Causes

How to Track Hair Thinning Over Time

October 3, 2025

18 min read

Hair loss sneaks up on people because our brains are terrible at noticing slow change. One week you swear your hair looks fine, the next you’re convinced your part is a canyon. Feelings fluctuate; data doesn’t. Tracking hair thinning thoughtfully won’t just keep you sane—it will help you spot early patterns, decide if treatments are working, and have better conversations with your dermatologist. I’ve built tracking routines for hundreds of readers and clients over the years, and the same rule always applies: clear, consistent methods beat fancy tools.

Why Tracking Matters

Cuts through the noise. Hair grows 0.9–1.3 cm per month on average. That’s glacial. Without a system, it’s near-impossible to notice small changes.

Helps you evaluate treatments. Most hair therapies show measurable change within 3–12 months. Tracking lets you separate true gains from wishful thinking.

Reduces anxiety. A simple dataset—photos, part-width measurements, and shed counts—gives you control and a plan.

Flags when to get help. Rapid changes, patchy loss, or scalp symptoms are easier to recognize and act on when you’re recording them.

What To Track: The Core Metrics

You don’t need a lab. The best tracking mixes visual documentation with a few simple measurements.

Visual coverage: Standardized photos from several angles, dry and parted.

Density: Hair count in a defined 1 cm² area (once per quarter).

Shaft caliber: A quick macro image to see if more hairs look miniaturized (thinner).

Part width: Width of your center part at fixed points (monthly).

Hairline position and temples: Measured distances from fixed facial landmarks (monthly).

Shedding: Either a 60-second comb count or a standardized wash test (weekly or monthly).

Scalp health: Brief notes on itch, flaking, redness, or tenderness (weekly).

Style factors: Any tight hairstyles, extensions, heat, or chemical services (ongoing notes).

Set Your Baseline

Before you track change, capture a starting point you can trust.

Keep hair lengths consistent. If you plan a major cut, do it first and then start baseline photos.

Pause temporary thickening tricks. For two weeks, avoid heavy fibers, volume powders, and dry shampoos when recording data. They alter part width and density visuals.

Standardize wash timing. Hair looks fuller after a wash and flatter on day three. Decide your “photo day” relative to your last shampoo (e.g., always 24 hours after washing) and stick with it.

Pick a schedule. Good rhythm: photos and part width monthly, shed test weekly or monthly, density count quarterly. Your hair cycle is slow; most useful changes show up over 8–12 weeks.

Tools You’ll Need

Smartphone with timer. Don’t use portrait mode; it blurs edges and changes hairline detail.

Tripod or phone mount. Keeps distance and angle consistent.

Two inexpensive LED lights (5000K–6500K). Consistent white light matters more than brightness.

A simple comb and hair clips. For clean parts and sectioning.

1 cm² template. Cut a 1 cm² window into a piece of card or buy a dermoscopy ruler.

Sticky dots or a skin-safe eyeliner pencil. To mark exact reference points on the scalp.

Flexible tape measure or ruler. For hairline and temple measurements.

Macro lens or USB microscope (optional). A $15 phone macro lens is enough to see hair caliber trends.

Spreadsheet or notes app. You’ll keep dates, measurements, and observations here.

A Photography Protocol You Can Repeat

Consistency beats perfection. Create a mini photo studio once and reuse it every time.

Lighting

Use two identical LED lamps at head height, at 45-degree angles to your head, about 1 meter away.

Color temperature: 5000K–6500K. Avoid warm bulbs; they cast yellow and hide scalp.

Turn off overhead backlights and sunlight. Mixed lighting creates shadows that exaggerate or hide thinning.

Same time of day if possible. Ambient light will be more consistent.

Camera Setup

Distance: Mark a spot on the floor for your toes and a wall sticker for your tripod 1.2–1.5 meters away. Keep both constant.

Angle: Keep the lens at your forehead height for frontal shots, crown height for vertex shots.

Settings: 1x zoom only, no HDR, no beauty filter, turn off portrait mode. If your phone allows, lock exposure and focus on your hairline/scalp.

What to Capture

Take the same 10 photos each session:

Frontal hairline, hair down.

Frontal hairline, hair brushed back.

Left temple.

Right temple.

