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If you’ve noticed your hairline starting to recede on your hair then one of the most important steps you can take in stopping any further hair loss is getting in touch with a hair loss doctor.
Hair loss can start at any age. Most men experience the early signs of male pattern baldness in their 20s or 30s. With baldness, the earlier you take action and seek treatment, the more of your hair you’ll be able to keep.
Luckily, almost all male hair loss is treatable today. A hair loss doctor can work with you to find out what’s causing your hair loss and put together a hair loss prevention protocol that helps to minimize your further loss and keep as much of your hair as possible.
Not sure if you need a hair loss doctor? Below, we’ve listed the key benefits of talking to a hair loss doctor, as well as some signs you can look for to know when it’s time to take action and do something about your hair loss.
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The Benefits of Seeing a Hair Loss Doctor
With hair loss drugs like finasteride and minoxidil available over the counter, there are still plenty of reasons to see a hair loss doctor if you’ve noticed the initial signs of male pattern baldness.
Hair loss can occur due to many reasons. As if you work long hours in a stressful environment then you are dealing with a lots of stress which increase the risk of hair loss could be telogen effluvium caused by shock or frustration.
Some other reasons like a diet that’s lacking in vitamins and minerals can lead to weak, thinning hair. Some men also experience hair loss as a result of skin conditions, certain medicines and lack of sleep.
Hair loss doctors specialize in identifying the root cause of hair loss and can quickly and easily tell you why your hair loss is occurring and what you can do about it.
They can also inform you about the effects you can expect from hair loss medications and other treatments, as well as the potential side effects.
If your hair loss isn’t genetic, a hair loss doctor can help you to find out the root cause by conducting different tests.
Should You See a Hair Loss Doctor?
The best time to see a hair loss doctor is when you notice any of the early signs of balding. If your hairline is slowly receding or you notice a lot of hair falling out when you shampoo or comb your hair, it’s probably a good time to take action.
One easy way of knowing that you’re losing hair is to compare several photos of you taken two or more years apart. If you can see a visual change in your hairline or hair thickness, it’s worth making an appointment with a hair loss doctor.
It can also be worth seeing a hair loss doctor if you haven’t noticed any of the common signs of balding, but just want to be prepared and have a plan for dealing with hair loss.
There are numerous types of doctors and health professionals who can treat and help you manage your hair loss in numerous ways.
The following are just a few specialists who are experts in the field of hair loss treatment and hair regeneration.
Some Types of Doctor who Treat hair fall
Trichologists
Technically, trichologists aren’t doctors and they can’t legally prescribe hair loss treatments or medications. However, they’re still professionals in the field of hair and scalp, and they’re qualified to work alongside your health practitioners to recommend certain lifestyle changes that can help you reverse the effects of your hair loss. These lifestyle changes include improving your diet to consume more vegetables and protein, incorporating certain exercise routines into your daily life, as well as all-natural remedies to help reverse the effects of your hair loss.
Dermatologists
Dermatologists are hair and skin specialists, which means they should be able to identify any topical skin conditions or weaknesses in your hair that might be causing it to fall out.
A dermatologist who specializes particularly in hair loss can prescribe individual treatment options and medications which promote fast hair follicle recovery and hair growth.
Endocrinologists
Endocrinologists are experts in hormonal development and the organs that produce certain hormones in the human body. They can detect and diagnose hormonal imbalances and whether your body produces too much or too little of a certain hormone that’s pertinent to healthy bodily function. A very common cause of hair loss for both all genders is the overproduction of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a variant of the testosterone that’s present in all humans to a certain extent.
Nutritionists
Oftentimes, hair loss is a symptom of insufficient nutrients being processed in our bodies. A good nutritionist will start your treatment by asking specific questions that are designed to pinpoint parts of your diet that are missing key vitamins and nutrients that contribute to cell regeneration and hair growth. They’ll also work alongside your doctor to find appropriate treatment options and dietary plans to help get you back on track to good health.
You can also consult a hair surgeon for your hair loss treatment. These surgeons must be a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. For India, the hair transplant surgeon must be a member of AHRS. They are the highly expert doctors who perform the hair transplantation surgery by using an advance technique.
The Importance of an Accurate Diagnosis
Before starting any kind of hair loss treatment, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis of the cause for your hair loss because different types of hair loss respond better to different kinds of treatments.
The most common type of hair loss is male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia. It is genetic and is easy to recognize and diagnose because it follows a very distinct pattern of receding or thinning hair at the hairline, temples, and crown.
Male pattern baldness is triggered by the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a byproduct of testosterone. Some men’s hair follicles are sensitive to DHT, and continued exposure causes the follicles to shrink and stop producing hair. If diagnosed early, DHT exposure to the hair follicle can be slowed or stopped.
Some experts recommend the drug Finasteride which is approved by the FDA to treat male pattern baldness by inhibiting the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT. Treatment can lower DHT levels by as much as 60%, which works to stop the progression of hair loss. Second topical medicine is Minoxidil which is also known to slow the hair loss progression and effectively regrow some hair when applied to the scalp.
The second-most common cause of hair loss is telogen effluvium (TE), which is often triggered by a stressful event. Our hair follicles aren’t constantly producing hair. They go through a growth cycle where they produce hair for around two years. Then they “rest” for a month or two before continuing to growing hair. TE occurs when there are hair follicles “resting” longer than normal. The result is an increase in shedding and hair loss.
Hair follicles can enter a resting state because of several different factors including a sudden change in hormones typically associated with childbirth, changes in medications, extreme dieting, and surgery. This is often temporary and is completely reversible when the body heals and recovers from the underlying cause.
Without proper diagnosing through a doctor to control hair loss is not possible.