A method for the non-destructive detecting of ageing symptoms of a component having regularly recurring structures, includes the following steps: a) scanning the component in the region of the recurring structures in a plurality of scanning planes which extend parallel to one another to create at least one scanning image set having a plurality of two-dimensional scanning images, wherein the scanning images show a plurality of inhomogeneities; b) automatically identifying those inhomogeneities that form recurring patterns, and those inhomogeneities that do not follow a recurring pattern, using a suitable algorithm; and c) detecting ageing symptoms exclusively on the basis of those inhomogeneities which are identified in step b) and do not follow a recurring pattern.