Childhood hypertrichosis: diagnosis and management.

There is wide variation in the normal pattern of hair growth. Hypertrichosis, which can be defined as excessive growth of hair compared with that in other subjects of the same age, sex, and race, must be distinguished from hirsutism, a term restricted to an androgen dependent hair pattern that is characterised by excessive hair growth on the upper lip, chin, chest, linea alba, thighs, and axillae. Unlike hypertrichosis, unexplained hirsutism in childhood usually warrants investigation to exclude