One of the conditions that can arise in our scalp is poliosis. It is an uncommon situation that affects hair pigmentation and can occur both on the head and eyebrows, eyelashes or beard. It is not synonymous with a serious illness although it is advisable to visit a specialist doctor to determine the causes and eliminate the possibility of a covert ailment.

Poliosis occurs in our body as a set of depigmented hair, with a white or grayish appearance. It differs from gray hair by appearing focused and not dispersed. It can occur in all types of people, from newborn to adults and regardless of sex. 

There are different causes that can form poliosis. Among them are genetics, if there are people in the family who have suffered from it, it can happen to us. It can also come from autoimmune diseases like vitiligo (just like it depigments the skin, it can do it with hair), or infections that can attack the follicles. Lifestyle can lead to this situation, such as increased stress or the use of some medications.

Poliosis, its treatment

The diagnosis of poliosis is established after a clinical analysis of a specialized doctor, reviewing medical, family and specific history of the patient. Sometimes it is necessary. If the doctor suspects other hidden diseases, he can ask for a blood test or even do a biopsy to rule out abnormalities.

As for the solution for poliosis there is dyes, which will hide this change in hair pigmentation; micropigmentation of the scalp, which will hide the color in case of short hair or other places such as the eyebrows. If there is a disease that is causing this condition, medications should be used.

On rare occasions a hair transplant is necessary. It will only be recommended if the treatments have not been effective. In this case, follicles not affected by poliosis would be extracted to move them to that area.

Frequently asked questions

How is poliosis different from gray hair?

Poliosis and gray hair are different since the first is a focused condition while gray hair appears in a dispersed way and are a consequence of the aging of people. Gray hair represents a decrease in the melanin of the hair.

Is poliosis a concern?

It should not be a worrying problem for health but it is always good to go to a specialist doctor to be evaluated and rule out other diseases. Only an experienced doctor can give us the keys to help establish the best diagnosis.

Dr. Espinosa Custodio works at Instituto Médico del Prado, his hair clinic in Madrid, and performs hair transplants in Mexico, twice a year. If you would like to make an appointment, you can contact us on +34 912 468 664, on WhatsApp +34 627 396 322 or on the contact page of our website. From Mexico you can contact us at +52 55 4590 9909.