Step 2: Finding and Working with your Doctor

Information presented by HairLossTalk.com

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As with any condition, finding a qualified, informed doctor to help accurately diagnose and effectively treat your child's hair loss is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, with the way the medical system is today, finding someone who fits all those criteria is also nearly impossible. Since we have no magic wand to whip the medical community into proper shape, we've compiled as much information as we could to help you take some steps to finding a good doctor, and then equip you to make sure your child gets the care they deserve. We'd like to invite you to register and post your story and your questions on our Children's Hair Loss Support Forums. Someone will be there to help you with your questions.

Finding a Qualified Children's Hair Loss Doctor

Unfortunately, finding a qualified children's hair loss doctor is much like searching for a needle in a haystack. If the ailment at hand were cancer, the chances of finding a good children's specialist would be high. Unfortunately for children's hair loss patients, it's much more difficult to find someone who truly knows their stuff. When we began developing these pages, we contacted some of the leading researchers in the industry. we were informed that there were no highly-educated specialists on children's hair loss in Southern California. It took our team nearly 2 months to locate a physician who was extensively educated in the area of diagnosing and treating children's hair loss. Do not be surprised if you encounter simi liar challenges.

Dermatologists are the physicians which handle hair disorders in general, so this is a good place to start. Most dermatologists know only enough about men's hair loss to get by, so extensive knowledge on children's hair loss is rare. Don't inquire about this issue with a general practitioner or family care physician. If your health insurance allows it (typically PPO plans), you can go directly to a specialist. However, if you have an HMO, you will need a referral from your primary care physician. Take notes on what you see in this guide and have it prepared for your physician so they know you want a referral. Be polite, but stand your ground until you get the referral.

Physician Finder

Another great resource is the American Academy of Dermatology's Physician Referral Service. There, you can type in your city and see a list of dermatologists in your area. Click each name and find the section labeled "Specialties". If "alopecia", "hair loss", or "children's skin conditions" are not listed verbatim, read through the rest of their profile and see if it is mentioned. Note, these doctors may NOT be in your insurance provider's network. You may need to do some cross referencing. Many insurance web sites have their own physician finder as well. If you are unable to find a specialist in your area, make use of the AAD's more broad Statewide Search. You will be presented with all the registered dermatologists in your state, listed by city. Some have profiles, some don't, but all have contact information. It is worth the work to print out a list and call them one by one, inquiring as to the physician's experience with children's hair loss.

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