Bubble hair deformity is damage of the
hair shaft, resulting in patches of short weak brittle hair, that feels rough.
[
]
Definition
Bubble hair deformity is damage of the hair shaft, resulting in patches of short weak brittle hair, that feels rough.
Cause
It is typically caused by chemicals and heat; temperatures greater than 125 °C on wet hair, such as with the use of hair dryer
A hair dryer, hairdryer or blow dryer is an electromechanical device that blows ambient or hot air over damp hair to speed the evaporation of water to dry the hair. Blow dryers enable better control over the shape and style of hair, by accelerat ...
s, hair straighteners and curling tongs
A hair iron or hair tong is a tool used to change the arrangement of the hair using heat. There are three general kinds: ''curling irons'', used to make the hair curly, ''straightening irons'', commonly called ''straighteners'' or ''flat irons'', ...
.
Mechanism
Bubble hair is characterized by rows of bubbles seen microscopically
Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view objects and areas of objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye (objects that are not within the resolution range of the normal eye). There are three well-known branches of micr ...
within localized areas of the brittle hair.keratin
Keratin () is one of a family of structural fibrous proteins also known as ''scleroproteins''. Alpha-keratin (α-keratin) is a type of keratin found in vertebrates. It is the key structural material making up scales, hair, nails, feathers, ho ...
and local air expansion triggered by hot water passing through the shaft.[ There may be an inherited predisposition.][
]
Diagnosis
Diagnosis can be confirmed by microscopy.[
]
Prevention
Avoiding excessive heat and chemicals can prevent the condition.[
]
Epidemiology
Bubble hair is more common in females.[
]
See also
* List of cutaneous conditions
References
{{reflist
Conditions of the skin appendages
Human hair
Hair diseases