Step 2 - Working with your Doctor Finding a qualified physician to diagnose and treat your child's hair loss. What questions to ask, credentials to expect, etc.

First Steps to combating Children's Hair Loss

	Step 1 - Types of Childrens Hair Loss		Step 2 - Working with your Doctor
	Step 3 - Childrens hairloss treatments		Step 4 - Decide on a Treatment

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.

Qualified Physicians - Do they Exist?

Yes, and you can find one if you enjoy finding needles in haystacks. If the ailment of issue were Cancer, the chances of finding a good specialist would be high. Unfortunately, for children's hair loss, the chances of finding someone who knows their stuff are very slim. When we began putting together these pages, it took us nearly 2 months to find someone who was renown in the area of diagnosing and treating children's hair loss.

First, we contacted some of the leading researchers in the industry and were informed that there weren't any highly educated specialists on children's hair loss anywhere in the Southern California area at all. Prepare to encounter a similar situation.

At the very least, Dermatologists are the physicians which handle children's hair disorders. This is their responsibility by trade, versus their inherent specialty. Most dermatologists know only enough about men's hair loss to get by, so extensive knowledge on children's hair loss is rare. Either way, the first step is to find a dermatologist. Don't trust this issue with a General Practitioner or Family care physician.

If your Health Insurance allows it (typically PPO or POS plans), you can go directly to a specialist without having to get a referral from your Primary Care physician. If your Insurance is an HMO, we strongly suggest you use the information below, have it all written up and ready, and simply approach your Primary Care physician with the intent of getting the appropriate bloodwork done, and getting the referral you need. If you approach them with any meekness or lack of confidence, you may risk being denied the referral. This is the sad state of HMO's today.

Hair Loss Video Webcast

	"Choosing a Hair Loss Expert" » Dr. David Marks » Dr. Neil Sadick » Dr. Michael Reed You may have considered seeking expert help for your problem. But who should you turn to? How do you know you're getting the best care? Join our specialists as they discuss how to go about finding the right hair loss expert.
		Click to view Video

If you want to play it safe (and we suggest you do), the American Academy of Dermatology has a 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 is not listed verbatim, read through the rest of their profile and see if it is mentioned. 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 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, and inquire as to the physicians experience with Children's Hair Loss.

Helping the Medical System

Unfortunately these days, it is all too common that physicians don't know enough about any given ailment to help much with it. A completely uneducated consumer who spends a half hour researching something on the web can often become more of an expert on it than their physician is. Children's hair loss is a prime example of this.

Consequently, we have contacted the top researchers and physicians in the country and compiled the information that well educated specialists in children's hair loss need in order to accurately diagnose and treat it.

We will have more information on this section coming soon...

In Conclusion...

Treating children's hair loss requires a knowledgeable physician, and the appropriate tests. More information will be added to this page soon.

Proceed to Step 3 - Treatments for Childrens hair loss