Lanugo, feathers

When newborns, some babies sometimes have fine hairs located on their body parts. This condition of a baby's body covered with fine hairs is commonly referred to as lanugo.

This often makes parents panic about the condition of their newborn babies. Is the excess hair on the baby's body normal and can it be lost? Come on, see the full explanation below so you don't worry anymore.

What is lanugo?

Lanugo is a type of fine hair that grows on the fetus's body while it is still in the womb. Hair or fine hairs in general can disappear as the baby develops. However, in some cases there are also those who can experience it until adulthood.

This non-pigmented (colored) lanugo grows when the baby is in the womb, especially after the fetus is four months old. Towards birth, some of the fine hairs called vellus will fall off and are replaced with fine hairs like in children and adults in general.

Experts actually do not fully understand what role the hairs appear while still in the fetus. However, scientists confirmed that the lanugo hair was associated with a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. The point is to cover the fetus's body.

Then, as reported in research from the Department of Hospital Pediatrics, St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy in Russia, the combination of lanugo hair and vernix may play a role in the production of different hormones in the fetus.

Can lanugo in babies be cured?

Basically, the presence of fine hairs on this baby is not in itself a medical condition, but it can be said to be a natural biological response to certain health conditions and life stages. Then, it's not something that requires immediate treatment. In babies, lanugo is common and does not cause other negative effects. Babies will lose hair naturally for a few days or weeks after birth.

Lanugo in adults

If fine hairs still grow on some parts of the body in an adult, this could be a sign of a serious health condition. Because in general, lanugo in adults is very rare. When it occurs, almost several cases are always caused by advanced eating disorders, one of which is anorexia nervosa.

There is also some evidence to suggest that lanugo can appear as a side effect of other health conditions, including certain types of cancer and Celiac disease. Research on this relationship is still small and not yet valid, but it does not rule out that some serious diseases trigger the appearance of fine hairs all over the body.

Meanwhile, the appearance of fine hairs in adults will naturally disappear itself if the conditions that triggered it are healed or gone. For people with anorexia, hair is lost as they recover through better nutrition.

Lanugo in adults is also predicted not to be a form of vellus hair like in babies. However, it can be recognized as new, fine hair that grows in greater numbers in unexpected areas of the body. Hair growth in adults can be seen as an attempt by the body to warm itself in response to conditions that have a negative impact on body temperature.

x