Possible Causes for brittle hair Inadequate Diet Brittle and Dry Hair Hair, which is made up mostly of protein, serves as a useful diagnostic marker for nutritional deficiencies. [webmd.com] Brittle hair can signal a deficit of essential fatty acids, protein, iron, and other nutrients. Some hair loss is usual with age, of course. [webmd.com] “When an older person’s hair looks brittle, dry, and sparse, it’s often a sign that their diet is inadequate,” says Kathleen Niedert, RD, director of clinical nutrition and [webmd.com] Hypothyroidism The exam may also reveal: Thin brittle hair Coarse features of the face Pale or dry skin, which may be cool to the touch Reflexes that are abnormal Swelling of the arms and [mountsinai.org] When symptoms do appear, they may be quite varied and can include: tiredness being unable to tolderate the cold weight gain puffy and pale face brittle hair and nails, thinning [healthdirect.gov.au] hair or fingernails Weakness Weight gain Late symptoms, if untreated: Decreased taste and smell Hoarseness Puffy face, hands, and feet Slow speech Thickening of the skin [mountsinai.org] Bjornstad Syndrome Pili torti is recognized in early childhood and is characterised by twisted hair shafts and brittle hair.[5]The hearing loss usually becomes evident very early in life, often [en.wikipedia.org] Pili torti, a condition in which the hair shaft is flattened and twisted, makes the hair very brittle and patients develop hair loss in the first two years of life. [rarediseases.info.nih.gov] The hair is brittle and breaks easily, leading to short hair that grows slowly. [malacards.org] Hyperthyroidism Symptoms may include nervousness, irritability, extra sweating (perspiration), and fine, brittle hair. [hopkinsmedicine.org] hair difficulty sleeping See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. [healthdirect.gov.au] Here are the most common ones: Nervousness Irritability Sweating more than normal Thinning of the skin Fine, brittle hair Weak muscles, especially in the upper arms and thighs [hopkinsmedicine.org] Marasmus Dry skin and brittle hair are also symptoms of marasmus. Marasmus can also make children short-tempered and irritable. [en.wikipedia.org] Other symptoms may include diarrhea; dehydration; behavioral changes; dry, loose skin; and dry, brittle hair. [britannica.com] Dry skin and brittle hair are also symptoms of marasmus. [healthline.com] Biotin Deficiency hair Hair loss or total alopecia Mild depression, which may progress to profound lassitude and, eventually, to somnolence Changes in mental status Generalized muscular pains [medicowesome.com] Rashes including red, patchy ones near the mouth (erythematous periorofacial macular rash) Fine and brittle hair Hair loss or total baldness (alopecia) Anemia Birth defects [en.wikipedia.org] Symptoms include dry skin, recurrent fungal infections of the skin, a rash, dry or brittle hair, or hair loss. Nails may also become brittle. [vitamins.lovetoknow.com] Argininosuccinic Aciduria Progressive liver damage, skin lesions, and brittle hair may also be seen. [en.wikipedia.org] hair), intellectual disability, and developmental delay. [visualdx.com] Hypotonia Apnea If argininosuccinic aciduria is not treated right away it may cause: Delays in physical developmental Intellectual disability Ataxia Liver damage Skin lesions Brittle [stlouischildrens.org] Hidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia Other symptoms include brittle hair, loss of hair in the armpits or on the face, nails that appear white, and clubbing of the fingers. [diseaseinfosearch.org] […] eczema periorbital wrinkling periorbital hyperpigmentation hypoplastic-absent sebaceous glands hypoplastic-absent eccrine sweat glands spoon-shaped nails hypotrichosis fine, brittle [humpath.com] 0002221 Absent pubic hair 0002555 Alopecia totalis 0007418 Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006 Blepharitis Inflammation of eyelids 0000498 Brittle hair 0002299 Conjunctivitis [rarediseases.info.nih.gov] Mitochondrial Complex 3 Deficiency Abstract A 34-year-old man affected by exercise intolerance, mild proximal weakness and severe lactic acidosis is described. Muscle biopsy revealed mitochondrial abnormalities and an increase of cytochrome c oxidase histochemical reaction. Biochemical investigations on isolated muscle mitochondria as well as[…] [unboundmedicine.com] Anorexia Nervosa Physical effects of anorexia Some of the physical effects of anorexia nervosa may include: brittle hair and nails dry or yellowing skin feeling cold easily a soft downy hair [au.reachout.com] Physical symptoms that develop over time, including: low tolerance of cold weather, brittle hair and nails, dry or yellowing skin, anemia, constipation, swollen joints and [my.clevelandclinic.org] Netherton Syndrome The patient was presented to our clinic with sparse and brittle hair along with pruritic, erythematous and scaling cutaneous lesions. