My 3-step ‘pull test’ will tell you exactly why your hair is thinning — so you know how to fix it
Beginning to thin?
More than 80% of men and nearly half of women experience hair loss during their lifetime, according to NYU Langone.
William Gaunitz was among that number. He began losing his hair at 17 and changed career paths to become a trichologist and treat his condition.
According to Gaunitz, hair loss is caused by one of three factors: the hormone dihydrotestosterone, nutrition and inflammation. He explained that each of these causes must be treated independently.
But how do you know which one is the root cause for your own balding crown or thinning temples?
Enter his Zone Hair Pull Test, which he says is an easy, at-home diagnostic option to help you understand why you’re losing your hair. He developed the test after observing that hair loss is not uniform and treatment may require a multiprong approach.
“After managing tens of thousands of cases, I observed that specific areas of the scalp seem to respond to different treatments in very clear ways different from the norm,” he told The Post.
During COVID, Gaunitz began seeing patients virtually. Without access to scalp samples and microscopes, he guided his clients to self-administered hair tests to survey different scalp zones to better understand where and why they were experiencing hair loss.
To do it, run your fingers through each of the following zones of your head twice. If more than a couple of hairs come out in your hand, that zone in a problem area for you.
According to Gaunitz, each of the three zones directly corresponds to one of the three causes of hair loss.
Zone 1
Gaunitz deems the top of the scalp Zone 1.
“Zone 1 is very clearly documented as the epicenter for DHT-related hair loss in both men and women,” he explained.
“If you experience more hair loss on the top of the scalp compared to the sides or the back, it’s almost always related to DHT. The other zones of hair loss can affect the top, but the DHT will exacerbate the area, creating the classic appearance of male or female pattern hair loss.”
He explained that without the influence of DHT, hair loss would present itself throughout the whole scalp or not at all.
“DHT-related hair loss is exclusively genetic due to a sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone at a given time in your life. Without the genetics, you will never experience DHT-related hair loss.”
DHT blockers are a good treatment for this type of hair loss, as are minoxidil products like Rogaine.
Zone 2
Zone 2 refers to the scalp above the ears, where hair loss is directly linked to nutrition.
“Nutritional alopecia is caused by the absence of the appropriate level of nutrition in the blood to serve the hair follicles to grow hair at full potential. Your body needs key nutrients like iron, zinc, copper, vitamin D3, B12 and folate to rebuild tissue throughout the entire body,” Gaunitz said.
He explained that when in deficit, the body prioritizes critical organ systems and tissues over hair growth, effectively decreasing the amount of hair produced on the scalp to conserve nutrients for essential functioning.
“There is a clear connection between lower-than-optimal levels of vitamin D3, ferritin, serum iron and zinc related to hair loss in the Zone 2 area,” he went on.
“This has been consistently demonstrated in my clinics, where you add the optimal level of nutrition in the primary categories, and the hair can regrow. This area does not respond to DHT blockers or typical treatments like topical minoxidil.”
Zone 3
Zone 3, or the inflammatory zone, is the scalp range “below the occipital ridge at the nape of the neck.” This area is commonly affected by dandruff, vascular swelling, thyroid-related hair loss and alopecia ophiasis.
“Zone 3 is inflammatory hair loss, which directly relates to an area of your scalp that should never have hair loss except under these circumstances. I’ve seen people correct DHT, and nutrition, but still, they have shedding in the zone when inflammation is still unresolved,” Gaunitz said.
In this case, it’s best to see a doctor for treatment.
Know your needs
While the science of hair loss is ever-evolving, Gaunitz insisted that knowledge is follicle power.
“I believe that the Zone Method of hair loss treatment and the Zone Hair Pull Test are valuable guides on what treatments and diagnostics should be used to address an individual’s specific hair loss situation,” he said.
“It is always best to understand which of the three reasons for hair loss are impacting you, mitigate those first, and then begin minoxidil about 30 days after you’ve begun treating the underlying cause.”
Minoxidil, commonly sold under the brand name Rogaine, was first used to treat high blood pressure but is now administered topically or orally to treat hair loss.
With minoxidil, hair growth typically occurs after the medication has been used for several months and lasts only as long as the use is continued.
