HAIR, Diseases of.
The treatment of the various diseases affecting the growth and nutri tion of the hair follicles and hair shafts will be found under their respective headings as Baldness, Dandriff, Tinea, Sycosis, Trichorrexis Nodosa, &c.
Greyness or whiteness of the hair (vanities) is in the great majority of cases a senile change, but it may appear at a comparatively early age after sudden grief, terror, nerve exhaustion, or the influence of neuralgia, especially when there is a strong hereditary predisposition. In these premature forms there may be a hope that under treatment which removes the primary cause the deposition of pigment may recur in newly formed hairs. This has been known in some instances to be assisted by nerve tonics like strychnine and arsenic when combined with hypodermic injections of Pilocarpine or jaborandi by the mouth.
For the senile form nothing is of use save the last refuge—a suitable hair due applied under the hands of a skilful hairdresser, which remedy the physician will be wise to discountenance.
For the rare condition known as moniletlexix or beaded hair, when of congenital or hereditary origin, nothing can be done. In the acquired form the best routine will he nerve tonics and the application of Can tharidine preparations and electrical stimulation to increase the amount of blood going to the hair follicles.
Linea Nodosa and Leptothrix, the former affecting the hairs of the beard and the latter involving those of the scrotum and axilla, are ap parently of parasitic origin, and differ from trichorrexis nodosa. They are host treated by cutting the hair close and applying any mild anti parasitic ointment or lotion, as Ungt. Ammon. or a i in soo Per chloride of Mercury solution.
removal of superfluous hairs is best conducted by the use of electrolysis guided by a skilled and patient operator. An almost immediate effect may be produced by careful management of the X rays, but the hairs invariably grow again. Depilatories may cause serious blemishing, and mere epilation is followed usually by a more vigorous growth, and the same holds true of shaving, which, however, may be the only possible method of palliating the unsightly thick growth of dark hair which sometimes flourishes on the upper lip of females who suffer from menstrual irregularities. The deformity may be considerably
lessened when the dark hairs are of a slender or downy kind by con tinually bleaching them with Peroxide of Hydrogen.
When the hairs are sparse and thick, each may be pulled out, and a fine needle thrust into the follicle through the minute opening left after epilation. The needle, if of steel, is to be connected with the negative pole of a suitable galvanic battery, whilst the positive is placed upon the skin of the cheek or held in the hand. Graham Little has pointed out that staining may result from ionisation of the iron when the steel needle is attached to the positive pole. A needle of gold or platinum is prefer able, as it may be attached to either pole. When the current is turned on, the hair bulb is destroyed. Some operators prefer to insert the needle alongside the shaft of the hair without epilating, hut this latter insures the freer entry of the needle into the follicle. The point need not be inserted further than inch.
A return of the growth only occurs where the root has escaped destruc tion, when the operation will require repetition. If skilfully performed, the electrolysis leaves a mark so trifling as to be almost invisible, and there is not much pain; but the treatment is most tedious, as not more than at the most sixty hairs can be removed at a single sitting of i hour's duration. Pirie suggests that the use of needles be discarded, and that a piece of fine wire, such as is used for clearing the hollow needle used for hypodermic purposes, should he employed, which can be easily in sulated to within inch from its point by shellac.
HANGING—see Asphyxia. HARE LIP.