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] Hair anomalies usually become apparent after infancy, with sparse and brittle hair caused by TI (bamboo hair viewed by light microscopy) and other hair shaft anomalies (pili [orpha.net] Patients have dry and brittle hair that break easily. [immunodeficiencysearch.com] Monilethrix […] trichodystrophy in which brittle hairs show a series of constrictions, usually without a medulla. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com] A 4-year-old girl presented with sparse, brittle hair on her entire scalp and keratosis pilaris on the nape of her neck. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] […] a beading effect, and are very brittle. monilethrix [mōnil′əthriks] Etymology: L. monile necklace; Gk, thrix, hair an autosomal-dominant condition in which the hairs exhibit [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com] Anorexia Physical effects of anorexia Some of the physical effects of anorexia nervosa may include: brittle hair and nails dry or yellowing skin feeling cold easily a soft downy hair [au.reachout.com] Physical symptoms that develop over time, including: low tolerance of cold weather, brittle hair and nails, dry or yellowing skin, anemia, constipation, swollen joints and [my.clevelandclinic.org] Rapp-Hodgkin Syndrome The main features include dry, brittle hair with alopecia in adulthood, dental anomalies (hypodontia, microdontia with delayed eruption, fissured tongue, and retruded maxilla [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] Very little hair -- on both head and face -- and dry or brittle hair. [webmd.com] Ringed Hair Disease Case Report A 22-year-old Caucasian woman complained of thin and brittle hair since puberty. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] hair, Intellectual impairment, Decreased fertility, Short stature) (Amish brittle hair syndrome) (Trichothiodystrophy) 234050 Bjornstad syndrome Pili torti and nerve deafness [keratin.com] […] increased hair fragility. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] Autosomal Recessive Nail Dysplasia (B) Patients V:2 (panels i, ii), V:3 (panels iii, iv) and V:7 (panels v, vi) show hypotrichosis with brittle hair of the scalp and dystrophic, slightly spoon-shaped nails [commons.wikimedia.org] […] ectodermal dysplasia (HNED; OMIM 602032) constitutes a rare subgroup of ectodermal dysplasias characterised by onychodystrophy, hypotrichosis and brittle hair. [jle.com] Very little hair -- on both head and face -- and dry or brittle hair. [webmd.com] Iron Deficiency Nail changes, eg, koilonychia (spoon-shaped nails ) Dry and brittle hair Increased hair shedding may be noticed. [dermnetnz.org] Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, and sometimes pallor, shortness of breath, coldness of extremities, changeable appetite, sore tongue, loss of hair, brittle fingernails [britannica.com] The symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, shortness of breath, frequent infections, pica (craving non-food items such as chalk or ice), brittle nails and hair loss. [blog.viviscal.com] Clastothrix Hair shaft fracture; Brittle hair; Fragile hair; Hair breakage James WD, Berger TG, Elston DM. Diseases of the skin appendages. In: James WD, Berger TG, Elston DM, eds. [medlineplus.gov] […] results in low arginine levels and brittle hair. [emedicine.medscape.com] Hair shaft fracture; Brittle hair; Fragile hair; Hair breakage Trichorrhexis nodosa is a common hair problem in which thickened or weak points (nodes) along the hair shaft [leehealth.org] Pili Torti […] characterized by short and brittle hairs that appear flattened and twisted when viewed through a microscope.[1]:638[2]:764[3] This phenotype is noted in Menkes disease. [en.wikipedia.org] Clinical examination showed dry, lustreless, fragile, and brittle hair of scalp and sparse hairs involving eyebrows [Figure 1]. [ijtrichology.com] Lusterless, opaque, scarce blond hair. Pili torti. Thick, coarse and brittle hair in the left occipitotemporal region. Pili torti. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] Thyroid Gland Disorder Initially: Fatigue, constipation, cold intolerance, slowing of mental and physical performance Late: weight gain, forgetfulness, dry and brittle hair, slow reflexes, deep [quizlet.com] Most patients complain of slow metabolism, slow heartbeat, weight gain, puffy skin, brittle hair, constipation and fatigue.