Trying Other Means
1. Use an online tool
If you're unsure which hair loss scale to use to measure your baldness, you can try using an online tool. Many websites have hair loss calculators that help you diagnose your level of baldness.
- Usually, the tools will allow you to put in basic information such as your age and whether or not baldness runs in your family.
- The tool will also allow you to select your level of baldness, based on visual aids provided as well as multiple choice questions.
- The tool will give you a level of baldness and suggest treatment options. However, you should never undergo any hair loss treatment without first consulting your regular physician.
2. Try non-invasive measures
A doctor can advise you on the best ways to measure your hair loss if standard scales do not work for you. Your doctor will probably go over non-invasive measures first.
- Your doctor might have you take a daily questionnaire, where you choose answers from a series of multiple choice questions regarding your level of hair loss. While questionnaires are easy and non-invasive, they are highly subjective and may not provide you with an accurate measure of hair loss.
- Daily hair counts involve collecting strands of hair in a bag and counting them at the end of the day. Most people lose about 100 strands of hair a day and if you're losing more you may be at risk for baldness.
- In a standardized wash test, you refrain from shampooing your hair for 5 days and then shampoo and rinse your hair in a basin with the hole covered by gauze. You will collect the hairs and send them to your doctor for evaluation.
- Global photography involves photographing hair with special equipment at a doctor's office, equipped with lighting and magnification to assess hair loss. This is a more precise level of evaluating hair loss than other non-invasive measures.
3. Try semi-invasive and invasive procedures
If your doctor think you're at a high risk for hair loss, she might recommend trying invasive or semi-invasive procedures to evaluate hair loss.
- A hair pluck test, known medically as a trichogram, involves taking hairs from specific parts of the scalp after five days of using a specialized shampoo. The hair is then evaluated in a lab to assess the level of hair loss.
- A UAT exam involves marking a fixed area on the scalp with a fiber tip pen. Then, all the hairs within the line are evaluated individually with tweezers or other devices at a doctor's office. While this can provide an accurate measure of hair loss, it can also be quite painful.
- Scalp biopsies are usually used if your doctor suspects you may have a hair loss disorder like alopecia. The biopsy is usually performed under anesthesia, and a 4 millimeter bit of scalp is taken for examination.
4. Seek treatment
Once you've assessed your level of hair loss, make an appointment with your physician to discuss treatment options.
- Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a foam you rub into your scalp twice a day to combat hair loss. It can be used by both men and women and can encourage hair growth or stop further hair loss. Side effects might include scalp itchiness, hair growth on the face, and rapid heart rate.
- Finasteride (Propecia) is a prescription drug, taken in pill form, available only to men. It is designed to slow hair loss. Side effects might include diminished sex drive or difficulty with sexual performance, although such side effects are rare.
- Hair loss surgery is sometimes recommended in extreme cases. Usually, plugs of skin from the back of the scalp are transported into the bald sections. Surgery can be painful, and scarring is a risk.
- Laser therapy is a somewhat new technique used to treat baldness in both men and women. The long term effect of this therapy is not know, but it has shown to reduce baldness in some patients.
5. Recognize normal hair loss
If your notice you've entered Stage 1 on either hair loss scales, this might be normal hair thinning and loss that comes with age. If you're in your 40s or 50s and there is not a history of baldness in your family, this is likely normal hair thinning that comes with age and probably does not warrant treatment.
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