Hair Loss

Hair loss is common and it matters more than people are often told. Male pattern baldness affects three in ten men by thirty and half of all men by fifty; women lose hair too, for different reasons. If it is affecting your confidence, it is worth doing something about — and for the most common type, treatment genuinely works, particularly when started early.

First, the cause

Most hair loss is hereditary pattern loss, but not all. Alopecia areata (an autoimmune condition), chemotherapy and radiotherapy, thyroid problems, iron deficiency, low vitamin D and hormonal changes can all cause it, and those are treated very differently. The treatments below are mainly for pattern loss, so the first step is to establish which kind you have. If yours started suddenly or the pattern is unusual, a blood test is often the sensible place to begin — see the profiles below.

Our hair loss specialist

Treatments

Over the counter

Minoxidil lotions and foams such as Regaine, for men and for women, are available from our shop without a consultation and suit most people. They take three to four months to show an effect and need to be kept up.

Prescription treatment

For male pattern baldness the most effective options are prescription-only: finasteride tablets, and personalised topical preparations that combine minoxidil with other actives such as azelaic acid, made up for you. These need a consultation with Dr Kooner first. Once prescribed, treatment is dispensed by us and delivered to your door, with follow-up to see how it is working.

Blood tests for hair loss

Three profiles designed to pick up the deficiencies and hormonal causes behind hair loss. The sample is taken at the pharmacy in Harrow by our phlebotomist and results come back within a few days; the pharmacist or Dr Kooner will go through them with you. Open a profile to see what it measures.

Prices are confirmed when you book. Not sure which profile you need? Our blood testing clinic can advise, or ask at your consultation.

How it works

1. Book a consultation with Dr Kooner — in person at the pharmacy in Harrow, or by video.
2. If a blood test is recommended, it is taken at the pharmacy and the results are reviewed with you.
3. Treatment is prescribed, dispensed and delivered, with a follow-up to check progress.

Good to know

Hair loss treatments take time — expect three to six months before you can judge whether one is working — and they maintain rather than cure, so stopping usually means the loss resumes. Go in knowing that, and the results tend to be worth it.