Hair loss evaluation and restoration for women
Hair loss is not one condition. Pattern loss, shedding after illness or stress, autoimmune loss and traction damage have different causes and different treatments. Getting the cause right is most of the work.
The honest version, before the detail
Everything below expands on these points, with sources.
- 01Hair loss is not one condition. Pattern loss, shedding after illness or stress, autoimmune loss and traction damage are different problems with different treatments.
- 02Thyroid disease and iron deficiency cause hair loss and are correctable once identified, so relevant labs come before treatment.
- 03Treatment generally works better where follicles are dormant but still active than where they have been lost for years.
- 04Non-surgical treatment needs a series of sessions, results build over months, and maintenance is required to maintain results.
- 05Suspected autoimmune or scarring hair loss should be assessed by dermatology. We refer rather than treat.
Different causes, different answers
Androgenetic or pattern hair loss is gradual and follows a recognisable distribution. Telogen effluvium is diffuse shedding that typically follows illness, surgery, childbirth, rapid weight loss or significant stress, and it often recovers when the trigger resolves. Alopecia areata is autoimmune and patchy. Traction alopecia comes from sustained tension on the hair.
Thyroid disease, iron deficiency, menopause, hormonal imbalances and changes, some medications and scalp conditions also cause hair loss, and several of those are correctable once identified.
Timing matters. Treatment generally works better where follicles are dormant but still active than where they have been lost for years, which is a reason to be evaluated early rather than a reason to be rushed.
How we work out which one it is
History and pattern
When it started, how quickly, the distribution, family history, your health history and medications, alongside a lab evaluation.
Scalp and hair assessment
Examining the scalp and the pattern of loss, which frequently distinguishes the causes above on its own.
Comprehensive labs
We require every patient to have a comprehensive lab panel to check for metabolic, nutritional and hormonal deficits. Addressing deficiencies can improve hair growth and reduce shedding.
Options, honestly framed
What is realistic for your specific cause, and what maintenance is required to keep your results.
Non-surgical options
This practice offers non-surgical, in-office treatment using the NOUVADerm system, alongside evaluation of medical causes and, where appropriate, discussion of established medical therapies.
Non-surgical treatment generally requires a series of sessions with results building over months, and requires ongoing maintenance to hold a result. There is no cure for hair loss, only treatment. We would rather you know that before starting than discover it later.
Where a surgical approach or a dermatology referral is the better answer for your specific cause, we will tell you that.
Benefits, risks, alternatives and candidacy
This appears before the booking button on purpose. You should be able to decide with the risks in front of you.
What it may do
- Once the cause is identified and follicles are still active, treatment can help reduce shedding and improve density and hair thickness over months.
- Some causes, such as thyroid disease, may improve substantially once the underlying issue is addressed.
- Results build over months rather than weeks, and maintenance is required.
Risks and side effects
- Scalp irritation, redness, tenderness or short lived shedding after treatment can occur.
- Not everyone responds, and response is harder to achieve where loss is long standing.
- Ongoing treatment is needed to maintain any result. Stopping generally means gradual return to the previous trajectory.
- Cost accumulates across a series, which is a real consideration and should be part of the decision.
Alternatives, including doing nothing
- Treating an identified medical cause such as thyroid disease or iron deficiency.
- Established topical and oral medical therapies for pattern hair loss, discussed on their evidence.
- Dermatology referral, particularly for suspected autoimmune or scarring hair loss.
- Surgical hair transplantation, for which we will refer.
- Changing hair practices that cause traction, and doing nothing further.
Who may not be a candidate
- Active scalp infection or inflammation, skin cancer on the scalp, suspected scarring alopecia requiring dermatology assessment, and some medical conditions and medications change or exclude this option. Where the likely cause is autoimmune or scarring, referral is the right first step.
Answered before you ask
How long until I see a change?
Will I need to keep going?
Do you treat all types of hair loss?
Where this information comes from
Primary sources only: regulator publications, specialty society patient guidance and manufacturer information. Not marketing pages.
- 01American Academy of Dermatology, hair loss patient information
- 02Federal Trade Commission, Health Products Compliance Guidance
Request a hair loss evaluation
The first appointment establishes which type of hair loss you have. That determines whether anything we offer is the right treatment for you.