Vellus hair

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Human hair
By area Head hair Androgenic hair Facial hair Chest hair Underarm hair Abdominal hair Pubic hair Leg hair
By type Vellus hair Terminal hair Lanugo
Related topics Human hair color Hypertrichosis Trichophilia Hair removal Hair loss
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Vellus hair is short, fine, "peach fuzz" body hair. It is a very soft and short hair that grows in most places on the human body in both sexes, such as the face and back. It is usually less than 2 mm long and the follicles are not connected to sebaceous glands. It is most easily observed in women and children, as they have less terminal hair to obscure it. It is also found in pre-adolescents (i.e., Tanner stage I), as well as in male pattern baldness. It should not be confused with lanugo, a much thicker type of hair developed by fetuses and the bodies of anorexics in an attempt to retain bodily heat.