S8 REFINED HAIR DIAGNOSTICS IN MALE AND FEMALE PATTERNED HAIR LOSS
Van Neste D
Skinterface, Tournai, Belgium

The phenomenon of hair growth, shedding and re-growth can be monitored in great detail with contrast-enhanced phototrichogram (CE-PTG). In our hands this method can be applied in the hair clinic as a refined diagnostic method for male and female patients complaining about hair loss. Some parameters are significantly modified in female and male patterned hair loss. Hair density, anagen %, thickness and growth are gradually reduced from the less to the more severely affected patients while the proportion of thinner hair and exogen hair is increasing. Longitudinal studies may help understanding hair cycling and replacement during the natural progression of hair loss and document which hair follicles are responsible for the therapeutic response. It has been suggested that transformation of terminal hair follicles into vellus-like follicles may be a one step process. Similarly the response to finasteride would be a one step reversal from a vellus-like to a terminal follicle. This view was based on statistical observations and it is possible that this mechanism might intervene in the most severe cases. In order to move out of the area of speculation, we will present some evidence from our laboratory favouring an alternative phenomenological interpretation. Evidence generated from repeat surface viewing allows indeed dynamic studies about events that happen in the scalp of our patients either during the natural course of this disorder or during the therapeutic response with finasteride. We believe that our CE-PTG technology may be applied in clinical situations for a quantified diagnosis of hair loss. Companies developing active compounds and using this method may be able to define predictive parameters for the therapeutic response of an individual patient.