About Hair Loss London
Hair Loss London are proud of our Inclusivity and treat all hair types and all kinds of hair loss for both male and female.
We offer a wide range of hair treatments including:
- Comprehensive diagnosis including Blood tests, Biopsy and Trichoscopy
- Innovative hair loss treatments to maximise results and minimise side-effects
- Individual approach, we design individual hair treatment plan that consists of procedures and medications individually produced for each patient
Why is hair loss screening compulsory and considered best practice?
In any type of hair loss affecting women or men it is important to diagnose the cause appropriately and accurately. Assuming that all female hair loss is FPHL is dangerous as the wrong type of treatment will not help and can be counter-productive or dangerous.
There are even differences in treatment regimens depending on weather FPHL is pre or post menopausal let alone other conditions that may be the cause. Other common conditions such as telogen effluvium may be present.
There may be underlying hormonal or metabolic abnormalities. Biopsy is also an important tool to confirm diagnosis. Different causes of hair loss are treated in different ways. Some rare types of hair loss conditions require immunosuppresive therapy. Some will require transplantation.
Early and accurate diagnosis is the key to managing, controlling or reversing hair loss. Due to numerous online self-treatment products and websites we are seeing an increasing number of patients who are a unsuccessful at treating their hair loss. This is due to inadequate or incorrect treatment because of incorrect self-diagnosis. Clearly this is a behaviour we do not like to encourage.
If certain types of scarring hair loss are missed hair loss may be irreversible. This can be particularly emotionally damaging form women and men.
What does a hair loss screening initial appointment involve?
1. Medical History & Examination
Your Hair loss specialist will take a comprehensive medical history and examine your scalp with specialist equipment including a trichoscope. This is a specialised cross polarised light device that allows us to look at the hair and also sub skin structures. These images are also recorded.
2. Blood Test
A full set of blood tests will be ordered in order to rule our endocrine and metabolic factors that may contribute to hair loss. Disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid function abnormalities can be triggering factors for hair loss and must be excluded. This is done by looking at hormonal levels in the blood. This is why it is important for your hair loss specialist to complete the blood test. Bloods done by the GP are usually insufficient as they will have usually been basic blood tests performed for reasons other than hair loss.
3. Biopsy
Certain hair loss conditions may present similarly and be difficult to exclude without biopsy. Biopsy is important as it allows us to differentiate between hair loss conditions that may present in a similar way but have a different cause. It involves a small sample of tissue being taken from the scalp. This is painless and quick as it is performed under a single injection of local anaesthetic. You will feel a small prick and sting for a few seconds from the local anaesthetic injection.
The hair loss screening initial appointment will allow the Hair Loss Specialist to:
- Accurately diagnose the Hair Loss condition.
- Assess the level of progression and severity
- Record all important information pertaining to your case so it need not be unnecessarily repeated elsewhere and your hair loss condition can continue to be managed appropriately with a new centre should reasons require (moving away to another country for example)
- Initiate appropriate and comprehensive treatment plan to minimise or halt hair loss and stimulate growth.
- If the hair loss condition is complex and/or advanced it may require management in a hospital setting. In this case appropriate and swift referral can be made.
Importance of baseline records from initial Hair Loss Screening appointment and follow up.
These initial screening tests and photos (trichoscopy images) are exceedingly important to your Hair Loss Specialist when comparing follow up images and results.
This data collected and images collected from your initial screening allows your Hair Loss Specialist to:
Accurate quantify efficacy of your treatment regimen
Assess and ajust dosing of oral or topical medications dosing regimens
Addition of effective treatment types as deemed appropriate by your Hair Loss Specialist
Assess for the development of adverse effects of treatment
Follow up appointments are essential for safety monitoring and maintenance of treatment efficacy.
About Uliana Nicholls
Founder of Hair Loss London, Independent Prescriber in Dermatology and Trichology, MPharm, PgDip in Pharmacy.
After years of experience in hair loss industry from working on compounding hair loss medications to seeing patients on daily basis, Uliana identified most common issues that deters patients from getting maximum results from their treatments and the reason of high dropout rate.
Innovation in delivery system, new technology and individual approach brought a new treatment concept that is convenient for the patient and easy to manage hair loss long term with minimum probability of side-effects to maximise results.
