Cutaneous complications of artificial hair implantation: a pathological study

Five patients who developed severe cutaneous complications after artificial hair implantation were subjected to a scalp biopsy. The pathology showed the presence of hyperplastic epidermal proliferations that produced infundibulum-like structures around the implanted fibers in the superficial dermis. A dense acute inflammatory infiltrate surrounded the artificial fibers in the superficial dermis. In the deep dermis a granulomatous infiltrate was present whereas in the hypodermis the inflammatory infiltrate was sparse and the fibers were embedded in fibroplasia. The pathology of a patient who did not present any skin inflammation after artificial hair implantation showed similar pathological features but the absence of acute inflammation suggesting that bacterial infections play a major role in the development of the cutaneous complications of hair implantation. Since definitive treatment of the infections is ineffective until the fibers are removed from the scalp, surgical treatment was required in 2 of our patients.