French dermatologist Philippe Assouly described the two unusual cases in a scientific journal, highlighting a previously unknown "toxic association of alopecia (hair loss) with a common plant". In the first case, a woman in France suffered nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, which started soon after she ate a bitter-tasting pumpkin soup. A second woman experienced food poisoning with severe vomiting after a meal that included squash. "About three weeks later, the patient experienced substantial hair loss on her head as well as severe alopecia on the armpits and pubic region," the doctor said. These are the first known cases of hair loss due to cucurbit poisoning.-- AFP

Source: New Strait Times May 25, 2018 17:26 UTC