Top/mid-scalp from above (have someone help or use a mirror).

Crown/vertex straight down (clip hair to expose crown).

Center part, dry.

Center part, damp (lightly mist; damp hair reveals more scalp).

Side profile left.

Side profile right.

Helpful tips:

Use a plain, dark background if your hair is light; light background if your hair is dark.

Wear the same neutral shirt to avoid color cast reflections.

If you color your hair, photograph right before and 2–3 days after appointments to see how color affects perceived density.

Measuring the Hairline and Temples

Objective numbers help you track recession without guesswork.

Mid-frontal hairline distance: Place the zero of a soft tape at the mid-glabella (the smooth area between your eyebrows). Measure straight up to the midline of the hairline. Record in millimeters.

Temporal recession: From the outer corner of your eye (canthus) to the nearest hairline point along the temporal recession. Measure both sides; asymmetry is common.

Optional: Mark reference points with a tiny dot using eyeliner the first time; photograph the dots to hit the same spot monthly.

Reference frames:

Male patterns are often described with the Norwood-Hamilton scale (I–VII).

Female patterns often use the Sinclair or Ludwig scales. The Sinclair scale is excellent for tracking part widening with reference images.

Scales don’t replace measurements but they help you label overall pattern changes.

Part-Width Test (Sinclair-Style) Without Fancy Gear

This is one of the most reliable, home-friendly metrics for women and men with diffuse thinning.

Create a straight center part using a tail comb. Clip both sides flat.

Place a small ruler or a card with a 1 mm grid over the part.

Measure part width at three points along a 5 cm line from the hairline toward the crown: at 1 cm, 3 cm, and 5 cm.

Record each width in millimeters.

Typical ranges vary by hair type and density. I don’t fixate on a single “normal” number because curl pattern, shaft diameter, and sebum all affect it. What matters is change over time. A persistent 1–2 mm increase over 6–12 months is meaningful, especially if mirrored by other metrics.

Pro tip: If you’re curly, spritz with water and comb through with a wide-tooth comb before measurement to standardize stretch.

Density Counts With a 1 cm² Template

This sounds intense, but once you do it twice you’ll see how manageable it is—and it’s more objective than eyeballing.

Make a 1 cm² window in a card. On day 2 after washing, clip back hair to expose the scalp at three sites: midline 5 cm behind the hairline, 2 cm left of midline at the same depth, and 2 cm right.

Place the template firmly on the scalp and take a top-down photo using your macro attachment if available.

Count the number of visible hairs exiting the scalp inside the square. Record the count for each site.

Reference ballpark:

Healthy adult scalp densities often range 80–120 hairs/cm², with vertex often higher in youth and decreasing with age.

Androgenetic thinning shows both fewer hairs/cm² and more fine (miniaturized) hairs. If your count falls below ~60 hairs/cm² or drops >10–15% across two consecutive quarters, that’s notable.

You can also count follicular units (groupings of 1–4 hairs). A shift toward more single-hair units with fewer 2–3 hair units suggests miniaturization.

Hair Caliber: Spotting Miniaturization

Miniaturization is the process where terminal hairs become thinner over cycles. You’ll notice more “baby” hairs that never grow long and a softer, see-through look even if the hair count hasn’t plummeted.

Two easy approaches:

1) Macro photo method:

Place a coin or a printed millimeter scale next to a few representative hairs on your scalp (temple or mid-scalp).

Snap a macro photo. Compare the apparent thickness of neighboring hairs month to month; track percent of obviously fine hairs versus thicker ones (estimate a ratio: “about 30% fine, 70% thick”).

Over time, look for an increasing proportion of fine hairs in thinning zones.

2) Shed hair sample:

After your wash test (below), pick 20 random hairs from the shed and lay them on white paper next to a mm scale. Photograph.

You’ll often see a mix of diameters. If the overall average seems to trend thinner over months, miniaturization is progressing.

Gold standard measurements use micrometers or trichoscopy software, but the visual trend is enough for home tracking.

Shed Counts: Two Practical Tests

Daily counts are impractical and stress-inducing. Use a standardized, repeatable protocol instead.

The 60-Second Comb Test (Weekly)

On clean, dry hair, stand over a white towel. Comb from back to front for exactly 60 seconds, collecting shed hairs.

