Your initial consultation and diagnosis often lasts up to an hour. Consultation is a very thorough process during which the trichologist will take a detailed case history about your general health, family history, lifestyle and diet. This is followed by a thorough examination of the hair and scalp. If necessary, the trichologist may also need to carry out a microscopical analysis.

It is only after this detailed questioning and a close examination of your hair and scalp that your trichologist will be able to reach diagnosis. Patients must realise however, that in some cases, it is not always possible to make an immediate diagnosis. It is common for scalp disorders to be diagnosed at the time of consultation, but hair loss problems often require further blood and mineral tests, either from your GP, or carried out privately by the trichologist.

Once diagnosis has been made, advice will be given, and only if thought necessary will treatment be offered. Decisions will also be made as to whether or not you should be referred for further assessment, for example to a dermatologist.

The trichologist will take a holistic viewpoint throughout, giving consideration to various aspects of lifestyle and diet, and care and management of the hair (including sensitivities and allergies suffered) before a suitable regime for the scalp and hair is recommended. It is because of this holistic approach that the initial consultation is a lengthy process, because no detail is too small and there are many aspects that affect your hair and scalp.

Treatment

Treatment for certain conditions is not always possible or required. We only treat conditions as necessary and we often find that many problems require a slight change of lifestyle or the elimination of a bad habit to assist their management.

A lot of our treatments have been designed to fit into your lifestyle, meaning that they can be used and applied easily by the patient. For certain cases we may recommend treatments that are carried out at the clinic, either on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis, depending on the type and severity of the problem. This also allows your trichologist to closely monitor the condition and alter as necessary. Nutritional and dietary supplements are often suggested along with our own topical products. Topical products are frequently suggested for home use, as well or in place of clinical treatment.

Electrotherapy such as high frequency, ultra violet and infra-red therapy can also be effective in combination with topical products.

We are licenced by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) to mix and assemble medicinal products, which means we can customise our topical scalp treatments to each patient where necessary.