ABSTRACT
The physical examination in trichology is justified for several reasons. Hair consultations are very frequent in daily practice. It has been calculated that 17.5% of dermatologic consultations are related to alopecia over those of aesthetic, acne, or pediatric dermatology, and it represents 12.1% of total billing. Medical history information regarding cosmetic hair care should be included. Inadequate, aggressive, or excess of chemical products can alter the quality and image of the hair, leading to acquired hair dystrophies, as seen in bubble hair. In telogen effluvium, it is necessary to look for signs of systemic diseases like anemia, thyroid diseases, and emotional stress, as the most frequent causes. Hair color is inconsequential. The darker hair is, the more granules of eumelanin it has in the cortex, and if the predominant color is red, the more granules of pheomelanin it has. Alopecia can be classified according to its clinical presentation in diffuse, circumscribed, or localized alopecia.
