; patterned hair loss.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alopecia / diagnosis
  • Alopecia / epidemiology
  • Alopecia / therapy
  • Endocrine System Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Endocrine System Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Endocrine System Diseases / therapy
  • Female
  • Hair Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Hair Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Hair Diseases / therapy
  • Hirsutism / diagnosis
  • Hirsutism / epidemiology
  • Hirsutism / therapy
  • Humans
  • Hypertrichosis / diagnosis
  • Hypertrichosis / epidemiology
  • Hypertrichosis / therapy
  • Male