Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Sparse hair
HP:0008070
What it means
Reduced density of hairs.
This term applies if the number of hair shafts per unit area is reduced. The term fine hair is used to describe hair with a reduced diameter.
Rare diseases that can present with this89
Very common80–99%
48- Ablepharon macrostomia syndrome
- Adams-Oliver syndrome
- Alopecia antibody deficiency
- Alopecia-contractures-dwarfism-intellectual disability syndrome
- Ankyloblepharon-ectodermal defects-cleft lip/palate syndrome
- Autosomal dominant hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
- Autosomal recessive cutis laxa type 2, classic type
- Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann syndrome
- Cartilage-hair hypoplasia
- Cerebellar ataxia-ectodermal dysplasia syndrome
- Cerebellar-facial-dental syndrome
- Choroidal atrophy-alopecia syndrome
- Cranioectodermal dysplasia
- Craniolenticulosutural dysplasia
- De Barsy syndrome
- Ectodermal dysplasia-blindness syndrome
- Ectodermal dysplasia-sensorineural deafness syndrome
- Ectodermal dysplasia, trichoodontoonychial type
- Focal facial dermal dysplasia type I
- Focal facial dermal dysplasia type III
- Hallermann-Streiff syndrome
- Hawkinsinuria
- Hereditary mucoepithelial dysplasia
- Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency
- Ichthyosis follicularis-alopecia-photophobia syndrome
- Ichthyosis-hypotrichosis syndrome
- Johnson neuroectodermal syndrome
- LMNA-related cardiocutaneous progeria syndrome
- Menkes disease
- Microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism types I and III
- Monilethrix
- Mutilating palmoplantar keratoderma with periorificial keratotic plaques
- Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome
- Odonto-onycho dysplasia-alopecia syndrome
- Pallister-Killian syndrome
- Paternal 20q13.2q13.3 microdeletion syndrome
- Progeroid syndrome, Petty type
- Pseudoprogeria syndrome
- Restrictive dermopathy
- Roberts syndrome
- Scalp-ear-nipple syndrome
- Schöpf-Schulz-Passarge syndrome
- Thumb deformity-alopecia-pigmentation anomaly syndrome
- Tricho-retino-dento-digital syndrome
- Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1
- Wrinkly skin syndrome
- X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
- Xp22.13p22.2duplication syndrome
Common30–79%
31- 19q13.11microdeletion syndrome
- Acrofacial dysostosis, Palagonia type
- Alopecia-intellectual disability syndrome
- Bazex-Dupré-Christol syndrome
- Cardiocranial syndrome, Pfeiffer type
- Cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome
- Cleft lip/palate-ectodermal dysplasia syndrome
- Combined immunodeficiency-multiple intestinal atresia
- Congenital short bowel syndrome
- Desbuquois syndrome
- Dyskeratosis congenita
- Ectodermal dysplasia-skin fragility syndrome
- Focal dermal hypoplasia
- Hidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
- Hypotrichosis-intellectual disability, Lopes type
- Hypotrichosis simplex
- KID syndrome
- Lamellar ichthyosis
- Mandibuloacral dysplasia
- Marshall syndrome
- Non-acquired isolated growth hormone deficiency
- Oculodentodigital dysplasia
- Revesz syndrome
- Rothmund-Thomson syndrome
- Rothmund-Thomson syndrome type 1
- Rothmund-Thomson syndrome type 2
- SATB2-associated syndrome due to a chromosomal rearrangement
- SCARF syndrome
- SHORT syndrome
- Trichomegaly-retina pigmentary degeneration-dwarfism syndrome
- Wiedemann-Rautenstrauch syndrome
The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions, and Orphanet separately records 1 disease where this sign is specifically absent. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
Also called: Decreased hair growth · Decreased hair growth on body · Hypotrichosis · Marked hypotrichosis · Sparse hair since birth · Thin, sparse hair
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.