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Hair loss can be difficult to evaluate from photographs or a standard visual examination alone. Hair thickness, density, scalp condition, and growth patterns can change gradually, and everyday factors such as lighting or styling can affect how your hair looks. TrichoLAB provides a more standardized way to document these changes using specialized trichoscopy and digital analysis.
TrichoLAB is an analytical service, not a hair loss treatment. At City Facial Plastics in NYC, hair restoration surgeon Dr. Gary Linkov uses the technology to gather additional objective information when planning hair restoration. It can also be used to measure changes in patients who are already following a hair loss treatment plan.
The assessment uses a specialized magnifying camera to capture detailed images of selected areas of the scalp.
Digital trichoscopy and analysis can provide information about features that are not always easy to see during a regular examination, such as:
Because the process is non-invasive, it can be repeated when follow-up information is needed. Comparing the results over time can give a clearer picture of how the hair and scalp are changing.
TrichoLAB includes technologies designed to make comparisons between examinations more precise.
Hair to Hair Matching® uses the Follicular Map concept to identify and compare individual hairs in baseline and follow-up images. Instead of simply looking at whether an area appears fuller or thinner, the same hairs can be matched across examinations and measured for changes over time.
Virtual Tattoo® helps locate the same scalp area during future imaging. This is important because photographing a different section of the scalp could make a comparison less reliable. By helping reproduce the original imaging location, the technology supports more consistent measurements.
It is not always easy to know whether hair is actually changing by looking at it from day to day. Hair length, moisture, styling, lighting, and camera angle can all affect its appearance. A treatment may be working gradually even when the difference is difficult to see in an ordinary photograph.
With standardized imaging and measurements, TrichoLAB can provide a documented starting point and a consistent way to evaluate later examinations. The information can help professionals assess whether hair loss appears stable or progressive, determine whether continued monitoring may be useful, and compare observed changes with expected hair growth
It can also make conversations about treatment progress more straightforward. Patients can see measurable information rather than relying entirely on visual impressions, while professionals have an additional tool for documenting and explaining changes.
Your assessment generally follows several stages:
You will discuss your concerns, goals, and what you want the analysis to help evaluate.
Specific scalp areas are selected and photographed using the appropriate TrichoLAB imaging process.
The technology analyzes relevant hair characteristics and can match follow-up images with the original examination.
The results are reviewed alongside your history, goals, and overall hair and scalp assessment.
Additional TrichoLAB assessments can be performed to monitor treatment or provide information for hair transplant planning when appropriate.
Objective information can be especially useful when considering hair restoration. A detailed assessment of the existing hair and scalp can help provide a better understanding of the starting point before a procedure. At City Facial Plastics, Dr. Gary Linkov can use TrichoLAB measurements as an additional source of information when evaluating hair restoration and transplant plans.
TrichoLAB can be used to objectively track the effects of different hair loss treatments.
These include medical therapies such as finasteride and/or minoxidil, as well as in-office treatments such as:
Since hair growth takes time, consistent measurements can provide useful information about changes that might otherwise be difficult to recognize.
TrichoLAB is designed to provide measurements and analysis. It does not independently diagnose hair or scalp conditions, and the results cannot guarantee that a particular treatment will succeed.
Instead, it gives patients and professionals additional objective information to support treatment decisions, monitor changes over time, and better understand the condition of the hair and scalp before and during hair restoration.
Dr. Linkov is double board-certified by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. A native of New York, Dr. Linkov graduated as a salutatorian from Cornell University and received his Medical Degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Linkov conducted advanced head and neck cancer research at the world-renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Linkov is a former Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University (NYU), where he taught Rhinoplasty.
Dr. Linkov is a top-rated facial plastic surgeon in New York who specializes in lip lift and hair transplant surgery. He has been named one of the top 5 lip lift surgeons in the United States, is listed in the prestigious SuperDoctors New York™ registry, and has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show, where he discussed the state-of-the-art hair transplantation procedure.
