The Denver area’s board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Scott Walter, has cautioned his 1.2 million TikTok followers about a peculiar symptom that can indicate a life-threatening illness.
An uncommon skin disorder known as acquired hypertrichosis lanuginosa (HLA) can cause abnormally rapid growth of fine, white hair in areas that would ordinarily be hairless.
Lanugo is defined as acceptable, non-pigmented, wispy hairs similar to what a baby has after birth. However, when these hairs begin to grow in adults, it’s because of a disorder called paraneoplastic alopecia, which is brought on by internal cancer.
Lanugo, according to Dr. Walter, can be seen on the cheeks, nose, and ears. Various cancers, such as breast, lung, uterine, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, colorectal, and ovarian malignancies, have all been associated with it.
What’s strange, according to Walter, is that this symptom can be present 2.5 years before a cancer diagnosis, indicating it might be the initial indicator of the disease.
According to data from the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, less than 1,000 Americans have HLA.
Some of the symptoms are lack of appetite, enlarged nodules on the tongue, diarrhea, a change in taste, and tongue swelling.
A 68-year-old woman with lanugo hair all over her face once complained of a burning sensation on her tongue.
Although not in unexpected places, red hair can also be associated with a higher risk of skin cancer. Redheads are often fair-skinned. Some studies have shown that redhead DNA is associated with a higher risk of melanoma, a skin disease that starts in the cells responsible for making melanin.
People with red hair have two copies of the MC1R gene.
The MC1R gene controls melanocytes’ output of different kinds and amounts of melanin. A lack of melanin can increase one’s risk of skin cancers.
