I haven't been, but I have read a LOT about others experiences on
http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/ and heralopecia.com and I decided not to go because it seems like a waste of money for the little help I've seen offered to most women who have gone.
The first thing I did was have my thyroid checked, checked for lupus markers, and for low iron because those are fairly common causes of hairloss. If you haven't done this, there's no point in going to a dermatologist right now becuase they will need that info before they even bother to do a scalp exam.
As far as the scalp exam goes, it really varies on your doctor. Some doctors simply take a quick look and talk to you about what's going on. Others will want to do a biopsy. Sometimes they'll do a hair pull test.
What it came down to for me, because my bloodwork was negative, was --
If it's TE, there's nothing a doctor can do at all. I don't think mine is TE at all, but IF it is, they can't help me. And truth be told, they can't even diagnose TE unless they know you've had major surger or been in a tramatic accident etc. Even then, they'll often tell you that it's "likely" TE but could still be AGA.
If it's AGA, the only thing they'll do is recommend Rogain. I can do that on my own without paying a doctor hundreds of dollars to tell me to do it. As for getting an AGA diagnosis, the most common story I read is that if their bloodwork came back negative for thyroid or anemia, the doctor would automatically assume it was AGA.
If you have patchy bald spots, sometimes there are injections (cortizone?) that can help regrow hair in those specific areas, but there are very few options out there for diffused thinning or receding hair lines.
I hate to sound discouraging but I'd also hate for you to spend hundreds of dollars to walk away without any help from a dermatologist.
Be sure to go to your regular doctor and get some bloodwork done to check for thyroid issues. You *might* want to think about an anti anxiety medication. I tried one a few months ago and all it did was make me sleepy which just isn't helpful when I have children to take care of. But for some people, they are a huge help. But do ask if hair loss is a side effect of the drug if you decide to try one.
Do check out
http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/
There are many fantastic stories there and lots of support. And, they make you feel like there IS hope and that getting something like a topper or wig is an option and sometimes it's just nice to know you aren't alone.
Bookmarks