Standardization of Trichotillometer
March 2009
TLDR Trichotillometry can measure hair plucking force, aiding alopecia treatment evaluation.
The study aimed to measure and compare the force required to pluck anagen and telogen hairs using a trichotillometer, specifically the Instron Universal Tensile Strength Tester. Conducted on 10 healthy volunteers (5 males and 5 females), hair was plucked from four scalp regions and examined microscopically. The study found that trichotillometry could assess the force needed to pluck hair, which could help evaluate alopecia treatments by measuring hair growth and the anagen phase duration. The equipment used was large and expensive, but efforts were underway to develop a smaller, portable version for outpatient use.
