monilethrix

Monilethrix (also referred to as beaded hair) is a rare autosomal dominant hair disease that results in short, fragile, broken hair that appears beaded. It comes from the Latin word for necklace (monile) and the Greek word for hair (thrix). Hair becomes brittle, and breaks off at the thinner parts between the beads. It appears as a thinning or baldness of hair and was first described in 1897 by Walter Smith

== Signs and symptoms == Some indicators of monilethrix are small bumps on the skin, mainly on the scalp, neck and arms. In most cases, firm, dark papules, covered with dark scales and crusts appears on the skin, especially the scalp. The affected individual would have beaded hair strands. The possible areas for the hair loss are the eyebrows, eyelashes, limbs, and pubic region. Hair strands are usually dull, dry, and brittle. The strands are prone to mild to severe breakage, causing onset alopecia, especially during pregnancy. Fingernail and toenails tend to appear abnormal. The onset for this disease varies from person to person. The frequency of monilethrix is currently unknown.