title: How to diagnose hair loss.
abstract: This review presents a systematic approach to the diagnosis of hair loss. An accurate diagnosis is based on history, clinical examination, laboratory tests, and scalp biopsy. Whether the hair loss is a cicatricial or noncicatricial alopecia guides one's history taking. After assessing the patient's global appearance, the hair and scalp are evaluated, aided by a hair pull, hair tug, Hair Card, and hair mount. Scalp biopsies can confirm a diagnosis and are essential in all cases of cicatricial alopecia. In all patients with hair loss a complete blood count, ferritin, thyroid stimulating hormone, and vitamin D 25OH should be ordered.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Dermatology, 430 S. Mason Rd #101, Katy, TX 77450, USA.
authors.forename: Adrianna J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Vera H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000505:Alopecia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D001706:Biopsy; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology