There are many causes of hair loss. In order for a doctor to recommend a specific treatment, the type of baldness has to be diagnosed. What is a diagnosis? A diagnosis is a method of finding the cause of a disease from its symptoms. In the case of baldness, how is the type of baldness diagnosed? The diagnosis of hair follows some complex procedures which may involve clinical and laboratorial examinations. Clinical procedures which involve the physical examination of hair will have to be carried out. This will involve checking the diameter of the hair, its length and quality of fiber. Other visual examinations will also be carried out, which involve seeing all the skin that is on hair bearing areas, as well as checking the condition of nails. Nails can help see if the type of baldness is not the type caused by keratin disorders, which will also be expressed on nails.

Clinical examinations involve a closer look at the condition of the scalp as well as the pattern of hair loss. For example, male pattern baldness follows a specific pattern in which hair is lost on the crown of the head. Other physical tests can be applied onto hair strands which include hair pulls, clipping and plucking. The collected hairs can then be sent to the laboratory where further tests such as microscopy examination of hair fibers and scalp scales are performed. This examination will help look for pathogens such as fungi and bacteria which can be possible causes of hair loss.

All the different procedures mentioned above are used to diagnose specific types of baldness. For example, the hair samples are taken to see if patients are suffering from hair disorders that affect the hair shaft. Collecting the number of hairs shed by an individual can be used to diagnose baldness caused by telogen effluvium. In the case of male pattern baldness, the pattern of hair loss is used to determine if it is the kind of baldness that is caused by genetic predisposition to dihydrotestosterone. Women can also be tested for levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate to see if they have baldness that is associated with genetic inheritance.

For other more complex forms of baldness laboratory tests will be the only means of providing answers. Laboratory tests such as red blood cell counts, ferritin measurements and thyroid hormonal activity measurements. These tests will help identify all forms of baldness including the ones that are caused by secondary infections and those caused by hyperthyroidism. Now that you have an answer to the question ‘how is the type of baldness diagnosed?' you can now look at how all these forms of baldness can be treated. There are several treatments that are available to treat baldness. Some of these treatment drugs have been approved by the US FDA and are recognized drugs that can effectively treat baldness in both men and women. Getting the proper diagnosis for your form of baldness will also help you get the best medicine that will treat it.