You’re concerned about your hair loss, but not sure which professional to call first? Should you schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns with your primary medical professional or medical subspecialist such as a dermatologist or endocrinologist? Maybe you would like to talk to a hair loss non-surgical specialist or a hair restoration surgeon. Understanding what is prompting you to seek treatment can also help determine the best hair loss expert to call.

Compounding the issue of finding a hair loss specialist is fact that there can be a number of reasons for thinning hair or balding. Among the many causes are changes in hormone levels, increased stress, illness, allergic reaction to medicine, infections of the scalp and of course, heredity. Even a poor diet can lead to increased hair loss over the time. Likewise, when it comes to choosing a specialist, you want someone who is sympathetic to your hair loss concerns, knowledgeable and understands the emotional devastation you feel. In other words, you don’t want someone who dismisses your hair loss as a “natural part of life”. Thinning hair, in many cases, can be treated medically or surgically depending upon the cause. The following information is not intended to be medical advice, but rather to provide you with helpful information to guide your decision process.

Being able figure out exactly what is causing your hair loss is going to require a little detective work on your part and the part of your physician. For example a general medical provider, such as your primary care provider, may be the go-to-person for a medical evaluation and accurate diagnosis if you suspect there might be an organic reason for your hair loss. Whereas, a subspecialist such as an endocrinologist might be the best hair loss professional to talk to if you’re being treated for an endocrine system problem such as thyroid insufficiency, metabolic disorders or a hormonal condition. Perhaps a dermatologist, a professional who is specifically trained to diagnose and manage diseases of the scalp, skin and nails is the right professional. A dermatologist specializing in hair loss might be the ideal medical profession, especially if you think your balding could be caused by a skin bacteria. On the other hand, if you’ve been experiencing gradual thinning over time, you may want to discuss specific hair loss treatment options for men or women. If this is your situation, then the person you may want to talk to is a hair loss (non-surgical) specialist or a hair restoration specialist (surgeon).

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when choosing a hair loss professional:

1. Ask about credentials. Just because someone is a medical professional, doesn’t mean he or she is board certified or specifically trained in hair loss.
2. Ongoing education and training. It’s important to know that the expert you select is knowledgably about the most recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of hair loss.
3. Experience matters. Choose a provider who specializes in the hair loss field and treats men and women with thinning hair. What you don’t want is someone who has added ‘hair restoration’ to their long list of services.
4. Practice makes perfect. When choosing a hair restoration surgeon, ask how many procedures he or she has done. You want to ensure the hair restoration professional you select is skilled and performs a significant number of procedures each week.
5. Check references. Word of mouth is the best referral. Ask friends, family and your medical provider for recommendations. Ask the professional you’re considering if you can talk with their clients. Nothing beats the information you can gather from recent patients.

We encourage you to find out more about the variety of options available to treat hair loss in men and women. If you're concerned about your thinning hair or hair loss, it's important to consult with an experienced hair restoration professional. To learn more about treating hair loss and regrowth treatment options or to consult with a Capillus specialist in your area click here or call Capillus for more information at (786) 888 6249 or Toll-Free at 1 (888) 272-9599.