Why Care About Linear Hair Growth Rates? A Study Using In Vivo Imaging and Computer-Assisted Image Analysis After Manual Processing in Unaffected Male Controls and Men with Male Pattern Hair Loss

This study investigated the linear hair growth rates (LHGR) in healthy controls and men with male pattern hair loss (MPHL) using in vivo imaging and computer-assisted image analysis. The study found that thicker hair fibers had faster LHGR, and that MPHL patients had slower LHGR compared to controls, with the degree of reduction depending on the thickness of the hair fibers. The study suggests that LHGR may be relevant in terms of self-perception of hair coverage, quantitative diagnosis, and prognostic factor of the therapeutic response. Non-invasive technologies have appreciable advantages for the functional analysis of hair growth variables.