What to expect from a hair loss specialist

As there could be many things causing your hair loss, it is important that the specialist you see spends time with you. The specialist should look at your hair and scalp, take a full medical/lifestyle history, suggest blood tests, help you cope with your condition, and discuss all of your treatment options. Sometimes, the specialist needs to eliminate one factor before moving on to the next. Remember, many different factors may cause your hair to fall out. It is important to find each one so that any treatment you receive will be more effective.

This may sound obvious, but you would be surprised by how many people have said that a specialist they had seen either didn't look at their hair at all or only quickly glanced at it. The specialist should look at both your hair and scalp to see the distribution of your hair thinning, which can often indicate why it is falling out. By comparing the partings at different positions — for instance, the crown area, front area, sides, and back — differences in hair quantity can be seen and the amount of thinning can be determined. The distribution of hair could indicate the presence of a genetic condition or traction hair loss (also known as hair breakage), among other conditions. The specialist should also do a pull test in different areas of your scalp to see how much hair is coming out.

Also, the specialist may look at the hair under a regular microscope (usually a trichologist will do this) or take a biopsy of the scalp (only a physician is able to do this).