Definition:
Pili multigemini, also compound hairs, is characterized by the growth of several hair fibers in one hair canal. From a single hair canal, several hair follicles combine and develop into the skin's surface. The disease is classified as rare with less than 200,000 affected in the US. There is likewise a dearth of information on the treatment of this disease.
Treatment:
Information on how to treat the condition are lacking. The option of plucking ones hair is not very effective because the fibers are deeply rooted and thus hard to extract. This also does not prevent the growth of new hairs. The efficacy of shaving the hair and electrolysis shows no evidence of being effective, either. studies have been published to show how effective shaving or electrolysis would be. Cryosurgery, a method wherein extreme cold is applied to destroy diseased tissue, can be considered to take out the follicles totally.
Symptoms and Signs:
The telling sign of the disease is the presence of more than a hair in each follicle.
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