Background:
Hair and scalp dermoscopy, known as trichoscopy, has recently been used frequently in order to both diagnose and distinguish in various hair and scalp disorders as well as melanocytic lesions. This non-invasive, modern and comfortable method enables us for evaluating hair shafts such as broken hairs, tapering hairs, short vellus hairs, comma hairs, corkscrew hairs, and congenital hair shaft abnormalities; follicular and interfollicular epidermal changes such as yellow dots, black dots, white dots, peripilar sign, follicular openings; and vascular structures such as red dots and globules, twisted red loops, glomerular vessels, arborizing vessels and atypical red vessels. While yellow dots are more important features for alopecia areata, hair diameter variability is very specific for androgenetic alopecia. Comma hairs and corkscrew hairs were reported in patients with tinea capitis. Red dots and globules and twisted red loops are frequently seen in patients with scalp psoriasis, but not seborrheic dermatitis. Thanks to these dermoscopic features, as we can increase our likelihood of correct diagnosis, we can reduce the number of unnecessary scalp biopsies. Furthermore, we can use dermoscopy to evaluate follow-up treatment in diseases such as pediculosis capitis and tinea capitis. Consequently, hair and scalp dermoscopy is very simple, useful and timesaving method that can be easily used in daily practice.
Keywords: Dermoscopy, Trichoscopy, Hair, Scalp, Alopecia