[3] [5] [6] Once hypothyroidism has been diagnosed [merckgroup.com] Other symptoms include a rapid or irregular heartbeat, brittle hair, weight loss despite normal food intake and an increase in the number of bowel movements experienced each [livestrong.com] Selenosis Excessive selenium causes brittle hair, hair loss, deformed nails, brittle nails, sloughing off of nails, tooth discoloration, tooth decay and mottled or discolored skin. [livestrong.com] Low levels of selenium can cause nervous system problems, brittle hair and deformed nails in humans while chronic, long-term exposure to selenium can cause liver, kidney and [appvoices.org] Next, you might notice hair and nail loss and brittleness, as well as both gastrointestinal and neurological issues. [healthyeating.sfgate.com] Malnutrition […] changes: Thin, sparse, brittle hair that is easily pulled out and that turns a dull brown or reddish color See Clinical Presentation for more detail. [emedicine.com] […] secondary to fatty infiltration Skin changes: Dry, peeling skin with raw, exposed areas; hyperpigmented plaques over areas of trauma Nail changes: Fissured or ridged nails Hair [emedicine.com] Tinea Barbae The masses surround the hairs, which become brittle; hairs may be penetrated by fungus and thus split. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com] Superficial findings are marked by scaling, slight itching, reddish or grayish patches, and dry, brittle hair that is easily extracted with the hair shaft. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com] Generally it is characterized by one or more small, round, elevated patches, scaling of the scalp, and dry and brittle hair. tinea cor poris a fungal infection of the glabrous [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com] Menopause What can you do to help symptoms like dry skin and brittle hair? Paramount "Moisturizing, being physically active, and continuing to have sexual activity can all help. [buzzfeed.com] […] nails, hair on chin or chest where it is normally absent Decrease in breast size and change in skin texture What do I need to know about menopause? [drugs.com] Hair Loss and Brittle Nails Many women experience thinning hair during menopause; some encounter an extreme form known as female pattern hair loss. [everydayhealth.com] Acquired Kinky Hair Syndrome Loose anagen ( hair ) syndrome results in short, brittle hair. Although both sexes may be affected, it most often presents in young girls over the age of 2 years. [dermnetnz.org] Trichorrhexis invaginata is caused by brittle hairs and is characteristic of hair shaft change in Netherton syndrome. It appears as “ball-and-socket” under trichoscopy. [idoj.in] The brittle hair easily breaks once it is exposed above the skin and the fibers rarely grow very long as a result. [webmd.com] Menkes Disease Symptoms of the disorder include weakened bones, brittle hair and unusual skin and hair pigmentation. [medicalxpress.com] The clinical spectrum of Menkes disease includes progressive neuro-degeneration, connective tissue abnormalities and wiry brittle hair. [themedicalbiochemistrypage.org] The development of hair, bones and arteries also depend on copper and are impaired in Menkes disease. [medicalxpress.com] Anemia […] regrowth), the following skin, hair, and nail changes are seen in hypothyroidism: Pale, cool, and thick or "doughy" skin Dry, brittle hair, and hair loss, especially near [verywell.com] Anemia can produce other symptoms, such as: paleness shortness of breath cold hands and feet headaches dizziness fast, slow, or uneven heartbeat brittle nails or hair loss [familydoctor.org] […] nails or hair loss How Is Iron-Deficiency Anemia Diagnosed? [hematology.org] Congenital Non-Goitrous Hypothyroidism Type 4 Other possible symptoms include: pain in your joints or muscles constipation brittle hair or nails voice hoarseness puffiness in your face As the disease progresses, these [healthline.com] hair, which comes out in handfuls Loss of hair in the outer third of eyebrows Slow growing, ridged and brittle nails Myxoedema, resulting in puffy face, eyelids, hands and [dermnetnz.org] […] skin Eczema craquelé – a form of dermatitis in which there is crazy paving splitting of the skin surface A yellowish hue to the skin secondary to carotenaemia Sparse and brittle [dermnetnz.org] Thyroiditis […] loss or thinning, brittle hair Irregular or heavy menstrual periods Depression Slowed heart rate Because the symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroid may be similar to those for other [webmd.com] […] loss or thinning, brittle hair irregular or heavy menstrual periods depression slowed heart rate Because the symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroid may be similar to those for other [m.webmd.com] […] due to Hashimoto's may include: Weight gain Fatigue Paleness or puffiness of the face Joint and muscle pain Constipation Inability to get warm Difficulty getting pregnant Hair [webmd.com] Constipation brittle fingernails impaired memory a puffy face A blood test known as a thyroid function test can help assess the function of your thyroid. [healthline.com] […] you have an underactive thyroid, you may also experience: fatigue increased sensitivity to cold dry skin weight gain irregular menstrual periods if you’re a woman thinning hair [healthline.com]
