Glossary
Alopecia – hair loss induced by biologic or medical means. Male pattern baldness is a type of alopecia
Dermis – second layer of skin underneath the epidermis and above the subcutaneous fat, which is made up of blood vessels, lymph vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands, collagen bundles, elastic fibers and fibroblasts. The dermis is responsible for the mechanical tightness of our skin and it is the place where our hair grows from
Epidermis – the outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates
Perifollicular edema – swelling due to collection of fluid in the interstitial spaces (area around the depression in the skin from which the hair emerges). It is sometimes a short term, mild side-effect of laser hair removal and typically resolves in a matter of hours following the procedure. For more info on side effects of laser hair removal
Hair Follicles – A tubular infolding of the epidermis containing the root of a hair
Depilatory – is the removal of the part of the hair above the surface of the skin. The most common form of depilation is shaving or trimming. Another option is the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains that give hair its strength, making the hair disintegrate
Vellus hair – the fine, non-pigmented hair (peach fuzz) that covers the body of children and adults. The growth of vellus hair is not affected by hormones, whereas the growth of terminal hair is affected by hormones
Terminal hair – thick pigmented hairs found on the scalp, beard, armpits, and pubic area. The growth of terminal hairs is influenced by hormones, but the growth of vellus hairs is not influenced by hormones
razor bumps – an inflammation of the hair follicle(s) as a result of shaving and known in medicine as “Pseudo Folliculitis Barbae
Pseudo Folliculitis Barbae – (also known as “Barber’s itch,” “Folliculitis barbae traumatica,” “Razor bumps,” “Scarring pseudofolliculitis of the beard,” and “Shave bumps”) is a medical term for persistent irritation caused by shaving
Erythema – Redness of the skin caused by dilatation and congestion of the capillaries, often a sign of inflammation or infection
ingrown hair – a condition where the hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin. The ingrown hair condition is seen primarily among people having curly hairs. It may or may not be accompanied by an infection of the hair follicle (folliculitis) or “razor bumps” (pseudofolliculitis barbae), which vary in size
tweezing – To handle or extract with tweezers or the method of removing hair with tweezers.
Coarse hair – hair that feels rough, is dull, hard to style, and fly away, is not dry hair and cannot be treated using dry hair products. Most curly hair is in this category. While this type of hair is most common in African Americans, coarseness occurs in every gene pool. Actually, this kind of hair is very strong and is very healthy.
Hirsutism – female facial hair growing in a male pattern like a beard or mustache. This results from androgenic (increased male hormone) origin.