If you believe you’re experiencing hair loss, it can be a worrying time. Regardless of the cause, taking action quickly is strongly advised, so it is very important to understand who it is that you need to see to get a professional assessment of what is causing your hair to fall. The sooner the cause is understood, the quicker a plan of action can be put into place. So what are different hair specialists called and what are the differences between them?
What does a trichologist do?
A hair trichologist is a specialist in the hair and the scalp. They study the make-up of the hair and scalp, striving to understand everything they can about the complex workings of both, such as how they interact with one another and with different internal and external influences. You could expect a trichologist to be able to advise on lifestyle choices that affect your hair, diet, exercise and other medical conditions linked to the health of your scalp or hair.
Who should you see about a hair transplant?
Experts in hair transplantation are surgeons who specialise in the art of transplanting hair from one area of the body to another. There are two main types of hair transplant, ‘FUT’ and ‘FUE’.
‘FUT’ stands for Follicle Unit Transplantation and ‘FUE’ stands for Follicle Unit Extraction. The two processes follow similar principles, although FUT is where hair is extracted in small strips and transplanted to areas of the scalp where natural hair is declining. FUE is an evolution of this process, where tiny clumps of between one and four follicles at a time are extracted and implanted. This has surpassed FUT for many patients, as it results in a more natural implant and does not leave any scars from the donor site.
What can a dermatologist do about hair loss?
You may also wish to seek advice from a dermatologist. These are experts in the assessment and treatment of diseases that affect the skin, nails and hair. Although not solely focussed on hair loss issues, a dermatologist will be able to offer advice regarding scalp and hair conditions, and how to treat these. Dermatologists can be have either surgical or non-surgical focus and will have undergone full medical training before choosing dermatology as their area of specialism.
Other hair loss specialists
Finally, another ‘-ologist’ you may want to consider consulting is an endocrinologist. These are specialists whose focus is the endocrine organs, which are the organs in the body that are responsible for producing hormones. Some types of hair loss are directly related to the body’s production of, or reaction to, particular hormones, and an endocrinologist is an expert in understanding how to diagnose and treat issues caused by hormones.
