How To Diagnose Your Hair Loss Type

Hair loss might seem very straightforward to diagnose, but there are several diagnostic tests used to diagnose different types of hair loss before prescribing any hair loss medicine or procedures like hair transplantation. Some diagnosis tests are discussed below.

Hair Pull Test

A hair pull test is just as it sounds. In this test, the doctor will take a strand of hair and pull it with a specific force. This is also known as a tug test. The doctor is experienced enough to know the specific tension which should be present in healthy hair. If your hair is too brittle, it might even break from the center and not from the root.

A healthy hair shaft should always break from the root and it should have enough elasticity to sustain the pull. A hair test is more like a preliminary examination for your hair and it will lead to more diagnostic tests, which will give a better diagnosis of your hair fall type, but this test is done to find out if your hair is weak and brittle or not.

Scalp Biopsy

A hair biopsy is usually done if your scalp is not looking healthy. If your scalp has too much sebum and dandruff built up and even after trying everything to get rid of it, it stays the same, then you should probably get a biopsy done, because it might be related to your immune system. Scalp biopsy is also done when you are suffering from pattern baldness and alopecia. It is a great diagnostic test to find out whether your scalp is unhealthy and if you have an immunity reaction, which is causing your hair to break.

Blood Iron And Thyroid Levels

Blood tests can also tell you a lot about hair loss and its potential causes. First and foremost, your iron levels are checked. Iron deficiency is a major cause of hair loss and it can lead to a lot of hair breakage. Another blood test which is useful to identify hair loss is thyroid levels and androgen levels.

Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can cause an imbalance of hormones which can take a toll on your hair health. High androgen levels can also lead to baldness and increased hair growth on other parts of your body.

Fungal Culture

Fungal culture is commonly done on people who are suffering from immense dandruff. You might not know this but fungus can be present in your hair shaft and scalp and it looks very similar to dandruff, but it doesn’t go away like normal dandruff, which is why you need a detailed diagnosis on what this dandruff-like accumulation could be. This is where a Fungal culture comes in handy. Some of the accumulated fungus is scraped from your scalp and it is sent for testing. The results will tell you whether it’s fungus or just dandruff.

Trichometric Analysis

Think of trichometric analysis as a high quality and in-depth photography of the hair and scalp. This technique uses a high-powered microscopic camera and it goes into your hair and scalp and takes several detailed pictures of your hair. This will give a clearer picture of your hair and it can also magnify a couple of times to give all the nitty gritty details.

This test is so precise that it can give you the total amount of hair on the scalp, total coverage of the scalp, etc.

Photograph Comparison

This test is more like a follow up log. This involves taking pictures of the patient’s hair after every follow up appointment to see any sort of changes and improvement in the hair growth after a specific treatment has been started. These photos are taken from different angles or even from the same spots, to find out any differentiating factors between the last follow up and the present one this is a good log to keep, especially if you are someone who has recently undergone hair transplantation.

Who would’ve thought there might be so many ways to diagnose a hair loss type. Once diagnosed, a proper treatment plan can be prescribed by the doctor so that you can pave your way towards healthier and thicker hair. Moreover, you can also discuss your hair loss type with a hair transplant doctor and decide upon a hair restoration method.