An increased tendency of the hair to break.

A congenital or acquired condition in which minute nodes are formed in the hair shafts; splitting and breaking, complete or incomplete, may occur at these points or nodes.

An atrophic condition of the hair, affecting more often the male beard, and characterized by irregular thickenings resembling nodes on the hair shaft that are really partial fractures of the hair. The hairs often break, leaving a brush-like ends; a certain amount of alopecia is thus produced.