Infant Has Soft Unpigmented Hair Growth Between Buttocks And Anus. Is This Normal?

Posted on Mon, 11 Feb 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 Answered on

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, my 14 month old son has little soft unpigmented hairs growing between his buttocks and around his anus - is this normal? He has the same kind of hairs all over his body, but I didn't think they grew in the perianal area until puberty?

Answered by Dr. E Venkata Ramana (31 minutes later)

Hi,
Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic,
Usually vellus hair is present in children all over the body except palms, lips and soles and it is usually light, soft, unpigmented and the length is usually less than 2mm.
Vellus hair is normal and usually not affected by hormones.
But during puberty, in some areas the vellus hair is replaced by terminal hair like in perianal area, pubic area, and axillary area.
So your child is having vellus hair which is normal for children and usually not related to puberty or any hormonal effects.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. E Venkata Ramana (2 minutes later)

Thank you. He has lots of this hair all over his body - the paedeatrician said it was vellus hair, but at the time he didn't have it in the perianal area. The only thing is, some of the hair is more like 1cm long in places. Is that length ok as long as it's light, soft and unpigmented?

Answered by Dr. E Venkata Ramana (10 hours later)

Hi,
Thank you for your query,
As your Pediatrician is said, it is vellus hair which is present on the all over the body.
Usually light, soft and unpigmented hair in children is vellus hair only.
The concerning thing of perineal hair is it was not present before.
So if the perineal hair is like a tuft or a bunch, the thing to rule out is teratoma, which is a tumor containing hair or an underlying spinal dysraphism which will present with a tuft of hair on overlying skin.
Ultrasound of the perineal area and the sacra area will rule out these possibilities.
So consult your Pediatrician to discuss your concerns and evaluation with investigations after his advise.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. E Venkata Ramana (5 hours later)

No, it's not like a tuft or a bunch, it is just little stray hairs in the area - some about 02cm, and a few stray ones that are 0.5 to 1cm long. They may well have been present before but we've only noticed them recently as he's been very sore with nappy rash so we've been very close to the area, applying cream etc. I just wanted to double-check as couldn't find anything online that said vellus hairs grew down there. Thanks.

Answered by Dr. E Venkata Ramana (29 minutes later)

Hi,
You are welcome,
Thank you for your feedback,
Yes it is vellus hair only as there is no tuft or bunch of hair.
But you can discuss with the Pediatrician regarding this issue in your next well child or vaccination visit.
Hope I have answered your query.
If you don't have any other query, you can close the session and your review of my answer is always welcomed.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar