A hair growth specialist is also known as a trichologist. It’s a name derived from Trikhos-a Greek word that means hair. This person focuses on hair problem-related or scalp and their treatments.
What Can You Expect from a Trichologist?
A specialist in this field can treat hair loss problems such as androgenic alopecia, hair breakage, oily scalp, and psoriasis. Though the specialist is not a doctor, he can examine your hair or scalp problem and diagnose the ideal treatment for that condition. However, they leave drug prescriptions and surgical procedures to a qualified physician. As you come to see one of these specialists, you can expect some of these questions:
- He will ask about your medical history to understand your problem’s genesis.
- What’s your lifestyle, nutrition, and hair care routine?
Your answers will enable the trichologist to determine your treatment.
Various Duties of Hair Growth Specialist
After examining your scalp and hair, a hair growth specialist can treat the following hair loss conditions.
Male Pattern Baldness
This common type of hair loss in men and women forms a pattern. It starts above the temple and recedes to an M shape designed for men. But this differs in women, who are less likely to experience a receding hairline but can have an overall hair thinning.
While one of the primary causes of the androgenic alopecia in men is genetic, it’s also linked with severe medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and prostate enlargement. In women, it’s associated with a hormonal imbalance that might lead to acne, excess weight, and irregular menstruation.
Telogen Effluvium
This hair falling occurs as the large sections of hair follicles detach from the scalp. It’s a problem due to medical conditions such as blood loss, surgery, high fever, and hormonal change. Also, hair shedding may develop as an adverse reaction to chemo treatment.
To determine your cause of hair loss, you can schedule an appointment with a hair growth specialist. If he finds a treatable hair loss problem, he will handle it. But he can direct you to a specialist to help treat any underlying conditions.
Scarring Alopecia
If you have this condition, your hair follicles get destroyed, and it might lead to irreversible hair loss. But if you act fast and address this condition with a trichologist, your hair loss can be treatable. So, you might grow your hair again.
While the immune attacks the hair follicles, there is still ongoing research to help understand why this happens. However, Inflammatory disorders such as chemicals and fungal conditions are some of the causes of this problem. At the same time, genetic and environmental factors also contribute to this.
Hirsutism
Typically, excess of the male hormone androgen causes hirsutism. It’s usually a woman’s problem as she notices excess hair growth on areas where only men grow hair, such as the chin, upper lip, and chest. When you start to experience excessive hair growth on your face or body, it’s best to see a hair growth specialist.
Certain disorders such as thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, and some side effects caused by medication can also cause hirsutism. So, depending on the root cause of this condition, a trichologist can help treat it. Otherwise, they can recommend an appropriate physician for a diagnosis.
Types of Hair Loss Treatment
Some of the most effective treatments for your hair loss problem may include the following:
Minoxidil and Finasteride
A hair growth specialist can recommend these hair loss medications, which you must take as directed for them to work continuously.
Injections of Corticosteroids
It’s an ideal treatment for patients suffering from alopecia areata. The practitioner injects the medication into the bald area to enhance hair growth. Generally, these require 4 to 8 weeks of session, depending on the condition level.
It’s a more effective treatment for people with a few patches of this hair loss condition. As per a study of about 127 patients with alopecia areata, 80 percent of those treated with corticosteroids noticed half of their hair growth in 12 weeks.
Hair Transplant
If you have hair loss caused by male pattern baldness, a hair transplant can be an ideal hair loss treatment option. Since this problem does not affect the back of your head, a practitioner uses that area as the donor site. He harvests the hair follicles and transplants them to the balding or thinning area, which can be the crown for men and overall hair thinning for women.
So, if the hair technique he chooses is follicular unit transplant (FUT), he will cut the strip of hair from the back. First, he will dissect it into individual strands and carefully transplant them into the recipient region.
And for follicular unit extraction (FUE), he will use a punch device to remove individual hair follicles and transfer them to the required area. Both procedures are effective and offer a permanent solution. However, the experience of a skilled doctor is paramount.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
PRP for hair loss is an effective therapy, according to a study. It’s a safe procedure that uses a patient’s blood for treatment. So, a practitioner will draw blood from the patient, place it into a machine that spins it rapidly, and then separate it into parts. The hair growth specialist will inject it in a syringe into the target area. The main target is plasma, which has some healing benefits. It might sound complex, but it’s a quick procedure that takes about 10 minutes, and you can go to your usual activities as it has no downtime. After the first few months following treatment, some minimal hair may fall, but the growth phase will resume.
In Conclusion
So, for any hair or scalp-related issue leading to hair loss, a hair growth specialist is a person you have to see. First, he analyzes hair to check for structural damage or scalp infection. And will recommend treatment. Whatever he might feel he can’t handle, he can refer you to another specialist or a physician. But you can expect assistance from this specialist regarding your hair loss issues.
