Standardizing the 60-second hair count.
OBJECTIVE
To define the range of normal for a standardized 60-second hair count in men without alopecia.


METHODS
Convenience sample.


METHODS
Hospital-based practice.


METHODS
The study included 60 healthy men (age range, 20-60 years) without evidence of alopecia.


METHODS
Range of normal for a standardized 60-second hair count.


RESULTS
Among the 20- through 40-year-old men, the shedding range was 0 to 78 hairs, with a mean of 10.2 hairs. Among the 41- through 60-year-old men, the range was 0-43 hairs, with a mean of 10.3 hairs. Low intrapatient variability for hair counts was found in both age groups, indicating consistent results on consecutive days for all participants. When repeated 6 months later in both age groups, the hair counts did not change much. The hair counts were repeated and verified by a trained investigator, with results similar to those of subject hair counts.


CONCLUSIONS
A properly performed 60-second hair count is a simple, practical, and reliable tool for the assessment of hair shedding.
Department of Dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Carina A
CA
Wasko
Christine L
CL
Mackley
Leonard C
LC
Sperling
Dave
D
Mauger
Jeffrey J
JJ
Miller
D000328:Adult; D000505:Alopecia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006197:Hair / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012535:Scalp / Q000033:anatomy & histology*