Consultation

Consultation

If you are a new patient suffering with hair loss and/or a scalp issue, or you are an existing patient with a new concern, you will need to book a Full consultation with our Trichologist. A full consultation may take up to 1 – 1.5 hours, this is because hair loss can be a very complex issue with many possible causes. It’s quite common to see numerous factors contributing to one hair loss case! (particularly in women), so more time is required to investigate these issues thoroughly and to establish a possible root cause/causes. 

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Please be aware that Trichology is a private health care service which is currently not available through the some health insurance. However, many hair loss issues are the result of other underlying health conditions which can be treated by your Primary Care Doctor.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Initial assessment

You will be asked to complete a few questions about your issue when booking. As well as saving valuable time on your consultation day, this information also allows us to be more familiar with your case, so your consultation is more productive and addresses your individual needs more successfully.

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What happens in a consultation?

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The consultation process will generally include the following:

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• Case history – It’s important we have a clear understanding of the issues you are/have been experiencing with your hair/scalp. There are many different types of hair loss and scalp conditions, when we know the specifics of your symptoms and how the condition started and progressed, can provide the first clues towards an accurate diagnosis.

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• General Health and medical history – Hair is frequently affected by underlying health issues, so it’s important for us to know how you are! This will include details of diagnosed health conditions, ongoing illnesses, hospital treatment, past and present medications, as well as your overall general health and lifestyle habits.

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• Diet – There’s no getting away from it……. hair and scalp health is inextricably linked with nutrition. We will look at the what, when and how you eat, as well as any digestive issues which may be affecting nutrient absorption. 

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• Hair Care Practices -We will need to know what you do with your hair, including washing, styling, salon treatments and the types of products you use. 

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• Examination – A thorough examination of your hair and scalp is performed. We also use Trichoscopy in clinic (digital magnifying device), which allows us to see the hair and scalp at around 50 x magnification. This is extremely useful for confirming diagnosis, as well as providing a basis for measuring treatment response at follow up appointments. We may also take hair samples to asses under a light microscope if we feel this is necessary.

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• Diagnosis – A preliminary diagnosis can be made in most cases on the day. Sometimes further investigation is required to confirm a diagnosis and probable cause of the issue. This may involve referral for blood testing, either through your GP or we can arrange this privately for an additional cost. Sometimes a referral to a dermatologist is required for further testing and treatment. Written documentation for medical referrals is provided as part of our consultation service.

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• Proposed Treatment plan – We provide a written assessment of your case, which includes information about your hair/scalp condition, likely causes and triggers (pending any further investigations needed), and an initial treatment plan. We only provide advice and treatment for hair and scalp conditions which is scientifically and/or medically proven to be effective. 

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Follow Up Consultation

Recommended within 12 months from an initial consultation. Evaluation of your treatment plan. During a follow up consultation we can measure progress, and make suitable adjustments to a treatment plan. Follow up appointments can be very useful in determining response to treatment. Not all progress is immediately visible to the naked eye, but with the use of Trichoscopy we can clearly identify improvements on a much smaller scale.