Count them. Repeat the next morning, then average the two numbers.

Research suggests:

Many healthy adults shed roughly 6–20 hairs in this test, with higher variation in long hair and after styling.

Persistent averages above your baseline, especially spikes beyond ~30–40 hairs, can indicate increased shedding.

It’s normal to fluctuate. Focus on multi-week averages.

Standardized Wash Test (Monthly)

Avoid washing hair for 3–5 days (the 5-day version is classic; 3 days is a reasonable compromise).

Before stepping into the shower, comb hair for 60 seconds over a towel and collect hairs.

Wash as usual, collect shed hairs from drain and comb afterward.

Total the count.

Ballpark:

Many people sit under 100–150 hairs with a 3-day interval; above that may signal telogen effluvium, particularly if repeated monthly.

Postpartum or illness-related shedding can produce 200–400 hairs on this test. Look for a declining trend over 2–4 months as recovery begins.

Label the baggie or envelope with the date and count if you want a visual record.

Pull Test (Optional)

Gently pull a lock of ~60 hairs between thumb and forefinger from root to tip.

If more than 6 hairs come out, that’s a positive test for active shedding. Repeat in four scalp zones and average.

The pull test is sensitive to styling and conditioner; do it on dry, untreated hair.

Scalp Health Score

Inflammation and scale can contribute to shedding. Give yourself a quick, consistent score weekly:

Itch: 0 none, 1 mild, 2 moderate, 3 severe.

Scale/flaking: 0–3.

Redness/tenderness: 0–3.

When these scores go up, your shedding often follows 1–3 weeks later. Treating seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis usually improves the hair environment even if it doesn’t cure genetic thinning.

Tracking Tools: Simple Is Best

You can build a reliable system in a single spreadsheet. Create columns for:

Date

Wash day relative to photo (e.g., “+1 day”)

Photo angles completed (Y/N)

Part width at 1 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm (mm)

Hairline mid-glabella distance (mm), left and right temple distance (mm)

60-second comb count average

Wash test total

Density counts at 3 sites

Scalp scores (itch/scale/redness)

Notes (illness, new meds, high stress, tight styles, color/bleach)

Graphs to set up:

Part width over time (3 lines for 1/3/5 cm).

Shed counts (weekly) with a 4-week moving average.

Density per site (quarterly).

Hairline and temple distances.

Apps can help, but spreadsheets avoid lock-in and let you add whatever matters to you.

How Often Should You Measure?

Photos: Monthly. Hair cycles are slow; monthly avoids chasing noise.

Part width and hairline distances: Monthly, same day as photos.

60-second comb test: Weekly or biweekly. Track a rolling average.

Wash test: Monthly, ideally the same week as photos.

Density count: Quarterly. More often is overkill.

Scalp scores: Weekly.

If you start a new treatment, keep your cadence but don’t expect much in month one. Realistic checkpoints:

Minoxidil: early changes 8–12 weeks, clearer gains by 4–6 months.

Finasteride/dutasteride: stabilization by 3–6 months, visible gains by 6–12 months.

Low-level laser therapy: 3–6 months for early signals.

Nutritional corrections (ferritin, vitamin D, protein): 8–16 weeks.

Postpartum or after illness: shedding peaks 2–3 months later, improves by months 4–6.

Interpreting Trends Without Driving Yourself Crazy

Here’s how I coach people to read their data:

Think in 3-month windows. Any single week can mislead you.

Look for convergence. If part width widens 1–2 mm and density drops 10% and shed counts trend up, that’s meaningful. One metric moving alone may just be noise.

Set thresholds for action. For example: “If the 3-month average part width increases by ≥1 mm and density drops ≥10%, I’ll book a dermatology visit.”

Expect seasonal shifts. Many people shed more in late summer to fall. Don’t panic; watch the moving average.

Watch the left-right difference. If one temple is consistently worse and you sleep on that side or part that way, styling pressure might be a factor.

Special Situations and How To Adapt

Curly, Coily, and Wavy Hair

Part-width tracking still works, but standardize by lightly misting and stretching the section with a wide-tooth comb before measuring.

For photos, clip sections to reduce springiness and shoot both wet and dry versions.

