Diagnosis of hair loss conditions
There are some stages during the investigation of the causes of hair loss.
In general, they include:
- Medical evaluation with an anamnesis and a physical exam
- Image section: examination of hair and scalp through specific medical microscopic technologies.
- Blood tests
Medical Evaluation
The first step of investigating hair loss causes is the medical anamnesis.
The doctor must be prepared to listen carefully to the patient’s hair loss complaints and to ask for important related details.
Some essential points to be questioned are, for instance, hair and scalp washing routine, common hair salon procedures, lifestyle habits and personal health issues.
After a complete medical anamnesis, it is time for the hair and scalp evaluation.
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Doppio Clinic has an appropriate infrastructure to evaluate and treat your hair loss. Doppio Clinic is headed by a hair loss specialist physician who leads a team of professionals prepared to help you with your hair problems.
Make an appointment today to get the information and advice about your hair loss.
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Hair and scalp evaluation
Dermatological evaluation
It includes the overall examination of hair and scalp aspects such as skin lesions, hair texture, resistance and color.
Depending on the patient’s history and the dermatological evaluation, other parts of the body may need to be checked.
Only after finishing the dermatological evaluation, images of hair and scalp should be taken.
Trichoscopy: diagnostic images
One of the most important tests to diagnose hair loss causes is the trichoscopy (Trichoscan).
It allows the doctor to get a detailed analysis of the hair and scalp.
Trichoscopy is a hair evaluation method based on the image amplification of scalp areas by specific optic cameras.
Structures which can be visualized by trichoscopy include hair features such as thickness, length, hair structure and shaft deformities.
Moreover, it allows a better evaluation of scalp characteristics such as color, inflammatory signs and abnormalities.
Thus, trichoscopy can contribute to the accurate diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, trichotillomania, tinea capitis, cicatricial alopecia and hair shaft dystrophies.
Trichogram: hair shaft analysis
Trichogram is an option to evaluate causes of hair loss.
It is a efficient technique to analise hair roots and determine the amount of hair in each hair cycle phase.
Therefore, it is possible to diagnose telogen effluvium with more accuracy.
Although it is a useful tool, it has been less demanded recently.
Maybe the decreased demand is due to discomfort caused by pulling out the hair strands for microscope analysis.
Biopsy: anatomopathologic examination of scalp
Since biopsy is a surgical procedure, other hair tests should be performed before it.
In general, the scalp biopsy is only done only if there is a doubtful diagnosis, that was not clarified by previous tests.
General health evaluation
Hair can be a reflexion of health, therefore hair loss can be an sign of possible bodily illness or misbalances.
Considering this, it might be a good idea to have a complete health check up if you start to notice hair loss.
Lab tests
Blood tests are essential to analyse possible internal reasons linked to hair loss.
They give information about diet, hormones, infections, auto-immune diseases, metabolic disturbances, and conditions of all the organs and bodily tissues that can interfere with hair equilibrium.
Tests such as ultrasound, tomography, electrocardiogram or any other diagnostic method can be recommended according to patient’s history or results of previous hair loss tests.
Diagnosis and hair loss tests
Sometimes it takes a long time to get a proper hair loss diagnosis.
A hair loss specialist physician may facilitate this process through a good anamnesis.
Once you get the proper diagnosis, it increases your chances of getting better results.
You should look for a doctor as soon as you notice hair loss.
Doppio Clinic has an appropriate infrastructure to evaluate and treat hair loss.
Doppio Clinic is headed by a hair loss specialist physician who leads a team of professionals prepared it to help with you hair problems.
Make an appointment today to get information and advice about your hair.