Hair loss is
diagnosed through a medical history and physical examination. Your doctor will
ask you questions about your hair loss, look at the pattern of your hair loss,
and examine your scalp. He or she may also tug gently on a few hairs or pull
The most common cause of hair loss—inherited hair
recognized. Men tend to lose hair from the forehead area and top of the head
with normal amounts of hair on other areas of the scalp. Women tend to keep their front hairline, but have thinning of the hair on the top of the head.
Hair loss history
To determine the cause of your
hair loss, your doctor may ask you about:
- Characteristics of your hair loss. Is your
hair thinning, with your scalp becoming more visible, but your hair is not
noticeably falling out? Or is your hair shedding, with lots of hair falling
- How long your hair loss has been occurring. How long has it
been since you had your normal amount of hair?
- Your family history
of hair loss. Does your mother or father, brother or sister, or any other
relative have hair loss? If so, what caused their hair loss?
hairstyling habits. Has your hair become fragile from pulling it too tight or
from other hairstyling habits? Have you had any chemical treatments to your
hair, such as permanents (perms) or bleaching? Do you use a blow-dryer that may
be too hot? Is a curling iron damaging your hair?
illness. Have you had any skin rashes, such as
- Medicines you are
taking. Are you taking blood thinners (anticoagulants)
or medicines for
depression, or heart problems? Have you had any
- Your diet. Are you
iron in your diet?
If the reason for your hair loss is not
clear, your doctor may do tests to check for a disease that may be causing your
hair loss. Tests include:
- Hair analysis. Your doctor will take a sample of your
hair and examine it under a microscope. A scalp sample might also be
- Blood tests, including testing for a specific condition,
such as an overactive or underactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism
Hair loss in women is more difficult to diagnose than
it is in men because the pattern of hair loss is not as noticeable as it is in
men. In women with mild to moderate hair thinning who are otherwise healthy
(with normal menstrual and fertility history), testing to
diagnose hair loss usually is not done. But in women who have irregular
menstrual cycles, continued episodes of
acne, or too much body hair (hirsutism), testing for a
class of hormones called
testosterone, is sometimes done.