The StrandScout app

Read the trend, not the mirror.

Is your hairline actually moving, or is it just the light? StrandScout helps you find out by comparing like with like, once a month. Men and women. Free for 2 check-ins, no account.

Four guided photos a month

Front, left temple, right temple and crown, with a faint ghost of last month's photo on the camera so you line up the same way every time. The front photo is required. The crown has a 3-second timer and can be skipped, because it needs a second mirror or a helper, though it is the photo most worth the trouble. Use the camera or your library.

An honest read

• A stage on the Norwood scale (1, 2, 2A, 3, 3V, 4, 5, 6, 7) or the Ludwig scale (I, II, III), as a range with a confidence level.
• A coverage score from 0 to 100, overall and for each zone: front hairline, both temples, mid scalp and crown.
• Hairline shape: juvenile, mature or receding, and whether the two sides match.
• Findings the AI can actually see, such as temple recession, crown thinning, a widening part, fine wispy hairs, round bald patches, a red or flaky scalp, or short broken hairs, each marked possible or likely.
• A comparison with your last check-in, zone by zone: better, same or worse.
• What to watch and the red flags that mean a dermatologist, not another photo.

One clear verdict

Looks stable, Keep watching, Changing, or See a dermatologist. A safety layer can only raise the verdict, never lower it. Round bald patches and sudden heavy shedding always end in See a dermatologist, and so does a sore, red or flaky scalp alongside other changes. Your first check-in is a baseline, so it can never read Changing, and the app waits for a 3-month trend before it leans on a change. One month is noise: lighting, a haircut, wet hair.

A timeline that stays on your phone

Every check-in is saved with its photos, read and notes. One optional reminder arrives four weeks after each check-in. Compare any two months with Pro: hold the photo to flip between then and now.

A report for your dermatologist

Pro makes a one-page PDF on your phone with stages, zone coverage, findings and photos for the last 3, 6 or 12 months. Show it in the room or send it before the visit. A consistent before-and-after pair tells a dermatologist more than memory does.

The full guide, free

The Norwood and Ludwig scales step by step, the five zones, a plain glossary of findings, two red-flag lists (act this week, or book within a few weeks), and 12 short articles with 30 cited sources, including the American Academy of Dermatology, the NHS and Mayo Clinic. The same content powers the free tools on this site.

Free and Pro

Free: 2 check-ins (a baseline and one comparison), the timeline and the full guide. StrandScout Pro: unlimited monthly check-ins, coverage trends by zone, compare any two months, and the dermatologist PDF. Pro is a yearly subscription with a 7-day free trial for eligible new subscribers, a monthly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the app and may vary by country.

Private by design

• No account, no login, no ads.
• Your timeline, photos and results stay on your phone.
• Photos are sent to Google Gemini, an AI service, only to be read. They are not stored on our servers.
• Delete everything any time with Delete my data. See the privacy policy.