152 Quantitative Evaluations for Scalp Hair Growth by Using A Digital Camera and Computer Image Analysis.

T. Arai, T. Takahashi, and M. Tajima Shiseido Basic Research Center, Yokohama, Japan.

Quantitative evaluations for hair growth are necessary to assess the effects of hair growth ingredients. Several methods, for example, photo-trichogram, hair counting, and visual observation or computer image analysis of the photographs of scalp, have been known. The photo-trichogram and the hair counting do not exactly correspond to global hair image because of the measurements in partial area on scalp. In the visual observation or computer image analysis of photographs, that are correspond to global hair image, it is important to obtain the photographs on the identical conditions including volunteer preparation, lighting, camera settings, film, development, and so on. For example, the dark development causes to evaluate narrower area of thin hair than the accurate area. However, it is difficult to obtain the photographs on the identical conditions in development of film in an analog camera. To accomplish the identical conditions on photographs, we attempted to use a digital camera of high resolution, 2.74-Mpixel in 23.7×15.6mmsizeCCD. The top views of volunteer head with a color standard paper were taken photograph on the identical conditions in hair preparation, lighting, and camera settings. The computer image transferred from the camera were rectified color distortion on the hue, the value and the chroma of color standard paper. The range of hue, value, and chroma in scalp skin color without hair were defined. The area with scalp skin color on head was calculated as pixel numbers. By using this method of quantitative evaluations for scalp hair photograph, we evaluated the efficacy of hair growth by a lotion containing the extract of dried roots of Sophora Flavescens Aiton in the double-blind clinical test.