Hair Loss Treatment

Genetics first: androgenetic alopecia, the hereditary pattern loss that affects both men and women. Then hormonal change, from pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome or thyroid disorders.

Beyond those: medical conditions such as lupus, fungal infection and autoimmune disease; medication side effects including chemotherapy, blood thinners, beta-blockers and lithium; emotional or physical stress such as illness, surgery or childbirth; harsh products and tightly pulled hairstyles; and nutritional deficiency in protein, iron, zinc or biotin.

Androgenetic alopecia, hereditary pattern loss, 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 is rapid shedding a few months after a physical or emotional trigger, diffuse rather than patchy. Alopecia areata is autoimmune and causes small patches. Traction alopecia comes from years of tension, heat or chemical processing. Scarring alopecia, including CCCA and frontal fibrosing alopecia, destroys follicles permanently, which is why early diagnosis matters most here.

Dr Toro assesses the root cause face to face or by online consultation, looking at medical history, current medications, nutritional status, lifestyle, hairdressing habits and examination findings. Where an underlying medical condition is possible she may recommend blood tests, and where a scalp infection is suspected, a hair sample test.

For a fuller picture she recommends TrichoTest, a genetic test that indicates how your profile responds to different hair loss treatments. It is a cheek swab rather than a scalp procedure, and the point of it is to avoid spending months on a treatment your biology was never going to answer.

Some cases need nothing more than stopping a medication, changing how the hair is handled, managing stress or correcting a deficiency. Most need those things alongside active treatment.

In clinic, Dr Toro uses exosome therapy, which delivers growth factors to the scalp to support dormant follicles, and hair filler treatments using DR.CYJ Hair Filler, which delivers biomimetic peptides and hyaluronic acid into the scalp to strengthen follicles and reduce shedding, given as a course of 2 to 4 treatments two weeks apart. She uses exosomes rather than PRP because the concentration is consistent rather than dependent on the patient’s own blood on the day. Calecim is offered as a home-use system alongside.

At home, minoxidil remains the most widely used treatment. It was originally developed for high blood pressure, and it works by improving the delivery of oxygen, blood and nutrients to the follicle, which extends the growth phase of the hair cycle. Most people notice a change after around two months, with peak effect at about four, though some need six to twelve. It has to be continued: stopping reverses the benefit. Dr Toro also prescribes and compounds other actives where they suit your diagnosis, and those are chosen at consultation rather than picked from a shelf. Start early, and give any plan at least six months.