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Photographic Techniques and Quantification of Hair Growth

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Agache's Measuring the Skin

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Abstract

High-quality standardized imaging procedures are essential for objective documentation and accurate evaluation of hair growth and hair loss. As far as photography is concerned, global viewing and analytical image techniques are mandatory for clinical studies and for evaluating hair growth. The development of contrast-enhanced phototrichogram with exogen collection (CE-PTG-EC) resulted from 25 years of continuous step-by-step technological improvement, comparative research and development.

In our hands, CE-PTG-EC has allowed accurate and precise measurements of the scalp and body hair variables; hair density, hair thickness, and linear hair growth rate; together with the exact and meticulous staging of the hair follicle cycle. Transitions from the anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen phases have been quantified for normal subjects and patients.

In the general dermatological or hair clinic, CE-PTG-EC is applicable in patients complaining of hair shedding because it describes all individual parameters that contribute to maintaining hair volume, each of which may be affected separately or in association with each other.

As experience accumulates in combing global and analytical approaches, we are now at the verge of translating numbers into figures that help as quantitative differential diagnostics with updated limits that separate normal subjects from patients complaining about hair loss!

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Abbreviations

CCD:

Charge-coupled devices

CE:

Contrast enhancement

CE-PTG-EC:

Contrast-enhanced phototrichogram with exogen collection

EC:

Exogen collection

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

MPHL:

Male pattern hair loss

PTG:

Phototrichogram

SCS:

Scalp coverage scoring

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Skinterface Tournai and Brussels’ Hair Clinic, 9 rue du Sondart, 7500, Tournai, Belgium

    Van Neste Dominique

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  1. Van Neste Dominique
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Correspondence to Van Neste Dominique .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France

    Philippe Humbert

  2. Center for Study and Research on the Integuments, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France

    Ferial Fanian

  3. Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

  4. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France

    Pierre Agache

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Dominique, V.N. (2017). Photographic Techniques and Quantification of Hair Growth. In: Humbert, P., Fanian, F., Maibach, H., Agache, P. (eds) Agache's Measuring the Skin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32383-1_107

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32383-1_107

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32383-1

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