ABSTRACT
Hair, derived from the epidermis, develops around the third to fourth month of the fetal life. Alopecia is not very common in children but is usually traumatic for the child and their parents. Vellus hair is fine, soft and non-pigmented, and covers most of the body before puberty. Terminal hair, in contrast, is coarse, curly and pigmented. Pubertal androgens promote the conversion from vellus to terminal hair. Hair growth in excess of what is expected for age, sex and ethnicity is termed hirsuitism or hypertrichosis. Itchy scalp is common and caused by a variety of conditions including dry skin (xerosis), eczema, pediculosis, scabies, fungal and bacterial infections, psoriasis and lichen planus. Abnormal nails may occur as a result of generalised skin disease, skin disease confined to the nails, systemic disease, drugs, fungal or bacterial infection or tumour. It is important to distinguish between congenital and acquired abnormalities. The appearance of the nails may suggest an underlying systemic disease.
