Hair Loss Treatment Alternatives
Talking to a specialist is very important when you have a condition such as alopecia that your GP may not be equipped to handle. It takes a lot of experience and specialist knowledge to be able to diagnose specific types of alopecia accurately, a consultant dermatologist can provide better advice on finding the right hair loss treatment.
Once your condition has been diagnosed, your dermatologist will explain your options for hair loss treatment .The right treatments for your alopecia will depend on the type of alopecia that you have, and the extent of your hair loss. Sometimes, treatment simply isn’t necessary. If you have a non-scarring form of alopecia, your doctor might advise that you simply wait to see whether the condition will resolve itself in time, particularly if hair loss is restricted to a small area.
If your dermatologist believes that treatment will be beneficial for you, the most common option is treatment with steroids. Your doctor may recommend that you have a steroid injection every 4 to 6 weeks, if you have extensive hair loss, but they might also give you tablets or a steroid cream that you can apply to your scalp. The treatment often needs to be continued for many months, and the results can vary between individuals.
Your dermatologist may also want to discuss other kinds of hair loss treatments with you. In some cases, your doctor might suggest that you try phototherapy or immunotherapy. Phototherapy uses UV light to treat the scalp, while immunotherapy triggers a response from your immune system that may help your hair to grow again. However, these treatments are far less commonly used, and generally only when the hair loss is extensive.
In addition to the hair loss treatments offered by your dermatologist in London, you might also want to seek additional support to help you to cope with the stress of losing your hair. Many people find it difficult to cope, particularly when their hair loss is very apparent to other people, so you might want to talk to your GP or a therapist about your worries.
