JAAD online
Clinical pearl
Colored dots on trichoscopy—beware of artifacts

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2018.11.052Get rights and content

Section snippets

Clinical challenge

Successful trichoscopy, which is essential for evaluating scalp and hair disorders, warrants cognizance of artifacts that may mimic specific disorders. The peripilar sign, which is characterized by a perifollicular brown halo, is a specific finding of early androgenetic alopecia that reflects perifollicular inflammation.1 Many young patients use hair dyes and henna on account of premature canities. These chemicals penetrate hair follicles, giving a pseudoperipilar sign that is suggestive of

Solution

Trichoscopists should routinely determine patients' specific history of use of hair dye (or henna) and its color and type, as well as the number of shampoo washes between the application and day of trichoscopic evaluation. Knowing the type and longevity of dyes (ie, demipermanent, semipermanent [including henna], or temporary dyes [which last up to 20, 3-6, and a single shampoo wash, respectively])2 is equally vital to discern the validity of the observed peripilar sign. Dyed hair shafts (Fig 1

References (2)

  • N. Jain et al.

    Trichoscopy in alopecias: diagnosis simplified

    Int J Trichology

    (2013)
  • S.A. da França et al.

    Types of hair dye and their mechanisms of action

    Cosmetics

    (2015)

Cited by (4)

  • For the love of color: Plant colors and the dermatologist

    2020, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology

Funding sources: None.

Conflicts of interest: None disclosed.

Reprints not available from the authors.

View full text