Trichoscopy is a method of hair and scalp evaluation and is used for diagnosing hair and scalp diseases. The method is based on dermoscopy. In trichoscopy hair and scalp structures may be visualized at many-fold magnification. Currently magnifications ranging from 10-fold to 70-fold are most popular in research and clinical practice. The method was developed by groups of dermatologists directed by: Lidia Rudnicka in Poland, Antonella Tosti and Giuseppe Micali in Italy and Shigeki Inui in Japan. In 2004 Francesco Lacarrubba and coworkers first described videodermoscopic features of

alopecia areata Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. Often, it results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin. Psychological stress and illness are po ...

(micro-exclamation hairs, yellow hyperkeratotic hair follicle openings, and black cadaverized hairs. In 2005 Malgorzata Olszewska and Lidia Rudnicka first used videodermoscopy for evaluation of disease severity in androgenic alopecia and for monitoring treatment efficacy. Characteristic images of female

androgenic alopecia Pattern hair loss (also known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA)) is a hair loss condition that primarily affects the top and front of the scalp. In male-pattern hair loss (MPHL), the hair loss typically presents itself as either a receding front ha ...

included hair shaft heterogeneity and increased percentage of thin (below 30 micrometers) hairs at the vertex. The Polish group then developed criteria to diagnose female androgenic alopecia based solely on videodermoscopy images. In 2006 Elizabeth K Ross and coworkers specified videodermoscopy features of different acquired hair and scalp diseases. In 2008 Adriana Rakowska and coworkers first showed usefulness of trichoscopy in diagnosing children with congenital hair shaft abnormalities. It was shown that this method is especially helpful in diagnosing

monilethrix Monilethrix (also referred to as beaded hair) is a rare autosomal dominant hair disease that results in short, fragile, broken hair that appears beaded. It comes from the Latin word for necklace (''monile'') and the Greek word for hair (''thrix'' ...

Netherton syndrome Netherton syndrome is a severe, autosomal recessive form of ichthyosis associated with mutations in the ''SPINK5'' gene. It is named after Earl W. Netherton (1910–1985), an American dermatologist who discovered it in 1958.Netherton, E. W. A u ...

and other pediatric diseases. In 2008 the first atlas containing trichoscopy images was published by Antonella Tosti. The term "trichoscopy" was first introduced in 2006 by Lidia Rudnicka and Malgorzata Olszewska. In 2011 Shigeki Inui published a trichoscopy algorithm, which allows differential diagnosis of most common hair and scalp diseases (including

telogen effluvium Telogen effluvium is a scalp disorder characterized by the thinning or shedding of hair resulting from the early entry of hair in the telogen phase (the resting phase of the hair follicle).Marks, James G; Miller, Jeffery (2006). ''Lookingbill and ...

and

cicatricial alopecia Scarring hair loss, also known as cicatricial alopecia, is the loss of hair which is accompanied with scarring. This is in contrast to non scarring hair loss. It can be caused by a diverse group of rare disorders that destroy the hair follicle, ...

) based on trichoscopy. The "Atlas of Trichoscopy"(2013) is the first book to systematize scientific knowledge about trichoscopy.Rudnicka L, Olszewska M, Rakowska A. Atlas of Trichoscopy Dermoscopy in Hair and Scalp Disease
Springer Verlag
New York 2013 In 2017 the International Trichoscopy Society was founded by four founding members: Lidia Rudnicka, Antonella Tosti, Rodrigo Pirmez and Daniel Asz Sigall. Lidia Rudnicka was elected first president of the International Trichoscopy Society. The first World Congress of the Society took place in 2018 in Warsaw, Poland.

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