Towards a Consensus on How to Diagnose and Quantify Female Pattern Hair Loss – The Female Pattern Hair Loss Severity Index (FPHL-SI)

December 2015 in “ Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology ”

Matthew Harries, Antonella Tosti, Wilma F. Bergfeld, Ulrike Blume-Peytavi, Jerry Shapiro, Gerhard Lutz, Andrew G. Messenger, Rodney Sinclair, Ralf Paus

female pattern hair loss FPHL Female Pattern Hair Loss Severity Index FPHL-SI hair shedding midline hair density trichoscopy early intervention FPHL phenotypes

Studysummary This article introduces a new grading system called the FPHL Severity Index to better identify and monitor early stages of female pattern hair loss using clinical criteria. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The paper proposes a standardized method for diagnosing and quantifying female pattern hair loss (FPHL) called the Female Pattern Hair Loss Severity Index (FPHL-SI). The index includes assessments for hair shedding, midline hair density, and trichoscopy. The severity of FPHL can be scored based on the results of these assessments. The paper emphasizes the importance of early intervention in FPHL to halt progression before it becomes a psychological burden. The proposed FPHL-SI encourages early intervention schemes that may help to prevent or at least retard the development of more advanced FPHL phenotypes.

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