Women’s hair loss is often misdiagnosed or overlooked, resulting in ineffective treatment. Accurate diagnosis of the cause of female hair loss requires a complete medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests.

When diagnosing female pattern baldness (FPB), doctors may look for signs such as thinning of the scalp with an increase in the number of vellus hairs (short, fine hairs) on the scalp, recession of the frontal and temporal hairlines, enlargement of the part line and overall decrease in hair density. A microscopic evaluation helps to determine if there is any inflammation present on the scalp.

Blood tests may be ordered to rule out underlying medical conditions that could be causing or contributing to a woman’s hair loss. These tests may include:

• Thyroid testing

• Iron and ferritin levels

• Vitamin D level

• Anti-nuclear antibody test (ANA)

• Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) or complete blood count (CBC)

• Hormone profile, including testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Proper diagnosis of female hair loss is important to ensure the right treatment plan is created. Once the cause of a woman’s hair loss is identified, an appropriate treatment regimen can be prescribed to address the underlying condition in order to slow down further hair loss and possibly even regrow lost hair.