Trichoscopy: Usefulness in Diagnosing Hair Loss in Adult Female Patients

    January 2008 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”
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    TLDR Trichoscopy is a helpful and quick method to identify different types of hair loss in women.
    The document reports on a study that evaluated the effectiveness of trichoscopy, a noninvasive diagnostic technique for hair and scalp analysis, in differentiating types of hair loss in 75 female patients. The patients were diagnosed with alopecia areata (40 patients), androgenic alopecia (30 patients), and single cases of monilethrix, pseudomoniletrhrix, and Netherton syndrome. Trichoscopy revealed specific features for alopecia areata, such as micro-exclamation mark hairs, bulbs with no hair shaft, crochet hoot hairs, and hyperkeratotic hair follicles. For androgenic alopecia, characteristics included high hair shaft diameter diversity and low mean hair diameter. The study concluded that trichoscopy is a useful, fast, and noninvasive technique that allows for significant magnification of hair and scalp features without the need for hair removal, suggesting that further studies should establish clear criteria for diagnosing specific hair loss diseases using trichoscopy. No commercial support was identified for this study.
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      in Treatment  6 upvotes 4 weeks ago
      The user experienced hair loss despite using Fin and Min for 12 years and switched to Dutasteride, RU58841, and Keto scalp serum, but shedding and itch persist. They are considering increasing Dutasteride to 2.5mg and questioning the necessity of a scalp biopsy, with mixed opinions on its usefulness.

      community I bought a microscope, how does my scalp/hairs look? I've been suffering diffuse thinning and hair loss after covid and never recovered (2 yrs ago) I eat healthy, in shape and workout.

      in Progress Pictures  86 upvotes 8 months ago
      A person with hair loss since COVID-19 is considering treatments like finasteride and minoxidil but is hesitant due to potential side effects. Suggestions include visiting a dermatologist, using a ketoconazole shampoo, and considering that post-COVID hair loss might be an autoimmune response.
      Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

      community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

      in Research  692 upvotes 3 months ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

      community 2.5 years Minoxidil and HRT, CPA->Lupron +Minox 5%

      in Transgender  611 upvotes 1 week ago
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      community My experience and a discourse on “DUPA”

      in Chat  46 upvotes 1 year ago
      How diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA) is not an invitation to self-diagnose oneself with aggressive AGA and that seeking a specialized dermatologist may help people experiencing hair loss. Treatment options discussed include topical clobetasol propionate, oral minoxidil, and discontinuing finasteride.

      community Seeking Advice: Unusual Hair Loss at 31 Years Old - Any Insights? (M)

      in Chat  15 upvotes 7 months ago
      A 31-year-old man who previously had good results with minoxidil, finasteride, and nizoral for hair loss is now experiencing unusual hair loss and side effects from finasteride. Respondents suggest it might be severe retrograde alopecia and recommend exploring other treatment options due to his inability to tolerate finasteride.

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