Vellus hair

The vellus hair is the normal surface hair, which is located on the entire body. It consists of small delicate, less pigmented and markless body hairs.

Vellus hairs replace the non-pigmented, markless lanugo hairs from the 7th-8th intrauterine month.

The transformation of vellus hairs into the pigmented and medullary terminal hair occurs on capillitium, eyebrows and eyelashes during the first years of life. The other skin areas remain vellus hairy until puberty.

Postpubertal, terminal hair is formed on different parts of the body under the influence of androgens. The terminal hairs in the axillae, pubes and beard region are called long hairs or sexual hairs.