Abstract

The three main Hair assessment methods in alopecia are Non-invasive (questionnaire, daily hair counts, standardized wash test, 60-s hair count, global pictures, dermoscopy, hair weight, contrasting felt examination, phototrichogram, TrichoScan), semi-invasive (trichogram and unit area trichogram), and intrusive procedures (e.g., scalp biopsy). No method is ideal or realistic. These are useful for patient diagnosis and monitoring when interpreted carefully. Daily hair counts, wash tests, etc. are good ways to evaluate a patient's shedding. Hair clinics use procedures like global photography. Phototrichogram is exclusively used in clinical trials. These procedures (like scalp biopsy) require processing and interpretation expertise. In this review article, we discuss the various hair evaluation methods.

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