Bubble hair L67.9

Brown et al. 1986

Hair shaft anomaly due to inclusions of irregularly large air bubbles in the hair shaft.

This is caused by thermal damage caused by too hot a blow dryer (Savitha A et al. 2011).

Omission of thermal damage leads to a complete regression of the hair shaft change.

The hair consists of more than 80% alpha-keratin, a fiber protein. Keratins are colourless per se. The colour of the hair shaft is defined by melanin, which is formed in the follicle matrix by a series of oxidation steps from the amino acid tyrosine. In grey hair, melanin in the hair shaft is reduced or completely absent. Instead, the keratin synthesis produces tiny air bubbles (vacuoles) which, embedded in the hair shaft, define the colour tone of grey or completely white hair.

1. Detwiler SP et al (1994) Bubble hair. Case caused by an overheating hair dryer and reproducibility in normal hair with heat. J Am Acad Dermatol 30:54-60.
2. Savitha A et al (2011) Bubble hair and other acquired hair shaft anomalies due to hot ironing on wet hair.Int J Trichology 3:118-120.