Thinning Hair and Hair Loss Treatment in Marylebone, London
Hair loss assessed and treated by a doctor at Dr. Toro Aesthetics in Marylebone and St John’s Wood, London. Five different conditions look like thinning in the mirror, and they are not treated the same way.
Overview
Why hair thins, and why the cause decides the treatment
Everyone sheds 50 to 100 hairs a day. Hair loss becomes visible only when the hairs that fall are not replaced, which means that by the time you can see it in the mirror, the process has usually been running for months.
The important thing is that thinning is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Hereditary pattern loss, shedding triggered by stress or childbirth, an autoimmune process attacking the follicle, years of tension from tight styling and scarring conditions that destroy follicles permanently all present as "my hair is thinning". They need completely different responses, and in the case of scarring conditions the difference between diagnosing early and diagnosing late is the difference between keeping hair and losing it for good.
Dr Toro assesses the cause before treating it: your history, medications, nutrition, hormones, styling habits and an examination, with blood tests where something systemic might be behind it and genetic testing where that would narrow the options. It is a slower start than buying something off a website, and it is the reason the treatment has a chance of working.
The types of hair loss Dr Toro sees
Androgenetic alopecia: hereditary pattern loss
The most common type, and it can start as early as the teenage years. In men it is the M-shaped hairline and thinning at the crown. In women it is diffuse thinning over the top of the scalp, often sparing the hairline.
Telogen effluvium: shedding after a trigger
Rapid, diffuse shedding two to three months after significant physical or emotional stress, major surgery, prolonged illness or childbirth. It usually recovers, which is why identifying it correctly matters.
Alopecia areata: autoimmune patches
An autoimmune condition causing hair to fall out in small, well-defined patches. More common in people with other autoimmune conditions, and the exact cause is still not known.
Traction alopecia: tension over years
Caused by hairstyles that pull tightly over a long period, and worsened by heated styling tools and chemical processes such as bleaching and perming that weaken the shaft.
Scarring alopecia: the one that cannot wait
Cicatricial alopecia, including central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia and frontal fibrosing alopecia, destroys follicles permanently and replaces them with scar tissue. It is progressive, so early diagnosis is what preserves the hair you still have.
Postmenopausal thinning
Common and under-discussed. Falling oestrogen changes the hair cycle, and it often coincides with other causes rather than being the only one at work.
Why it happens
What causes hair loss?
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Genetics: androgenetic alopecia, hereditary pattern loss, which affects both men and women in different patterns
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Hormonal change from pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome or thyroid disorders
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Medical conditions including lupus, fungal infections and autoimmune disease
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Medication side effects, including chemotherapy, blood thinners, beta-blockers and lithium
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Emotional or physical stress such as illness, surgery or childbirth, which triggers telogen effluvium
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Tight hairstyles, heat styling and chemical processing, and nutritional deficiency in protein, iron, zinc or biotin
Treatment approach
How Dr Toro treats thinning hair and hair loss
Hair Loss Treatment
From £240The starting point: a proper assessment of what is actually causing your hair loss, with blood tests or a scalp sample where indicated and TrichoTest genetic testing where it would narrow the options. In-clinic treatment follows from the diagnosis rather than preceding it. Consultation £90.
See treatment detail →Polynucleotides
From £240Used on the scalp to improve the environment the follicle is working in, supporting repair and calming inflammation. Given as a course of three alongside other hair treatments rather than as a treatment on its own. From £240 per treatment.
See treatment detail →Microneedling
From £240Needling the scalp improves circulation and supports the follicle, and is often combined with topical treatment applied immediately afterwards while the channels are open. A course rather than a single session. From £240 per treatment.
See treatment detail →Prescription Skincare, Made For You
From £90Scalp health is skin health. Where inflammation, flaking or a compromised scalp barrier is part of the picture, treating it properly is part of treating the hair. Assessed and prescribed by Dr Toro. From £90 for the consultation.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
How much hair loss is normal?
Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs a day, which is normal turnover. Hair loss becomes noticeable when new hair does not grow to replace what has fallen. If you are seeing more scalp, a wider parting, a receding hairline or clumps in the shower, it is worth having assessed rather than watched.
Why do I need a diagnosis before treatment?
Because five different conditions look identical in the mirror and are treated completely differently. Treating pattern loss when you actually have a scarring condition wastes the months in which that condition is still treatable. A diagnosis is the difference between a plan and a guess.
Is hair loss in women different from men?
The pattern is. Men typically lose hair at the temples and crown; women usually thin diffusely across the top, often keeping the hairline. Dr Toro’s own site notes that up to two-thirds of postmenopausal women experience thinning, and that the emotional weight of it is frequently greater for women.
How long before I see improvement?
Give any hair plan at least six months, with the first noticeable change often between three and six months. Hair grows slowly and in cycles, so a month tells you nothing. Starting early makes more difference than any individual treatment does, particularly with progressive conditions.
Can my hair loss be reversed?
It depends entirely on the cause. Shedding after a trigger usually recovers. Pattern loss can be slowed and thinning hair thickened, but follicles that are gone do not come back. Scarring conditions destroy follicles permanently, which is why early diagnosis matters more there than anywhere else.
Get Started
Book your consultation
with Dr Toro
Dr. Toro Aesthetics • 1 Orchard Street, UNTIL Marylebone, London W1H 6HJ • Kailash Centre, 7 Newcourt Street, London NW8 7AA
BookConsultations are £90 and include a written treatment and skincare plan.