10 Causes of Pilonidal Cyst
Cause #5: Amount of Hair
Hair grows from follicles that can be found in the dermis. One of the defining characteristics in mammals, it covers most of the human body except the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and lips. It is primarily composed of protein (alpha-keratin).
Hair functions to help regulate temperature, protect crucial body parts (such as the eyes), and play a key role in nonverbal communication. Since it has been theorized that the penetration of hair into the skin causes granulomatous reaction and leads to the development of a pilonidal cyst, the risk of a pilonidal cyst increases if an individual has excess body hair and/or has stiff or coarse hair.
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