Hair Loss Causes and Treatments
If your hair is thinning, the first question is why, and the second is what to do about it. The order matters, because a treatment chosen before the cause is known can miss.
When the cause is something else in the body
The page at medlineplus.gov says you can also lose your hair if you have certain diseases, such as thyroid problems, diabetes, or lupus. For a reader, that means hair loss is sometimes a sign to bring up with a clinician, not only a cosmetic matter.
Treatment follows the cause
The page at medlineplus.gov also states that treatment for hair loss depends on the cause, and that in some cases treating the underlying cause will correct the problem. That makes the cause the first thing to pin down, before any hair treatment is priced.
A pattern worth naming
A page at aad.org is titled Thinning hair and hair loss: Could it be female pattern hair loss?. Use it to check whether that pattern matches what you see, and bring a sharper description to your visit.
What the treatment research looks at
The Cleveland Clinic has a page on PRP therapy, and a comparison of PRP with PRP microneedling in androgenetic alopecia examines two treatment approaches. A study on injectable platelet-rich fibrin for excessive hair loss in women covers a related preparation.
Where a small worry turns costly
Paying for a treatment while the cause goes unchecked is the costly path, because the cause may be the thing that needs treating. Ask first, buy second.
Questions to ask before treatment
- What do you think is causing my hair loss?
- Should anything be checked first, such as thyroid problems, diabetes or lupus?
- Which treatment fits that cause, and what is the evidence for it?
- How will we tell whether it is working, and when do we stop?