Phototrichogram Analysis of Japanese Female Subjects with Chronic Diffuse Hair Loss
June 2003
in “
Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings
”
TLDR Phototrichogram and hair diameter measurements are effective, noninvasive ways to assess hair growth and detect early hair loss, with the most common pattern being reduced hair density.
In 2003, a study was conducted on 101 Japanese women with chronic diffuse hair loss and 58 healthy volunteers to analyze hair growth patterns using phototrichogram and hair diameter measurements. The study divided the subjects into nine groups based on hair growth patterns, with 59.4% showing abnormal patterns. The key parameters for evaluating diffuse alopecia were hair density, hair diameter, short hair ratio, and hair growth rate. The study concluded that phototrichogram, combined with hair diameter measurements, is a useful, noninvasive method for assessing hair growth patterns and detecting early phase diffuse alopecia. The most common pattern of hair loss was a decrease in hair density without vellus hair change. No correlation was found between the severity of hair growth patterns and patient histories or abnormal laboratory data.
