Step 2 - Gathering the Information With women's hair loss it's important that you know what you need to help your doctor correctly diagnose your condition. Before you jump into any treatment, make sure you follow these steps.

First Steps to Combating Women's Hair Loss

	Step 1 - Understanding Why		Step 2 - Gather the Information
	Step 3 - Evaluate the Treatments		Step 4 - Decide on a Treatment

Two very important things must be done in order to effectively get yourself good health care. We have already established that women's hair loss is not something you can self diagnose, and immediately jump into treatments with. Let's go over the things you will need to help your doctor do his job effectively.

Helping Yourself

First and foremost, you need to find a qualified physician. If the ailment in focus were Cancer, the chances of finding a good specialist would be high. Unfortunately, for women's hair loss, the chances of finding a qualified physician are very slim. When we began helping Carol find a physician in the San Diego area, we ran into several roadblocks. First, we contacted some of the leading researchers in the industry and were informed that there weren't any highly educated specialists on women's hair loss anywhere in the Southern California area at all. The closest one we could find was Dr. Vera Price in San Francisco, and her waiting list was over 4 months. Her staff recommended a couple physicians in the San Diego area, but they too had a waiting list of 4+ months. Prepare to encounter a similar situation.

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At the very least, Dermatologists are the physicians which handle hair disorders. 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. We recommend this option by far. This is a condition that at this time, we do not feel many General Practitioners can provide adequate care for. 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 in this area, you may risk being denied the referral. This is the sad state of HMO's today. We will go into this in more detail below.

Another possibility is that your specialist may not have a lot of training in women's hair loss, and it is at this time that you insist on them referring you to what is known as a "Dermatologist Specialist" who specializes in Women's hair loss.

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 Women'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 Women's Hair Loss.

"First find the specialist, then get the tests done..."

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. Women'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 women's hair loss need in order to accurately diagnose Alopecia. Two things are needed: blood tests and clinical history.

Blood Tests: There are a series of tests that an educated specialist will have done on you. Without these tests, there is no way for any physician to accurately diagnose your condition. If your physician says these tests are not necessary, or refuses to do them for you, then it is advised that you find another physician to handle this situation. We cannot stress this strongly enough. You need to have these tests done, and you need a qualified specialist to review them, and your scalp, in order to get the care you need. The tests are as follows:

» Hormone levels (DHEAS, Testosterone, Androstenedione, Prolactin, Follicular Stimulating Hormone, and Leutinizing Hormone)
» Serum Iron, Serum Ferritin, TIBC (Total Iron Binding capacity)
» Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
» VDRL
» Complete Blood Count (CBC)

Clinical History: Take a moment and write down the answers to the following questions, and have them prepared for your physician's review. Again, if he or she does not request the answers to these questions, nor seem interested in the paper you've brought in, find another specialist.

» Are you on any medications? If so, what.
» How long has this problem been occurring?
» Is the hair falling out fully intact, or is it breaking?
» Family history of diabetes, asthma, arthritis, lupus, vitiligo, anemia, or Addison's disease?
» Have you recently given birth, or gone through menopause?

Hair Loss Video Webcast

	"Hairloss in Women: Why does it happen" » Lisa Clark » Dr. Michael Reed » Dr. Marty Sawaya Did you know that 1 out of every 4 women in the United States will experience hereditary hair thinning? Hair loss takes most women by surprise, and can be embarrassing and depressing. Join our experts as they explain the causes of hair loss in women.
		Click to view Video

In Conclusion...

Treating women's hair loss requires a knowledgeable physician, and the appropriate tests. Even if you are unable to find a qualified dermatologist, you can insist on having the above blood tests done. If an abnormality is found in your levels, any doctor should be able to give you direction on returning them to normal. A simple supplement or the appropriate medications should fix the imbalance, and result in full regrowth of your hair within a year.

If your levels are all normal, or you want to "kickstart" your hair growth anyway, there are actual hair loss treatments which can help you along. In the next Step, we will discuss the only treatments available on the market today for each of the types of women's hair loss.

Proceed to Step 3 - Evaluate the Available Treatments