Female Pattern Hair Loss in Female and Male: A Quantitative Trichoscopic Analysis in Chinese Han Patients.

Yue Yin,Xi Chen,Xiangqian Li,Cheng Zhou,Jianzhong Zhang,Baifu Chen

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.649392

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the trichoscopic features of female pattern hair loss (FPHL) in Chinese Han patients and analyze the difference between male and female patients with FPHL.Materials and Methods: Trichoscopic images were taken in four different scalp areas, including right frontal hairline, vertex, right parietal and occipital areas. Hair density, hair shaft diameter, vellus hair ratio and single hair follicle unit ratio were counted manually and analyzed.Results: Seventy-three subjects were enrolled in this study, including 38 patients with FPHL (28 females and 10 males) and 35 normal controls without hair loss. The hair density and hair shaft diameter of FPHL patients reduced in the whole scalp. Vellus hair ratio and single hair follicle unit ratio were both increased in FPHL compared to normal controls. The vertex was the most affected area and the hair shaft diameter showed the most significant difference. Parietal and occipital area were also affected in FPHL. The reduction or increase was correlated with the severity of Ludwig staging. Very few gender differences were detected in male and female FPHL patients.Conclusion: FPHL patients showed decreased hair density and hair shaft diameter, accompanied by increased vellus hair ratio and single hair follicle unit ratio. Parietal and occipital area can be also affected in FPHL, though not as severe as in vertex area. FPHL in male basically has the same characteristic as those in female patients.Limitation: The main limitation of the study is the small sample size which only enrolled 10 male FPHL patients, in comparison to the female cases. The findings could not be representative of the normal population with the limited sample size.

Highlights

Hair is one of the essential skin appendages in human
The participants were subdivided into two groups of 35 normal subjects and 38 female pattern hair loss (FPHL) patients based on the clinical diagnosis
The hair shaft diameter of FPHL patients decreased in the whole scalp with statistically significant differences compared to normal

Summary

Introduction

Thinning, damaging, or abnormal shedding of hair can impair the physical protection of scalp, and affects mental health, and can even lead to severe social dysfunction. Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is the most common hair loss disease in the world, affecting both male and female. FPHL in Female and Male of hair loss in AGA is related to the gradual miniaturization of hair follicles, and eventually, lead to progressive, symmetric baldness [1]. Male pattern hair loss (MPHL) or named male pattern baldness (MPB) usually manifests as a recession of the frontal hairline, with or without baldness of the vertex area [2]. Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) presents with diffuse hair loss over the middle scalp and show no recession of frontal hairline, mainly affecting women [3]

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Conclusion