What should you know about dermoscopy for hair?

A clinician may look for differences in hair-shaft thickness, the number of hairs emerging from each follicle, broken hairs, scaling, redness, or empty follicular openings. These observations can help separate patterns that begin at the follicle from changes caused by inflammation, infection, traction, or hair-care practices. The view is more detailed than looking at the scalp with the unaided eye, but it does not by itself provide every diagnosis. Your history, scalp examination, and sometimes laboratory tests or a biopsy may still be relevant.

Bring a list of medicines, supplements, recent illnesses, and hair or scalp products. Mention tight hairstyles, extensions, chemical treatments, heat use, shedding, itching, tenderness, or a family pattern of hair loss. During the visit, the clinician places a handheld or digital dermatoscope over selected scalp areas and compares findings between regions. The examination is generally quick and does not cut the hair or skin. Avoid applying concealers, fibres, or heavy oils immediately beforehand if possible, because they can obscure the surface.

Arrange a dermatology assessment for sudden or rapidly expanding hair loss, painful or swollen scalp areas, pus, marked scaling, bleeding, or smooth patches with little visible follicle opening. Prompt review also helps when hair loss follows a new medicine, illness, pregnancy, or major stressor, because timing can guide the assessment. A dermatoscope is an assessment aid, not a substitute for treating an infection or other scalp disease.

Ask which scalp findings were seen, whether the pattern suggests shaft breakage or follicle-level loss, and what other tests could clarify the cause. You can also ask when comparison photographs would be useful and which hair practices should be paused while the diagnosis is being assessed.