Mechanism: Small fragments of recently cut hair are mechanically driven into the skin between the fingers. The hairs should have a sharp edge and be relatively stiff.
Clinical findings:
(1) The presence of a chronic abscess or draining sinus in the interdigital space.
(2) Biopsy shows hair shafts with a foreign body type giant cell reaction.
(3) The sinus may become infected with Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas species or other forms of bacteria.
where:
• The condition is more common in hairdressers who cut men's hair since it tends to be stiffer than women's hair.
• The condition has not been reported in women. This may be due to a matter of exposure (more males cut male hair), technique (especially in the use of scissors) or the size of hair fragments.
• About 60% of the cases listed by Patel et al involved the right hand. The handedness of the barber was not recorded.
A similar condition caused by animal hair can be found in:
(1) sheep shearers
(2) cow milkers
Differential diagnosis:
(1) other types of foreign body type granulomas (wood splinter's etc)
