Irregularities of the hair shaft, such as those associated with the condition trichomalacia, can result in various types and degrees of hair loss. Another such condition is the presence of ‘bubble hairs’, which is the appearance of accumulated bubbles on the interior of the hair which may cause swelling or tension within the strand. This can result from exposure to high temperatures, particularly from the use of hair dryers or curlers, but it can also result from swimming in chlorinated pools or from whitening or lightening the hair.
The result is plaques of slight hair loss along the parietal and occipital areas of the scalp due to the hair breaking at one to four centimeters after emerging. The hair loss should, however, cease when the trauma (usually from the aforementioned cosmetic procedures) is eliminated.