Method for quantitative evaluation of the efficacy of treatments for hair loss using image analysis: preliminary study

Abstract

Introduction: The number of women seeking treatment for androgenetic alopecia has increased during the last decade. Likewise, a greater amount of therapeutic options and methods for evaluating treatment efficacy have also become available. In face of this, it is necessary to develop simple and objective methods to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of hair treatments. Objective: To validate a quantitative method that evaluates the effectiveness of treatments for hair loss. Methods: Comparison of standardized photographs obtained before and after the treatments, analyzed by a software that provides automatic calculation of the area of hair loss in square pixels. This calculation is based on the contrast perceived between bright (hair loss) and dark (normal amount of hair) regions of the scalp, and allows estimating the area that is not covered by hair, thus quantifying the effectiveness of the treatments. Results: The method is effective for assessing the affected area in patients with both initial and advanced degrees of hair loss. Conclusions: The proposed method allows evaluating the effectiveness of diverse types of treatments for telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia in a rapid, straightforward and cost effective manner.