Trichoscopic Findings of Hair Loss in Koreans
January 2015
in “
Annals of Dermatology
”
alopecia areata trichotillomania tinea capitis primary cicatricial alopecia androgenetic alopecia telogen effluvium yellow dots exclamation mark hairs proximal tapering hairs trichoptilosis pointed hairs corkscrew hairs septate hyphae hairs comma hairs diffuse white area fibrotic white dots tufting hairs hair diameter diversity peripilar sign short nonvellus hairs hair loss hair pulling disorder scalp ringworm scarring alopecia male pattern baldness stress-related hair loss yellow spots exclamation point hairs tapered hairs split ends fungal hairs white patches white dots tufted hairs hair thickness variation short hairs
TLDR The study found specific hair and scalp patterns for different types of hair loss in Koreans, noting racial differences affect diagnosis.
In the 2015 study involving 327 Korean patients with various types of alopecia and 160 normal controls, researchers identified 35 trichoscopic patterns that are characteristic of different types of hair loss. Key findings included the association of yellow dots, exclamation mark hairs, and proximal tapering hairs with alopecia areata; trichoptilosis and pointed hairs with trichotillomania; corkscrew hairs, septate hyphae hairs, and comma hairs with tinea capitis; diffuse white area, fibrotic white dots, and tufting hairs with primary cicatricial alopecia; hair diameter diversity and peripilar sign with androgenetic alopecia; and short nonvellus hairs with telogen effluvium. The study concluded that while many trichoscopic features for diagnosing alopecia in Koreans are similar to those in Caucasians, there are differences in pigment patterns due to racial contrasts in skin and hair color, highlighting the need for racial considerations in trichoscopic evaluations. The study also noted that certain features are less diagnostic due to their presence across various types of alopecia, and that age-related changes can influence trichoscopic findings.
