Dr Martin Wade presents his diagnosis algorithm to help aesthetic practitioners classify different types of hair loss
Hair loss and scalp conditions are common amongst aesthetic patients in the UK. Hair is an intrinsic part of who we are as a person and so it is not uncommon for patients to place a lot of value on their hair. The most prevalent types of hair loss are androgenetic alopecia, in the form of male pattern baldness (MPB) or female pattern hair loss (FPHL), alopecia areata and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA).1,2,3 Around 50% of men have some degree of MPB by age 501 and alopecia areata can affect up to 2% of the population at some stage of their life.2 This article presents my algorithm for identifying hair loss, aiming to provide practitioners with a structured approach to help their aesthetic patients deal with hair loss and to help them identify when they may need to refer…
