045 Scalp Hair Photography and Hair Follicle Regression in Androgenetic Alopecia

D. Van Neste Skinterface sprl, Tournai, Belgium and Hair Technology, Brussels, Belgium

Evaluation of hair loss in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) - requires an accurate non-invasive method for diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring purposes. Because of known weaknesses of existing photographic methods, a new procedure has been developed. The new procedure (1) unravelled the presence of usually undetected thick and thin hair even from very severely miniaturised but still functionally active hair follicles (hair as thin as 8µm). In a comparative study with photographs and scalp biopsies taken from the same sites, the analysis also appeared very precise but less tedious than the examination and 3-D reconstruction of hundreds of serial histological sections. More recently we investigated hair densities with the new method on the scalp of male subjects with AGA and unaffected controls. We found a statistically significant and specific reduction of hair counts on androgen sensitive sites before clear-cut clinical involvement (detailed findings presented during this meeting). These findings and technological improvements seem to indicate that the new method is more suitable for detailed analysis of hair cycling in AGA. Indeed, this scalp disorder is characterised by gradual hair follicle hypotrophy. The ensuing shortening of the duration of anagen, decreased hair pigmentation and hair thinning result into clinically less visible hair and less hair detection with the conventional photographic methods. 1. Van Neste, D. An improved phototrichogram technique for measurements of scalp hair dynamics in androgenetic alopecia – a comparative and validation study against histology. European Journal of Dermatology. In press