Density counts may be easier with damp hair so strands clump less.

Dyed or Bleached Hair

Photograph right before a touch-up and 2–3 days after to understand how color affects part visibility.

Bleach roughens cuticles and can cause breakage. Note chemical services in your log; you may see temporary spikes in shed/breakage counts.

Extensions, Weaves, Tight Styles

Mark days you wore tension styles. Track temple and nape measurements carefully—these areas are traction-prone.

If you notice widening at the hairline or soreness, reduce tension immediately. Traction alopecia can become permanent.

Buzz Cuts and Shaved Heads

Part-width isn’t useful. Focus on density counts with the 1 cm² template and hairline distances.

Macro shots will show miniaturization clearly even at short lengths.

Postpartum, Illness, Crash Diets

Expect shedding to surge 2–3 months after the trigger. Track weekly shed counts and part width; look for the peak, then a gradual decline over 8–12 weeks.

Protein intake and iron/ferritin status matter. Add notes for lab results if you have them.

PCOS, Thyroid, Iron Deficiency

Diffuse pattern and increased shedding are common. Track part width and shed counts; discuss labs with your clinician.

Improvements after correcting ferritin or thyroid often show up by 2–4 months.

When To See A Professional

Self-tracking is powerful, but some situations need a clinician.

Book a dermatology appointment if you notice:

Sudden patchy loss (coin-sized bald spots) or eyebrow/eyelash thinning.

Scalp redness, scaling, pain, or pustules.

Rapid shedding >300 hairs on wash test across multiple months.

Visible scars or shiny, smooth patches (possible scarring alopecia).

Hair loss with systemic symptoms (weight changes, menstrual changes, fatigue).

What to ask for:

Dermoscopy/trichoscopy with counts: hair density, terminal-to-vellus ratio, miniaturization percentage. A terminal:vellus ratio below ~4:1 in affected zones suggests androgenetic alopecia.

Photographs under standardized lighting for clinic records.

Labs if appropriate: ferritin, thyroid panel, vitamin D, and others based on your history.

Clear plan and follow-up interval (often 3–6 months).

Request copies of counts and images so you can align them with your home data.

Building Your Personal Dashboard

A simple set of KPIs keeps you focused:

Coverage KPIs:

Center part width at 1/3/5 cm.

Hairline distance and temple distances.

Volume/density KPIs:

Density counts at 3 sites.

60-second comb test average and monthly wash test.

Quality KPIs:

Percentage of visibly miniaturized hairs in macro images (rough estimate).

Scalp health score.

Targets to aim for (examples, adjust to your goals):

Stabilize part width within ±0.5 mm over 6 months.

Keep density within 10% of baseline.

Reduce 60-second comb test average by 20% from peak shedding.

Improve scalp scores to 0–1 consistently.

Common Mistakes That Distort Results

I see the same pitfalls over and over. Here’s how to avoid them.

Changing lighting. Even small shifts make huge differences in visible scalp. Lock your setup.

Using portrait mode or filters. They blur details and can fake improvements.

Measuring right after a heavy styling product. Powders and fibers narrow parts and mimic density changes.

Inconsistent wash timing. Day 0 vs. day 3 hair looks dramatically different. Standardize your “photo day.”

Overcounting breakage as shedding. Shed hairs have a bulb at one end. Broken hairs don’t.

Chasing week-to-week noise. Zoom out to 6–12 week trends.

“Fixing” baseline after starting treatment. Capture 2–4 weeks of baseline before new treatments if possible. If you can’t, label the transition clearly.

Stress-panicking. Anxiety can make you scrub counts or re-measure repeatedly, which only adds error.

Step-by-Step Monthly Routine (SOP)

Follow this checklist and you’ll have clean, comparable data.

Week 1 (Baseline month, then repeat monthly): 1) Day before: Shampoo and condition as usual. No thickening fibers or heavy powders. 2) Day of:

Set up lights and tripod at your marked spots.

Comb and clip hair for consistent parting.

Take your 10 standardized photos, including center part (dry) and lightly damp versions.

Measure and record:

Part width at 1 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm.

Hairline mid-glabella distance; left and right temple distances.

3) If it’s the first month of a quarter:

Density count: Use the 1 cm² template at 3 sites and record counts.

