Female Alopecia. Guide to Successful Management

About this book

• Critical appraisal of old myths and new insights into female hair loss and treatment
• Practical guide to correct diagnosis, successful treatment, and patient expectation management
• Comprehensive illustrative material

Few dermatologic problems carry as many emotional overtones as hair loss in women, which is by far the most common hair problem encountered in daily clinical practice. Fortunately, a specific diagnosis can usually be established through a detailed patient history, examination of the scalp and pattern of hair loss, a simple pull test, dermoscopy of the scalp and hair (trichoscopy), a few pertinent screening blood tests, and, in selected cases, a scalp biopsy. Once the diagnosis has been established, treatment appropriate to the diagnosis is likely to control the problem.

The aim of this comprehensively illustrated monograph is to provide both specialists and primary care physicians with the practical know-how required for successful management of hair loss in female patients of all ages. The book opens by critically examining myths about hair loss. The different examination techniques are then described, and the various forms of hair loss and their treatment are discussed in detail. Approaches to follow-up are outlined, and the management of patient expectations is carefully considered. The potential role of hair care and cosmetics is also explored in some depth.

Table of contents

Introduction.- Historical Myths: Experiments on Hair Loss Cures.- Age Old Myths: Popular or Layman’s Myths.- Physician’s Myths: Don’t Believe Everything you Hear on Hair.- Examining Hair Loss in Women.- Patient History.- Clinical Examination.- Trichoscopy.- Trichogram.- Laboratory Work-Up.- Scalp Biopsy.- Quantifying Hair Loss.- Diagnosis and Treatment.- Telogen Effluvium.- Iron Deficiency.- Female Pattern Hair Loss.- Postpartal Hair Loss.- Menopause.- Seasonal Hair Shedding.- Effect of Cigarette Smoking and UV Radiation.- Senescent Alopecia.- Alopecia with Scarring Phenomena.- Trichotillomania and Related Disorders.- Imaginary Hair Loss.- Trichodynia and Red Scalp.- Concept of Multigargeted Treatment.- Anagen Effluvium.- Chemotherapy Induced Hair Loss.- Loose Anagen Hair and Short Anagen Hair.- Follow-Up.- Global Photographic Assessment.- Hair Loss Related Life Quality Index (Hairdex).- Patient Compliance Issues.- Patient Expectation Management.- Listening to the Patient.- Adjustment Disorders.- Tackling Side-Effects.- Hair Prosthesis.- Hair Care and Cosmetics.- Hair Weathering.- Shampoos.- Conditioners.- Hair Styling Aids.- Hair Dyes.- Cosmetic Treatment for Aging Hair.- Adverse Effects of Cosmetic Hair Treatments.- Epilog: StAgnes of Rome, Patron Saint of Women with Hair Loss.- Female Hair in Christian Iconography.