Is Trichoscopy a Reliable Tool to Diagnose Early Female Pattern Hair Loss?

January 2013 in “ International Journal of Trichology ”

Sana A Bhamla, Rachita Dhurat, Priyadarshan Saraogi

trichoscopy female pattern hair loss FPHL scalp biopsy diffuse hair loss

TLDR Trichoscopy effectively diagnoses early female hair loss, but may need scalp biopsy for confirmation.

Trichoscopy is a reliable tool for diagnosing early female pattern hair loss (FPHL) in women who do not show visible hair thinning. The study found that trichoscopy was 75% sensitive and 61.54% specific in diagnosing early FPHL, with a sensitivity of 93% in diagnosing Grade 2 FPHL. Trichoscopy is a non-invasive, time-saving, and relatively inexpensive tool that can be used for preliminary evaluation of females with early diffuse hair loss. However, a positive result does not always indicate the presence of disease, and a scalp biopsy may still be necessary.

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Research cited in this study

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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 Most Recent Interesting Hairloss Studies: 10% Minox vs 5% Minox / Radio Rrequency Treatment for AA / Topical Ketoconazole / PRP+Minox vs Minox vs PRP / Alopecia as a systemic disease

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Treatments for hair loss, such as topical minoxidil, platelet-rich plasma therapy with or without minoxidil, ketoconazole, non-abative radio frequency, natural products, finasteride and cortexolone 17 alpha propionate. The post evaluates the efficacy and safety of these treatments in various studies.

community 9 months on Fin - no progress , should I get on Dutasteride?

in Chat 10 upvotes 2 weeks ago

The user has been using finasteride, minoxidil, and nizoral for hair loss but hasn't seen regrowth, only maintenance. They are considering switching to dutasteride, which is believed to be more effective, but are concerned about potential side effects.

community fin + oral/topical minox + folexin + nizoral/head & shoulders + vitamin d. it works

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Finasteride is key for hair regrowth, supported by oral/topical minoxidil, Folexin, Nizoral/Head & Shoulders, and vitamin D. No side effects experienced; early intervention and patience are crucial.

community #BIG4 plus vitamins and biotin/ 6 Months results/ 26 years old/ Extreme MPB

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A 26-year-old with extreme male pattern baldness saw hair regrowth after 6 months using Minoxidil, Finasteride, microneedling, Nizoral, a vitamin complex, biotin, and a shampoo with baicapil. Continuation of treatment is necessary to maintain results; stopping may lead to hair loss, making a hair transplant a potential future option.

community How essential is scalp biopsy when dealing with hair loss?

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.

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