Macro shot near temple and mid-scalp for caliber comparison.

Weekly:

60-second comb test twice on back-to-back mornings; average and record.

Scalp health score and any notes on styling, stress, illness, new products.

Monthly:

Standardized wash test with 3–5-day no-wash interval; collect and count hairs; record.

Quarterly:

Review charts for trends; decide if you need to adjust routine or seek professional input.

What Counts as Real Change?

Part width: A sustained increase of ≥1 mm at two or more measurement points across 3 months is meaningful.

Density: A decline of >10–15% in the same site across two quarters, or consistently low counts compared to your own baseline.

Hairline/temples: Increases of ≥3–5 mm over 6–12 months deserve attention, especially with temple asymmetry.

Shedding: A weekly 60-second comb average rising >50% above your baseline for a month, or wash test totals doubling and staying high for two months.

Pair numbers with how your hair behaves: Does styling take longer? Do parts separate more easily? Are ponytails thinner? Soft cues matter alongside hard data.

A Note on Treatments and Expectations

When people start minoxidil or anti-androgens, they often see an initial “shed.” That’s follicles synchronizing cycles. Track it, but don’t catastrophize. Watch the moving averages and compare months 4–6 to baseline. You’re looking for stabilization first, then slow regrowth or thicker caliber.

Low-level laser devices, microneedling, and peptide serums have mixed evidence. If you try them, integrate into your dashboard just like any other intervention and hold yourself to a 3–6 month trial window before calling it a win or a wash.

Nutrition, sleep, and stress management don’t produce before-and-after photos like a hair transplant, but they absolutely improve hair quality and shedding patterns. Track stress spikes in your notes; your hair often echoes your life a few weeks later.

FAQs, Fast and Practical

Are hair counts with a 1 cm² template accurate at home?

They’re directionally useful. Your goal is trend detection, not perfection. Aim for the same sites, lighting, and wash timing every time.

Is daily hair counting worth it?

Not for most people. Use the 60-second comb test or monthly wash test. Daily counts create anxiety and inconsistency.

Does shaving make hair grow back thicker?

No. Shaving blunts the tip, making hair feel thicker. It doesn’t change the follicle. For tracking, shorter hair can improve visibility and consistency, so it’s fine if you prefer it.

Can apps diagnose my hair loss?

No. Apps help with reminders and photo storage. Diagnosis requires clinical evaluation, ideally with dermoscopy and sometimes labs or biopsy.

How long before I know if something is working?

Usually 3–6 months. Your data will tell you if shedding stabilizes, part width stops widening, and density trends flat or up.

Real-World Example: What Good Tracking Looks Like

Anna, 34, noticed her part widening after a stressful quarter and iron deficiency. She set a baseline, then tracked:

Part width: 5 mm at 1 cm, 6 mm at 3 cm, 7 mm at 5 cm.

60-second comb average: 28 hairs.

Wash test after 3 days: 170 hairs.

Scalp scores: itch 2, flake 2.

She corrected ferritin with her doctor, used an anti-dandruff regimen, and started minoxidil 5% foam. By month 3:

Part width: 4.5/5.5/6.5 mm (small changes across three points).

Comb average: 16 hairs with a flat trend.

Wash test: 110 hairs.

Scalp scores: itch 0–1, flake 1.

By month 6:

Part width stable; density counts up ~8% at midline.

She decided the plan was working and kept it. Without tracking, she would have given up in month two when she saw a brief shed.

Bringing It All Together

Tracking hair thinning isn’t about obsessing over every hair in the shower. It’s about building a simple, repeatable routine so you can see what your eyes alone can’t. Commit to a standardized photo setup, pick two or three quantifiable measurements, and review trends every few months. You’ll make better decisions, have calmer conversations with yourself and your clinician, and give any treatment a fair, measurable chance.

Here’s your quick-start:

This weekend: Set up your lighting and tripod, create your 10-photo set, and log your first part widths and hairline distances.

Next two weeks: Do two 60-second comb tests per week and one wash test at the end.

End of month: Take your next photo set and measurements. Add simple graphs.

Quarter’s end: Do density counts. Review the whole picture.

The process is straightforward. The payoff is clarity—about what’s really happening on your head and what to do next.