Diagnosing alopecia is the most important step towards treatment.
Alopecia - Clinical picture
Alopecia is the disease that consists in general or localised hair loss situated in the head or the body. The clinical picture of alopecia includes hair loss, skin lesions, and potentially scarring. Loss of hair takes place gradually. Usually, the area suffering from androgenetic alopecia shows thinning of hairs, which are largely in the telogen phase and with each new life cycle lose their growth dynamic, eventually getting deteriorated.
A long process of thinning and degeneration follows, called miniaturisation, until the hairs reach their final point of degeneration. The hair follicle disappears, and the remaining hairs look like a transparent, thin fluff (terminal hair, vellus hair).
It has major psychological and social impact on patients, as dense hair has always been an important beauty feature in both sexes
Types of Alopecia
Diagnosing Alopecia
Pull Test

With this test, the doctor will gently pull the hair and then evaluate how many hairs are left in his/her hand. These hairs are then examined microscopically for the diagnosis of alopecia. This is the classical diagnostic method known as trichogram.
Biopsy

A scalp skin biopsy helps in the correct diagnosis, when there are issues with the differential diagnostic. It is particularly useful in cases with an unclear clinical picture, alopecia areata and cicatricial alopecia.
Trichogram

The classic trichogram gives conclusions about the number and the ratio of hairs that are in the anagen and in the telogen phase, thereby determining if the balance between the hair growth phases has changed. It can also show if there are dystrophic hairs that do not develop properly, and whether there are damages to the bulb or the hair shaft that cause the alopecia.
Phototrichogram

The most modern method of determining alopecia is the phototrichogram, with the use of a special digital microcamera. At Advanced Hair Clinics, we use the Follysis method for the evaluation of alopecia and the selection of the suitable treatment option. More specifically, using the special Follysis software, photos of the affected and the healthy areas are digitally analysed. The extent of the affected area, the number of follicles and the average number of hairs per follicle, as well as the hair shaft diameter are determined and compared with reference values from the healthy area of the scalp.
A decreased strand diameter is an early indication of development or progression of alopecia in the examined area. After diagnosing the type of alopecia, the clinic’s dermatologist and plastic surgeon jointly decide on the type of treatment. Advanced Hair Clinics is one of the most specialised alopecia treatment centres at a European level, and plastic surgeon Dr. Anastasios Vekris is one of the pioneers in the field of surgical restoration of alopecia.

The dermatologist and the plastic surgeon of the clinic, after having diagnosed the form of alopecia, jointly decide on the type of treatment that will be followed. Advanced Hair Clinics is, at European level, one of the most specialized centers for alopecia treatment and plastic surgeon Dr. Anastasios Vekris is one of the pioneers in the field of the surgical restoration of alopecia.
Dr. Anastasios Vekris, Plastic Surgeon Scientific Director of Advanced Hair Clinics