Can A Dermatologist Treat Hair Loss?

One of the most common questions found regarding hair loss on social media and from potential patients is:

Can a dermatologist treat hair loss?

That’s because most people believe that a dermatologist can only help in fixing skin issues like acne, dermatitis and skin cancers.

However, what most of you fail to realize is that dermatologists are also well versed in any and all problems relating to your hair and nails. When it comes to issues related to hair, hair loss seems to be the most concerning of them all. This special concern stems from the fact that almost half of the entire population of the world is experiencing some form of hair loss.

But the good news is, now that you know that a dermatologist can help you deal with the problem, it shouldn’t take you much time to get to the root cause and eventually get the treatment you need.

In this article, we’ll be detailing exactly what kind of treatments you can receive from a dermatologist, while also explaining what hair loss exactly is and how it differs from normal hair shedding. So, without any further ado, let’s get straight into it. 

What is Hair Loss Anyway?

Losing hair can be quite distressing. So distressing in fact that you may start confusing normal hair shedding with hair loss. Most of us don’t even notice but both adult men and women tend to lose about 50 to 100 strands of hair a day, naturally.

When we do notice we tend to immediately believe that it’s hair loss and that we need treatment. But what we fail to realize is that this process is actually completely normal, in fact it even has a name: Hair shedding.

Allow us to explain. Our hair go through three phases of growth. The anagen phase when new hair follicles sprout and grow for a period of 2 to 7 years. The catagen phase when your hair follicles start to shrink. And finally, the exogen phase when your hair start falling out to make way for new hair follicles.

The problems arise when the rate of new hair growth is not fast enough to replace the hair you lose. This phenomenon is known as balding or alopecia and is the main cause of hair loss in both men and women.

Now, the exact reasons for this form of hair loss differ in both men and women. But we won’t leave you without an adequate explanation, so make sure you stay attentive as we take you through each of those reasons in the sections below;

Hair Loss in Men

While both men and women suffer from hair loss, men mainly suffer from androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness. The chances of contracting this condition increase as you age, as research suggests that most men suffering from male pattern baldness are aged 40 or over.

Unfortunately, this type of hair loss is mostly genetic and will plague most men when they start aging. Another possible reason for this type of hair loss can be due to thyroid disorders or reduced testosterone.

Of course, it could also be an unwanted side effect of a medication you’re taking. However, for the most part it’s genetic.

Hair Loss in Women

While a small section of women do suffer from genetic female pattern baldness as well, their hair loss can also be attributed to several other factors. Most of the time multiple factors actually combine to cause hair loss in women.

Stress is a huge factor, as that stress manifests itself by preventing the growth of your hair follicles as well as weakening your existing follicles to increase the amount of hair you shed.

Women also have to contend with menopause in addition to adverse thyroid conditions that men also have to deal with. These hormonal problems can also impact hair growth and thickness in women.

Lastly, pregnancy can cause some women to have more hair follicles during the resting phase of their hair growth. This slowed transition can make the hair seem thinner or shed. 

How Does a Dermatologist Help with Hair Loss?

At last we’ve reached the million dollar question: Can a dermatologist treat hair loss male and female? And if the answer is yes, then how?

Well, first things first once you make an appointment, your dermatologist will perform a detailed assessment of your medical history and perform an initial physical examination.

Also, your hormone and thyroid levels will have to be checked through a blood test, so make sure you’re ready for that. After that he/she will prescribe treatment if you are indeed suffering from hair loss and not just normal hair shedding.

These treatments vary quite a lot according to what your dermatologist understands from your medical report.

Medication

The easiest way to treat your hair loss that a dermatologist can offer is medication. Medications that are usually prescribed for hair loss include topical minoxidil, commonly called rogaine, which should help with hair growth and thickness.

In some special cases though, your doctor could also prescribe finasteride in oral form. This drug works faster than minoxidil in promoting hair growth and thickness.

In any case, your hair should be back to normal in 6-12 months.

Corticosteroid Injections

Depending on the specific reason for your hair loss, a dermatologist may prescribe corticosteroid injections that can impact hair growth. These injections help with inflammation of the scalp and improve overall growth.

Laser Treatment

Something you might not know is that low-level light therapy can actually do wonders in stimulating your hair growth. Especially for those individuals who want a fast-acting solution to their hair loss problem.

Laser therapy is a non-invasive that can promote hair growth and strengthen your existing hair follicles. It doesn’t cause too much pain or side effects either.

Kerafactor

Push comes to shove, your dermatologist can even resort to Kerafactor. An excellent, relatively new treatment for anyone suffering from hair loss. Kerafactor itself is a unique serum containing seven concentrated bio-identical growth factors and proteins. Together these proteins encourage faster growth of your hair follicles.

Best Dermatologist for Hair Loss

Now that it’s clear that a dermatologist can indeed help with hair loss, it’s now time to pick one that can help you get rid of hair loss as quickly as possible.

At this point, we’re going to recommend Holisticare’s excellent dermatology department as our go to dermatologists for dealing with hair loss problems.

They offer by far the best hair loss treatment for females and males in Pakistan, which may be quite a surprise considering how they don’t have many years of experience in the medical field.

However, navigate to their website and you’ll find out that they’ve accumulated plenty of positive reviews during their short existence and have a huge customer base that actively relies on the opinions of their expert dermatologists. That should be all the proof you need to start working with them.

Final Thoughts

And that’s all we have for folks in terms of our answer to the question: Can a dermatologist treat hair loss?

We hope the explanation of our answer was comprehensive and easy enough to understand and that it also provided you with some information that you previously weren’t privy to.

All in all, we hope the article above helps you make a more calculated and well-informed decision when it comes to your hair health.

More than anything though, we hope you give Holisticare’s dermatology department a try because we can guarantee that no matter what problem you’re suffering from, they will have a treatment ready for you.