Is Hair Miniaturization Due to Genetic Hair Loss Detectable with the Naked Eye?

This question, from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums, was answered by Dr. Blake Bloxham, partner of Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Alan Feller:

Lately I’ve been doing hair inventory every time I shower, tracking number of hairs fallen among other things, one of which is miniaturization progression. Should it be clear to the eye if the hair is significantly miniaturized? How bout to the touch, i.e. when pursed between the lips?

I probably sound like one of those guys who stresses about every hair that falls but I’m just trying to learn as much about how I am progressing, the effects of Propecia (finasteride), etc. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

A few things:

1) Remember that losing 50-150 hairs (depending on the source) a day is completely normal. Losing this amount of hair is natural and doesn’t indicate any sort of pathology (IE androgenic alopecia).

2) Guys who don’t wash their hair daily may see even more of a “shed” while showering because they lose a few days worth at a time during a wash.

3) It’s difficult to detect whether a hair is miniaturized when examining it alone and without any sort of magnification. The difference between the girth of a normal terminal hair and a miniaturized hair is about 3 microns. The length may be more obvious, however, as miniaturized hairs generally break off or shed at shorter lengths. However, it’s tough to tell if you’re only looking at one or a few.

Has a hair restoration physician examined your scalp?

Dr. Blake Bloxham
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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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