If you have read previous blogs, you have probably seen a few about how important it is to determine the cause and type of hair loss before determining a treatment plan. The reason for this is that not all treatments are appropriate in every case. There are five main types of hair loss that women have that the medical staff need to consider, Androgenic Alopecia, Traction Alopecia, Telogen Effluvium, Alopecia Areata, and Scarring Alopecia. With that in mind, let’s look at how the staff at Medi Tresse determines the type of hair loss you may have when coming up with a treatment plan.
The first step in determining the type of hair loss is based on the Medical History and Hair Loss Evaluation forms that we have patients fill out prior to the consultation. These forms provide important information that our medical staff review to see if there are any past indicators for certain types of hair loss. For instance, if the patient writes down that they had some major stress event (major life event, surgery, etc.) right around the time the hair loss began this is a possible indicator they are experience Telogen Effluvium hair loss.
The next step is during the consultation. At this point the medical staff completes a comprehensive review of the hair and scalp, including a trichoscopy. Each type of hair loss can present slightly different. Alopecia Areata often presents as a coin shaped lesion or discrete patches of hair loss with sharp borders, while Androgenic Alopecia is typically diffuse and more pronounced in the frontal areas of the scalp.
In many instances, after a thorough review of the patient’s history and the patient’s hair and scalp the clinician is able to determine the type of hair loss. However, if the picture is still incomplete, for some patient’s we may need to complete a blood test or scalp biopsy.
Getting the diagnosis correct is extremely important to make sure the patient is receiving the correct treatment. That is why it is important to see a female hair loss expert to get the correct diagnosis.
Posted By Your Medi Tresse Team
