Distinguishing Androgenetic Alopecia From Chronic Telogen Effluvium When Associated in the Same Patient: A Simple Noninvasive Method
TLDR A simple method using the wash test and dermatoscopy can help differentiate between two hair loss conditions, androgenetic alopecia and chronic telogen effluvium.
The study described a method using the wash test to distinguish between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and telogen effluvium (CTE) or a combination of the two conditions. The wash test involves counting the number and length of shed hairs in a hair wash after refraining from shampooing for 5 days. The authors found that the periods of increased hair shedding described as CTE are most likely part of the process of AGA and do not indicate a separate disease. However, the assumption that shedding more than 100 hairs indicates CTE and shedding fewer than 100 hairs indicates AGA may not hold true, as women with female pattern hair loss (FPHL) can lose more than 100 hairs per day in the early stages. The authors suggest that dermatoscopy should be used as a non-invasive procedure to distinguish between CTE and FPHL.
