Dermascopic Features of Androgenetic Alopecia: A Review Article

Background: Hair and scalp dermoscopy, also known as trichoscopy, is a useful, non-invasive method for diagnosing alopecia and other scalp and hair conditions. It is gaining popularity, but there are still few review reports on the dermascopic findings of AGA. Objective: The aim of this study is to review the clinical and trichoscopic features of AGA patients.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted with the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus databases. We identified eligible published articles up to February 2022.

Results: Included were 18 articles yielding 3202 patients with androgenic alopecia. Most patients with androgenic alopecia displayed yellow dots, black dots, white dots, honeycomb pigmentation, vellus hairs, tapered hair, peripilar sign, Hair thickness heterogeneity, and perifollicular hyperpigmentation under the dermoscope.

Conclusion: This study has shown the significances of trichoscopy with androgenic alopecia patients, which can prove important to monitor early disease activity.