CLINICOEPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF FEMALE PATTERN HAIR LOSS

Background: Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a broad term for decrease in central scalp hair density that occurs in many females post puberty. It is characterized by a progressive decline in the duration of anagen, an increase in the duration of telogen and miniaturization of the scalp hair follicles. Objectives: To study epidemiology of various patterns of hair loss in FPHL, to evaluate the association of FPHL with low serum ferritin levels and thyroid levels. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 patients with FPHL meeting defined inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this cross-sectional study after taking an informed consent and approval of institutional ethical committee. All patients were subjected to a detailed history based on a questionnaire. A thorough clinical examination was done to study FPHL. Hair pull test was performed on each patient. Trichogram slide was prepared for each patient. Blood samples were collected and complete haemogram, serum ferritin and thyroid levels were determined. Results: Most of the patients were studens (42%). Majority of the cases were clustered in the age group 18-30 years. Mean age of onset was 29.22±13.01. Mean duration of hair loss was 2.00±1.88. 38% of the patients had a positive family history of hair loss. Hair pull test was negative in 74% of the patients. The most common pattern of hair loss was found to be Ludwig pattern (74%), followed by Hamilton-Norwood pattern of female hair loss (18%) and Olsen (8%). The most common grade of hair loss was found to be Ludwig I (66%). Conclusion: In our study, majority of the patients (68%) were in the age group 18-30 years and most of them were students (42%). 38% of them had a positive family history of baldness and in them the age of onset was quite earlier which confirms that genetic susceptibility predisposes to early onset of FPHL. Commonest pattern was Ludwig pattern (74%). Commonest grade was Ludwig I (66%). Low serum ferritin (<10ng/ml) was associated with Ludwig II, Hamilton-Norwood II and Olsen patterns of hair loss in pre-menopausal women but it was not statistically significant (P=0.066). Only 2 patients (4%) had low thyroid levels.