What is Congenital, generalized hypertrichosis?
congenital generalized hypertrichosis is the presence of excessive silvery blonde to gray lanugo hair on the body of a newborn. It is present at birth and is usually found all over the body.
There is currently no known prevention of this form of excessive hair growth. However, it is known that the hairiness related to this symptom tends to be more severe in males than females.
It is also known to be a genetic syndrome and more than likely it is inherited.
Understanding hair-related symptoms and features.
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
Hair is a part of the integumentary system of the body, a system which includes not only hair but also skin and nails too. The integumentary system acts to protect our body from external threats or injury.
Generally, symptoms affecting the hair can be seen with the eye. Although diagnosing a hair related symptom may involve different tests and assessments, both subjective and objective.
Symptoms relating to the hair affect hair on all parts of the body, including the scalp, torso and face. They may also affect specific features of the face, including the eyebrows and eyelashes. When looking specifically at symptoms relating to the hair, other aspects such as the amount, distribution, thickness, texture and colour should also be taken into consideration.
Congenital generalized hypertrichosis is characterized by excessive, often dense hair growth on the face, arms, back, and other parts of the body, starting from birth or early childhood.
The hair may be thick and coarse, differing from typical fine body hair, and may cover areas of the body that are normally hairless, such as the forehead or ears.
What should I do next?
In some instances, congenital, generalized hypertrichosis may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with (Congenital or generalized Hypertrichosis, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.