Trichometry module allows to track down patient's hair growth environment information by calculating an approximate overall average hair density, diameter, growth and shedding rates, applicable to given patient per obtained diagnostic data, while allowing to compare recieved results to the statistically established norms for a healthy individual, differentiated by sex, age and racial variation for hair average criteria. In addition, it also helps to identify changes in hairs in reference to a diffrentiation between androgen dependent and independent, or in other words, inherited (Pattern) and diffuse (Effluvium) hair loss causes. This is being done by ranking an obtained diagnostic data on hair densities, diameters and growth phases from Phototrichogram module and, if this study has not been performed, then on hair densities and diameters only from General Trichoscopy section of Trichoscopy module. However, in second case, calculations on hair growh and shedding rates will not be avaialble, therefore, it is certainly advisable to perform Phototrichogram study to take a full advantage of this module's main calculator, as well as for more correct acuired diagnostic data to be used in a first place! Also, this calculator can be used for some analytics, if wanted to see how is patient's hair growth and shedding environment may vary depending on changes in Terminal/Vellus and Anagen/Telogen hairs counts/ratios, by modifying an obtained from diagnostic sessions data in order to see, how can results differ, based on changes in thse variables due to applied treatment. etc. There is also an ability to change main patient's data for sex/age/racial variations for hair, more for research and educational purposes, or for example, if not sure on a specific patient's assigned group for racial variation for hair and want to compare received results to statistic norms of a neighboring group, etc.
In addition, Trichometry module also offers convenient hair calculators for recorded results of performed "classic" hair wash and growthing hair tests in Trichology, which have been used to to learn on hair growth and shedding, when computers and cameras were not even available! Although, it is very important to properly perform those tests in order to achieve realistic results:
In preparation for the hair wash test a patient should not wash hair for 5 days at least. Prior to hair wash sink's drain shall be covered with a gauze. After hair wash completed, collect all hairs remaining in a gauze and place it on a sheet of white paper. Count the total number of washed out hairs, while paying attention to their lengths and dividing into 3 groups of up to 3 cm, 3 to 5 cm and over 5 cm in lengths. Hairs less than 3 cm in lengths are usually Vellus-like hairs, their diameters are less than 30 microns. Normally, a number of washed out hairs may be anywhere from 100 to over 200 hairs. In Pattern Alopecia a number of Vellus-like hairs is usually above 10% of a total count and in Telogen Alopecia - less than 10%, while a total number of hairs in AGA is usually about 100 hairs and with Telogen Alopecia exceeds 200 hairs. When counting, it should be noted, if some hairs are broken, or have blunt angles, which were trimmed down to this length during haircut, so, even such hairs would be in a shorter lengths group, thy shall be considered as a long hairs. It is impractical to carry out this test, if the length of patient's hair is less than 6 cm. The drawback of this method is that an efforts applied to diferrent scalp sites during hair wash can be different, it also depends on an intensity applied by patient during daily hair brushing prior to a test.
In order to perform a growing hair test, few hair strands shall be cut off at their "roots" as close to scalp as possible, and then stuck one after another to some slide with a see- through sticky tape, ususally a double-sided scotch tape. Next count hair fibers, then take a ruler and measure the lengths of each hair fiber. For example, there were 100 hair fibers cut off and out of them 10 are 1-2cm, 15 - 2-3cm, 20 - 3-4cm, 25 - 4-5cm and remaining 30 hair fibers are longer than 5 cm. It is assumed, that 1-2cm long hair fibers grew out 1-2 months ago, practically immediately replacing shedded 1-2 months ago hair fibers, which have opened them up a space. And 2-3cm long hair fibers grew out 2-3 months ago replacing shedded 2-3 months ago hair fibers, etc. Therefore, if out of 100 hair fibers in our example 10 are 1-2cm long, this means that 1-2 months ago hair loss resulted in 10% of a total scalp hairs, 2-3 months ago the hair loss resulted in 15% of a total scalp hairs and so on. If this counting was done in February and patient has 100 000 hairs, our calculator will estimate, that in December-January patient has lost 10,000 hairs, November-December - 15,000 hairs and so on. This estimation is good for Terminal hairs counts for Androgenetic Alopecia and Telogen Alopecia, but can not be applied for Alopecia Areata and Cicatricial Alopecia. It also cannot account for a loss of Vellus hairs, since lost Vellus hairs are not always replaced with young hairs or their growth may be delayed. Also it shall be noted, that if patient has more than one "yellow dot" or "white dot" in any field of view in Trichoscopy session, that means a presence of some substantially delayed new hair growth and a conduction if this test is considered to be impractical.
For more Trichometry features of the TrichoSciencePro © computer program refer to Chapter 16. "Hair Calculator module. Trichometry functions." of the User Manual. In case of any recent updates, for some additional information please also refer to the publication for the New Version.
