(female) Dear Dr Rassman,
I saw a trichologist who examined my hair with a microscope and told me I am not getting nutrients to the follicles and there was some minaturization. I was told this could be corrected with minoxidil and oral supplements. I would be grateful for your opinion on whether it’s possible to make this diagnosis with this kind of examination?
With Thanks

I do not believe that you can determine nutrients by looking at the hair under the microscope, but you can see miniaturization that way, particularly if the exam is done on your scalp (as opposed to examining the lost hairs under a microscope) and you map it out by area. This will give you a sense of what type of pattern balding you may develop, assuming that you are balding.

If you are not getting proper nutrients in your diet, certain supplements can be helpful (depending on what you’re lacking), and minoxidil is the only FDA approved medication for treating female hair loss. I’m just not sure what your trichologist was looking at to determine a lack of nutrition based on your follicles under a microscope.

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