Hairpin-induced alopecia: case reports and a review of the literature.

Traumatic hair loss is a scalp injury that can cause secondary scarring alopecia. It can result from different types of physical and chemical injury. Hair loss induced by certain hair-styling techniques has been discussed, but we describe a preceding ulcerative process. We describe 3 black adolescent girls with hairpin-induced alopecia that started with an ulcer and ended with a scar. We also review the dermatologic literature.