Semi-quantitative measurements of body hair in hirsute women compare well with direct diameter measurements of hair shafts.

No standards exist for the evaluation of hair in hirsute women. This study compared the semi-quantitative visual scoring of body hair, using the Ferriman & Gallwey scale, in 88 hirsute women with direct objective measurements of hair shaft diameter and daily linear growth rates of hair growing on the pre-auricular area of the face, the forearm, the anterior abdominal wall and the anterior thigh. There was a significant correlation between the semi-quantitative score and diameter measurements on the forearm, abdominal wall and thigh. There was no relationship between linear growth rates at any of the four sites and the semi-quantitative score. The conclusion of this report is that suitably standardised and controlled semi-quantitative measurement of hair in hirsute women with visual analogue scores would appear to offer information similar to that obtained by direct measurement of hair diameter.