Hair Evaluation Method: Pull Test and Wash Test

January 2017

Marcella Guarrera, Alfredo Rebora

pull test wash test non-scarring alopecia scarring alopecia telogen effluvium androgenetic alopecia

Studysummary This source reports that two noninvasive tests, the pull test and a modified wash test, can help diagnose and determine the severity of different types of hair loss in women by assessing hair shedding and characteristics, offering a simple and cost-effective evaluation method.

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research Setting Reference Values in Trichology

3 citations , October 2015 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that the vertex/occiput ratios of hair density and diameter in prepubertal children may serve as reference values to identify androgenetic alopecia with high probability.

research Methods of Hair Loss Evaluation: A Comparison of TrichoScan with the Modified Wash Test

14 citations , May 2013 in “Experimental Dermatology”

This study found that the modified wash test was generally more effective than TrichoScan® for diagnosing hair loss, particularly telogen effluvium, though both methods showed only fair concordance with clinical diagnosis.

research Patients With Profuse Hair Shedding May Reveal Anagen Hair Dystrophy: A Diagnostic Clue of Alopecia Areata Incognita

31 citations , October 2010 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

The authors concluded that some patients clinically diagnosed with telogen effluvium may actually have alopecia areata incognita, suggested by the presence of dystrophic hairs and development of alopecia patches.

research Distinguishing Androgenetic Alopecia From Chronic Telogen Effluvium When Associated in the Same Patient

63 citations , October 2005 in “Archives of Dermatology”

This study reports that a hair shedding threshold of 100 hairs or more may provide the best concordance with clinical diagnosis for distinguishing chronic telogen effluvium from androgenetic alopecia.

research Assessing Hair Shedding in Children

14 citations , January 1999 in “Dermatology”

This study found that the wash test reliably measures hair shedding in children, with the number of shed hairs increasing with age and suggesting a potential early onset of androgenetic alopecia.