Even if you feel that your hair may be thinning, it can be difficult to suddenly visit a clinic.
This time, we will introduce how to determine whether you have AGA using 5 simple check items.

AGA self-check

The self-check is just a simple way to diagnose whether you have AGA or not, and to find out if you really have AGA, you need to be diagnosed by a doctor at a specialized clinic or hospital.
Since it can be confirmed with a simple check, I think it will be helpful in deciding whether to visit a clinic.
Please try it.

Check item 1: Is the hair on the top of the head and hairline losing its elasticity?
The areas where hair thins due to AGA are determined to be the hairline, the crown of the head, and/or both.
There is no thinning of hair on the sides or back of the head, so it may be easier to understand if you compare it with the hair quality in those areas.
When your hair loses its firmness and body, it becomes flat and difficult to stand up and set, so please check for any of these changes first.

Check item 2: Is there an increase in fine hair like downy hair?
I think it is difficult to check the top of your head yourself, and it takes courage to have someone else check it for you.
I don't think it's possible to see details such as downy hair when taking photos, so I think it's more realistic to check at the hairline.
In front of the mirror, lift your bangs to expose your forehead and check to see if there are any thin, short hairs sticking out from your hairline.
The normal state is for thick hair to grow tightly from the hairline, so if you pay close attention to your appearance every day when you look in the mirror, you will be able to notice changes more easily.

Check item 3: Is the skin on the top of the head showing through?
This is a symptom that is often seen in people who have progressed to AGA.
Since it is difficult to see, it is difficult to notice that the symptoms are progressing, and when we actually take pictures and show them to our patients, many of them are surprised at the degree to which AGA has progressed.
Many people find that their skin shows through when their hair is wet, such as after taking a shower, so we recommend checking it after you shower.
Although this is a difficult part to check, it is important to check it regularly by visually checking it using a photo or mirror.

Check item 4: Is the hair at the hairline receding?
A receding hairline is a condition in which AGA has progressed further from check item ②.
As the growth of downy hair increases, the boundary between the hairline becomes vague, so in addition to checking to see if downy hair is growing, it is a good idea to also check how much the hairline has receded compared to before. think.

Check item 5: Is hair loss increasing?
As AGA progresses, the hair cycle becomes extremely short.The amount of hair falling out will increase.
Please check to see if the amount of hair on your pillow when you wake up in the morning or in the drain after you shower has increased compared to before.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the AGA self-check is just a simple way to diagnose whether you have AGA yourself, and to find out whether you really have AGA, you need to be diagnosed by a doctor at a specialized clinic or hospital. .
Early treatment is the key to AGA, so I hope that being aware that you may have thinning hair will be a trigger for treatment.

Three points that determine AGA

Although the above five items can be used to easily check whether or not you have AGA, clinic doctors also focus on the following when making a diagnosis.

Points for diagnosis ①: Genetic background
It is known that 9% of the causes of AGA are genetic.
Even if no one in your family has thinning hair, it does not mean that you will never develop AGA, but if someone in your family has thinning hair, you are more likely to develop AGA, so please be sure to check with your blood relatives. I always make sure to ask about this during my interview to see if anyone else has the same symptoms of thinning hair.

Points for diagnosis ②: Location and pattern of AGA symptoms
We actually check the progress of thinning hair and hair quality by visual inspection and palpation.

Key points during diagnosis ③: Microscopic findings
If your scalp is healthy, you should see two to three thick, firm hairs coming out of each pore.
When symptoms of AGA occur, hair loss is noticeable, with the hair on the top of the head and hairline becoming weak and laggy.
This symptom is a specific symptom that can only be seen in AGA, so if you can confirm this, you can definitely say that you have AGA.

Cases and treatments where thinning hair is seen all over the head

As mentioned above, the areas where AGA symptoms occur are determined to be the hairline, the top of the head, and/or both, but there are cases where the hair density is low overall and the hair is thinning all over the head. There is also.
In this case, there are multiple possibilities, and it is very difficult to confirm what is causing the thinning hair, as AGA may have progressed or a disease other than AGA may be causing the thinning hair. It is important.

Although the effects and treatments for thinning hair other than AGA are not as established as for AGA, there are reports that some people have seen improvement in thinning hair with minoxidil taken orally or mesotherapy (injection into the scalp).
However, the reason behind the thinning of hair all over the head is due to poor lifestyle habits, diseases such as internal organs or cancer, and rapid weight loss due to excessive dietary restrictions, which can affect the hair. In some cases.

For such people, rather than treating hair loss, it is necessary to first correct the root cause.

Summary of this time

There are 5 checkpoints to check if you have AGA yourself.
① Is the hair on the top of the head and hairline losing its elasticity?
② Is there an increase in fine hair like downy hair?
③ Is the skin on the top of your head showing through?
④Is the hair at the hairline receding?
⑤Is your hair loss increasing?

If you see thinning hair all over your head, be careful as it may be caused by a disease other than AGA.
Since it is easy to check, please use this as a basis for deciding whether to visit the clinic or as an opportunity for early consultation.