For many people, including Connecticut residents, hair is a valued part of their appearance. Hair loss can be a frightening scenario. Excessive loss of hair from your scalp can be a concerning and frustrating issue, especially since it can lead to total baldness if left untreated.
Visiting an online medical provider for hair loss is an easy and efficient way to get answers about why you are experiencing hair loss and what can be done to help prevent and cure it. There are several different causes and treatments for the issue, so seeking professional medical guidance is key.
Keep reading for a discussion on how online doctors can help with hair loss, and when patients should consider scheduling an appointment. Plus, we will cover different treatments and tips for care.
It is crucial to have an understanding of why you are experiencing hair loss to proceed with the best treatment. However, the cause of a person's hair loss may not be immediately apparent. This is because the term "hair loss" is actually an umbrella term for several different conditions that result in the thinning or total loss of hair.
Here is a breakdown of the potential causes:
Your hair loss can occur due to damage to the hair follicles from inflammation and hair "cycling" disorders.
Your provider will try to determine if your hair loss is in the form of cicatricial or scarring alopecia, nonscarring, and structural hair disorders.
For a person experiencing excessive or sudden hair loss, scheduling a medical visit with a doctor should be a top priority. This will also help individuals stay ahead of the curve if there is a more serious underlying condition behind their hair loss.
Additionally, because there are so many different potential causes for hair loss, it is essential to get a diagnosis and determine a specific treatment that meets the needs of its respective cause. Doctors and nurse practitioners will have the professional expertise to quickly identify the cause of a person's hair loss and get them on the best treatment.
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Hair loss is usually easily diagnosed in some instances, such as classic male pattern hair loss. There is also commonly found hair loss due to alopecia areata, which is more of a "patchy" loss of hair.
With Connecticuters becoming more digitally and virtually oriented, our healthcare system has begun to shift online more. As such, it is more than possible to seek out an online expert and clinic when seeking treatment for hair loss.
Online healthcare, also known as telehealth, can seem strange to those who have only experienced in-person doctor appointments and consultations. However, many benefits can come from using an online doctor. According to Medical News Today, these include:
Seeking out an online doctor can allow patients to choose a medical professional specializing in hair loss diagnosis and treatment, rather than just visiting a general practitioner. This will ultimately help with a person getting the care explicitly customized for them without waiting the long periods of time that it may take to get an appointment with an in-person specialist.
Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic caused a spike in telehealth being offered as a care option, meaning more telehealth providers are available for patients to gain access. It is crucial when seeking care from an online doctor that the patient is offered full transparency in terms of licensing and credentials to be confident in the quality of care they are receiving.
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There are also times when a general practitioner can start the process of determining hair loss. They can even begin necessary treatments to see if they are effective before referring to specialists such as Coastal Hair Transplant.
Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and medical doctors can quickly start you on the path to recovery. Using telehealth technology, they can order blood work if needed and refer you to a specialist if they cannot provide the level of care you require.
As discussed, there are many different causes behind hair loss. Genetic hair loss is the most common cause of the condition, and as such, many of the prescriptions given to treat hair loss are designed to treat male or female pattern baldness. According to WebMD, the following two drugs are the only FDA-approved drugs for treating pattern baldness:
If hair loss results from a condition other than genetic pattern baldness, treatments are likely to vary widely. For instance, hair loss caused by thyroid issues would likely be treated with a thyroid medication rather than a pattern baldness drug.
In the case of the autoimmune disorder Alopecia areata, a doctor may also prescribe a corticosteroid that can be either injected or applied to the skin and scalp, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD).
In some cases, a doctor may prescribe a pattern baldness drug alongside another prescription. However, patients should always be upfront with their medical provider about what other medications they are on or conditions they are treating if they seek hair loss treatment with a pre-existing medication prescription.
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Besides professional medical care, there is also an assortment of tips and practices a person can follow to prevent potential hair loss or treat mild cases of the condition.
Here are several considerations to keep in mind for self-care of hair loss:
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For your provider to properly access you during the exam, some things can improve the experience.
Hair loss can be a frustrating and frightening condition to experience. However, it does not have to be a death sentence for your hair. Visiting an online doctor for hair loss is an efficient and highly accessible way to manage hair loss and potentially experience regrowth. We can also facilitate a referral to a dermatologist for further diagnostic testing.
Resources:
National Alopecia Areata Foundation
