Hair loss consultation in San Diego
Almost every hair loss product on the market is sold on the assumption that you already know what you have. Most people do not, and it matters more here than in aesthetics generally: thyroid disease, iron deficiency, a medication side effect and androgenetic alopecia all present as thinning hair, and only one of them responds to the treatments people buy for it.
This consultation exists to answer the diagnostic question first. It is free, and it may well conclude that the right next step is a blood test rather than a prescription.
What is assessed
The pattern of loss — diffuse thinning, a receding hairline, a widening part, or discrete patches
The timeline, and whether it began after a specific event: illness, surgery, childbirth, a significant weight change, a new medication
Scalp examination for inflammation, scaling, scarring or visible miniaturisation of the hairs
Family history on both sides
Medications, supplements and recent changes to either
Where indicated, blood work: thyroid function, ferritin and iron studies, vitamin D, and hormonal markers
Why the diagnosis changes the answer completely
Telogen effluvium — a diffuse shed that begins two to three months after a physiological stressor — usually resolves on its own once the trigger has passed. Treating it with a lifelong medication is unnecessary.
Iron deficiency and thyroid disease cause hair loss that improves when the underlying condition is corrected. No topical will fix either.
Androgenetic alopecia — male or female pattern loss — is progressive, and treatment maintains what is there rather than restoring what is gone. That reality is worth knowing before you start, because it determines whether the treatment is a course or a commitment.
Scarring alopecias destroy the follicle permanently. They need to be identified early, because the window in which anything can be preserved is limited.
The one thing that matters more than which treatment you choose
Timing. Follicles that have miniaturised can often be maintained and sometimes partially recovered; follicles that have been lost cannot be brought back by any medical treatment.
This is why a consultation for hair that has been thinning for six months is a materially more useful appointment than the same consultation five years later, and why "wait and see" is usually the worst of the available plans.
What happens next
If the cause is treatable at its source, that is the plan and it may not involve a hair product at all.
If it is pattern hair loss, the options are discussed with realistic expectations attached — what each does, how long before anything is visible, and what happens if you stop. Those options are covered on the individual pages linked below.
Nothing is prescribed at a first consultation that has not been explained, and where blood work is indicated it is done before rather than after.
Questions about hair loss consultation
Why do I need a consultation before hair loss treatment?
Because several different conditions present as thinning hair and only some respond to the usual treatments. Thyroid disease, iron deficiency, a medication side effect and pattern hair loss look similar and are managed completely differently. The diagnosis determines the treatment.
Is hair loss reversible?
It depends on the cause. Hair loss from a temporary stressor, iron deficiency or thyroid disease usually recovers once the cause is addressed. Pattern hair loss is progressive, and treatment maintains what is present rather than regrowing what has been lost. Scarring alopecia is permanent.
What blood tests are done for hair loss?
Where indicated, thyroid function, ferritin and iron studies, vitamin D and hormonal markers. Not everyone needs them — the history and examination determine what, if anything, is worth testing.
How early should I come in about hair loss?
As early as it is bothering you. Miniaturised follicles can often be maintained; follicles that have been lost cannot be recovered medically. Timing affects the outcome more than the choice of treatment does.
Will I be prescribed something at the first appointment?
Not automatically. If the cause is treatable at its source, that is the plan, and it may not involve a hair product at all. Where blood work is indicated it is done before treatment rather than after.
Related treatments
Board-certified — American Board of Internal Medicine
Last reviewed August 8, 2026
You are quoted before anything begins.
Tell us what you're considering and we'll tell you honestly whether hair loss consultation is the right treatment for it.