Shedding vs Loss
These two get used interchangeably, but they behave very differently. Shedding is the normal cycle — and sometimes a temporary surge after stress, illness, or a big life change — that usually recovers on its own. Thinning that doesn't fill back in is the slower pattern worth tracking. The catch: you can't tell them apart from one bad week. Direction over months is what separates them — and a baseline is how you read direction.
How it works
Same four angles, every time — so each new scan compares fairly to your very first.
Top · Crown
Side · Temple
Back
Front · Hairline
Same four angles, every time — illustrative example
Front · crown · temple · back
Four guided angles in about 30 seconds — the same views every time.
Hairline · density · scalp
AI reads each angle for hairline shape, crown density, and scalp surface.
Usable · limited · low-light
Every reading shows its confidence — limited views are flagged, not guessed.
Your baseline, revisited
Save it, rescan later, and see exactly what moved.
Side by side
Neither column is a diagnosis — they're visible patterns to check your own photos against over time.
Appearance-based patterns for comparison — not a diagnosis either way.
Let direction decide
You can't read it off one week. You can read it off a trend.
Four guided angles capture today's coverage as tiers, with confidence on each — a fixed reference instead of a memory of how it looked.
A shedding surge needs months to recover; a steady trend needs months to show. Rescanning every 8–12 weeks is what lets the two reveal themselves.
Coverage bending back toward baseline reads like temporary shedding; coverage that keeps softening reads like a trend worth a closer look.
If the trend is drifting, or shedding is sudden or patchy, a qualified professional is the right call — and dated photos turn worry into something they can actually work with.
Questions
Shedding is the normal everyday cycle — and sometimes a temporary surge that recovers on its own after a trigger like stress or illness. Thinning that doesn't fill back in over months is the slower pattern people usually mean by "hair loss." The clearest tell isn't a single day; it's whether visible coverage recovers or keeps softening.
Not reliably. A heavy-shedding week can look alarming and then fully recover, while slow thinning hides because it's gradual. That's why a one-off snapshot misleads in both directions — direction over months is what actually separates a temporary surge from a steady trend.
Often it's diffuse and time-limited: more comes out for a stretch, then coverage settles back toward your baseline as the cycle rebalances. A steadier pattern tends to show as coverage that doesn't bounce back — a part reading wider, or more crown show-through, scan after scan.
Set a photo baseline, then rescan every 8–12 weeks at the same angles. If coverage recovers toward your baseline, that's consistent with temporary shedding; if it keeps softening, that's the trend worth a professional's look. The tool reads appearance and tracks change — it doesn't label which one you have.
No. Both columns describe visible, appearance-based patterns to compare your own photos against — not a verdict. Sudden, heavy, or patchy shedding, or any scalp pain or irritation, is a question for a qualified professional, not a tracking app.
A note on transparency
ScalpAnalysis AI reads appearance-based signals and tracks visible change over time. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition.
If you have pain, sudden shedding, or signs of infection, a qualified professional is the right next step.
The report it produces
This is the exact report format a scan unlocks — qualitative tiers, your visible features, and a confidence level on every reading. Saved as a baseline you compare against on every rescan.
Your Hair Profile
Even crown coverage with a soft cowlick
Density
High
Type
Wavy
Texture
Medium
Shine
Medium
Risk of Recession
Low
Hair Loss
Minimal
Illustrative example · sample data
Related guides
Your first 4-angle scan is free to preview — no account required to see your result.
