How Can Hair Loss be Diagnosed?

The doctor will initially take a detailed history of your problem, will take your family history, personal and medical history. Then he or she will proceed towards the following tests:

• Pull Test: In this test your doctor will gently pull about 60 hairs to observe that how many hairs come out. This test will help to determine the phase of the shedding process.
• Hair root KOH mount: In this test doctor scrapes samples from the scalp or skin to detect the hair roots. This will help to determine an infection which is causing hair loss.
• Blood Test: Blood test will reveal the medical conditions relevant to the hair loss as thyroid disease.
• Light Microscopy: In this test doctor uses a special instrument to analyze the hairs trimmed at their bases. Microscopy can be helpful to reveal the disorders of the hair shaft.