Trichoscopy

During trichoscopy, a practitioner holds a handheld or digital magnifier against the scalp. It shows detail that cannot be seen with the naked eye, such as differences in hair thickness, the appearance of the follicle openings, scaling and the small blood vessels of the scalp.

Dermatologists use trichoscopy to help tell different types of hair loss apart. Trichologists and some scalp-care professionals also use scalp cameras to look at the skin and track changes over time. Photographs taken at the same spots can make progress easier to compare.

Trichoscopy is quick and does not hurt. On its own it does not always give a diagnosis, and a doctor may still recommend blood tests or, occasionally, a small scalp biopsy.