Hair Loss Evaluation

A thorough evaluation including scalp and a microscopic hair assessment, or more commonly known as a miniaturization study, should be part of any initial evaluation for every hair loss patient before a hair transplant procedure.

Obtaining personal family history of baldness is critical in making the proper diagnosis. A detailed history should be taken including the time, speed and quality of hair loss and its association with other medical, physical or emotional factors.

Microscopic Hair Assessment - miniaturization study
a miniaturization study is a key step in hair loss evaluation. This helps to assess the stability of the donor area and predict the progress of hair loss.

A history of medical problems is particularly useful in women with female pattern baldness because it helps discover any treatable disorder that may have caused or accelerated the process of hair loss.

The most common disorders are: Iron deficiency, thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases such as lupus and hormonal imbalances, such as increased male hormones or altered estrogen or progesterone levels.

Some medications could cause hair loss in both men and women in which case a more detailed history of medication use would be obtained.

Conducting a miniaturization study or recording the hair caliber changes on a microscopic level are used to diagnose most common hair loss patterns. Microscopic evaluations are also used to predict future hair loss.

The initial evaluation includes measurements of donor area quality and scalp laxity. Those two factors are essential to patients who undergo the hair transplant procedure.

How a person’s hair will appear after hair transplant surgery is very important. These characteristics include: thicker hair vs. thinner hair, wavy vs. straight and minimum contrast of hair with the skin (less contrast means less visibility of the scalp and less appearance of baldness).

An examination is important because it helps us to determine a person’s qualifications for hair transplantation and to estimate the number of grafts needed. The pattern of hair loss, especially whether it is focal or diffused, may help diagnose the type of baldness. Some of the less common types of hair loss such as alopecia areata are present with very limited focal hair loss.