Most common conditions include telogen effluvium and or concurrent AGA, especially in  females. Your dermatologist will also consider drug induced causes, endocrine (thyroid), chronic TE, diffuse alopecia areata, as well as inflammatory causes.

Probably alopecia areata. If you have OCD, it could be you ripping out your hair (trichotillomania). Syphilis can cause patchy hair loss as well. Tinea is common in children.

This pattern of hair loss can be tricky to manage, you should see a medical dermatologist ASAP. Disclaimer- I do not treat nor manage medical cases of hair loss.

If you are female, it is probably Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia or FFA. This is a rare condition however most dermatologists will see one or two cases every few weeks to months. The diagnosis is straightforward in most cases.

Pattern: Hair loss in the front hairline & brows, usually over the age of 50, female.

Symptoms: Can be itchy in some.Action: See a medical dermatologist ASAP. They need to preserve your remaining hair follicles.

Treatment: Topical anti-inflammatory, minoxidil, systemic medications. Adjunctive FUE, PRP in some cases.

If you tie your hair with super tight braids, chances are you have traction alopecia. This is more common in ethnic women. This is due to tractioning of hair shafts that pull the follicles, leading to destruction.

Pattern: Hair loss in the front hairline, with sparing of the fringe. Pimple-like areas in some.

Symptoms: Often asymptomatic.

Action: See a medical dermatologist ASAP. They need to preserve your remaining hair follicles.

Treatment: Topical anti-inflammatory, minoxidil, try another hair style. Some patients will benefit from FUE hair transplant.

Lots. The most drastic is with chemotherapy, the most common is with the oral contraceptive pill & Accutane. 

Pattern: Generalised hair loss

Symptoms: Often asymptomatic.

Action: See a medical dermatologist to confirm.

Treatment: Most will self-resolve. PRP & oral minoxidil can increase the anagen cycle of hair.

Tinea, alopecia areata, & trichotillomania. Tinea (esp. if you have guinea pigs, cats or puppies), is pretty easy to diagnose. Trichotillomania is due to habitual hair pulling. In kids it is usually self-limiting.

For complex cases, see either a hair specialist or a paediatric dermatologist as there are rare cases such as genetic disorders of hair growth as well as structure.

Pattern: Variable. Often patchy.

Symptoms: Often asymptomatic, can be inflammatory if tinea.

Action: See a medical dermatologist ASAP.

Treatment: Treat the cause.

This is probably the second most common cause of hair loss after androgenetic alopecia. The majority of women will experience telogen effluvium at some point in their lives, the most common is 2-4 months after childbirth.

Pattern: Hair loss globally following stress, pregnancy, surgery, trauma.

Symptoms: No symptoms (except stress)

Action: See a GP, or dermatologist if it last longer than 6 months (Chronic TE)

Treatment: Reassurance, support growth of new hair with supplements. Exclude concurrent AGA.

Clinical testing ranges from hair microscopy, biopsy, culture, fluorescence as well as many more including DNA. There are, however, simple DIY tests you can do. Be careful with interpretation as most non-dermatologists may still get the diagnosis wrong.

A hair pull test can determine how active your hair loss can be. 6 or more strands may possibly indicate hair loss disorders such as telogen effluvium (most common), early patterned hair loss, Chronic TE, loose anagen syndrome, & anagen effluvium.

*Though these tests can easily be performed at home, interpretation is contextual. As the normal human scalp can shed up to 150-160 strands per day, you may get excessively stressed or paranoid with your own subjective interpretations of testing. Ideally, visit a dermatologist with a special interest in hair.

Yes. In most cases it is reversible when you stop this tablet. Discuss this with your treating dermatologist. See the section on Accutane Hair Loss to understand more about this common condition.

If you have male or female pattern hair loss, the most effective over the counter lotion is minoxidil. Choose the 5% strength. It comes in either a lotion or a foam solution. Foam is less irritating.

Minoxidil is a life-long treatment, if you stop it your hair will regress back within 4-6 months. For more on how to use this lotion refer to the dedicated page on this website.

If hair loss is secondary to inflammation (seb dermatitis, psoriasis) shampoos make a difference. If it is due to male or female pattern hair loss, it doesn’t.

There are reports of ketoconazole shampoo inhibiting the enzyme 5 alpha reductase which is responsible for male & female pattern hair loss. If you would like to try it, buy some Nizoral, for 10 bucks it is worth a go. Placebo works 20% of the time.

Yes if you are deficient in the first place. The most common deficiency is iron followed by folate & B12 (vitamin D if you are photo protected). Vitamin C or ascorbic acid can also present as hair fall, however if you are deficient in C, namely scurvy, you have much bigger problems than hair loss. Like bleeding in your gums, joint & extensive bruising of your skin.

Patients who are iron deficient may have telogen effluvium (especially if blood loss occurred 2-4 months ago). Be guided by your physician based upon iron studies. 

Supplementation is banal hence you can go on a hair support formulation of vitamin B complex, biotin, folate, zinc, & iron. Found in all pharmacies.

Yes, however for home use, most dermatologists recommend 0.2 to 0.25 mm rollers or stampers. If you bleed, the needles are too deep.  These can be purchased from Amazon or ebay for a few dollars. See the section on microneedling for instructions. This is very different from clinical microneedling as we use 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm needles.

A sensible guide is –

• Home microneedling 0.25 mm, every 7 to 14 days.
• Application of minoxidil 5% foam 15 to 30 minutes after

Microneedling has been shown to be beneficial for male & female pattern baldness, telogen effluvium, lichenoid disorders as well as alopecia areata (controversial). It works by increasing absorption of topicals & stimulation of stem cells in the dormant hair follicles.

Hard to say. I am currently trialling a few LLLT or low-level laser therapy home devices at Cutis. This is to compare with our much more powerful clinical LEDs. Home devices cost between 800 to 1500 dollars. They may work. Be careful of advertising that promises results too good to be true. Lights & lasers are not fertilizers for your scalp.

Lots. We approach hair loss from a medical POV, namely diagnose, then manage. Dermatologists spend an average of 6 additional years of study on top of a 6 year medical degree. This study involves disorders of the skin & hair. 

Dermatologists treat common hair loss disorders such as male and female pattern hair loss, as well as rarer conditions such as alopecia areata, discoid lupus, lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia & traction alopecia. We also manage super rare cases of hair loss including genetic disorders of hair loss. We are the pointy end of the hair industry.

We can arrange formal hair microscopy (not fuzzy in office ones) as well as genetic markers for genodermatoses. Cutis Clinic has two hair experts, Dr Esh & Dr Heba who have had extensive training in medical management of hair loss disorders.

Disclaimer: I am a procedural dermatologist. I do not practice medical dermatology. I do not treat hair loss disorders, but I may give a second option in complex cases of hair loss.