If you are at all concerned about hair loss, hair mapping and miniaturization may be terms that you are starting to come across. What do they mean? Well, miniaturization is a term that refers to the hair follicle tendency to create thinner strands of hair as we age. (â€Hair fiber morphology†is another term that may appear in discussions about miniaturization; this phrase simply describes any changes in the structure of hair strands.) The thick, pigmented hairs found on the scalp are called â€terminal hairs.†As we mature, these terminal hairs can become finer and finer, until the hair follicles can stop producing entirely. Hair miniaturization is one of the first stages of male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia. Is it possible to tell if hairs are becoming thinner? Yes! Hair mapping for miniaturization (also called scalp mapping) is the best way to chart changes in hair growth and to detect hair loss. How is the hair mapped? Hair loss specialists use an instrument called a â€densitometer†to magnify and measure the diameter of hair follicles. They chart the density of hairs from all areas of the scalp. This information helps show whether hair is actually thinning, and gives doctors and patients quantitative evidence of how much thinner the hair follicles have become. Through scalp mapping, doctors can match the hair loss pattern to a stage of the Norwood Scale (if applicable), make any possible predictions about future hair loss, and plan a course of action. It is best to have the scalp mapped for hair follicle miniaturization as soon as a patient suspects an issue with hair loss. This way, in a follow-up visit, a comparison can be made between the old and new data. It’s easier to stop hair from thinning than it is to re-grow lost hair. By the time hair is noticeably thinner, 60% of its volume may be gone! Early detection and early treatment produce the optimum results!
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