Which feature would indicate a systemic cause of hair growth change when diagnosing a client?

• A. Uniform Thinning Across the Entire Scalp
• B. Patchy Hair Loss in a Small Area
• C. Hair Breakage at Ends
• D. Dandruff

Answer: (B)

Systemic causes of a hair growth change come from processes that affect the body as a whole, not just the hair or scalp surface. Patchy hair loss in a small area is often a sign of an autoimmune process, where the body’s immune system targets hair follicles in discrete spots. This pattern reflects an underlying systemic mechanism (like autoimmune dysregulation), even though the visible problem appears as distinct patches. In contrast, hair breakage at the ends stems from mechanical damage to the hair shaft, dandruff is a scalp condition, and uniform thinning across the entire scalp points to a different kind of systemic issue. Therefore, seeing hair loss in patches supports the idea of a systemic factor behind the change.