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My main personal advice would be - always consult a qualified medical practitioner - your GP or if your GP refers you, a dermatologist, if requiring diagnosis or  advice on treatments for hair loss.  Steer clear of lotions and potions advertised on line. Also, please be aware that trichologists are not the same as dermatologists.  There are courses readily available for those wishing to gain a qualification at various levels in trichology and become a trichologist, some aimed at those working in the hairdressing and beauty industry or those interested in the hair and scalp. 

Trichologists are not required to be medical physicians.  However dermatologists have medical degrees. Sometimes hair loss can be caused by deficiencies, auto immune disorders and so many other reasons. A dermatologist can investigate these causes using medical procedures and prescribe treatment. They have spent years training in their specialised field and keeping up to date with medical guidelines and research. 

Your GP would be my first port of call and they may order tests or refer you to a dermatologist.   They might  also advise you to use products readily available but this would be my course of action.  Alternatively they may advise you that at this moment there are limited options medically but personally, I would rather know this than spend time and money trying to find a treatment elsewhere. Then, if you wish to explore a more holistic approach such as those offered by a trichologist, you are doing so with an understanding of the medical nature and prognosis of your hair loss. Please also research regulation (whether self regulated or externally at regulatory body level),  qualifications and certification if looking for a trichologist. Alternatively, if you have an interest in the hair and scalp there are trichology courses you can complete yourself.   I often find when we have hair loss we have usually undertaken a lot of research ourselves on our particular form once we know what type it is.

As mentioned in the home page, although there is the physical side of hair loss, there is also the emotional.  In the case of hair loss in general and that triggered by life events and stress, the emotional side can be just as important.  If stress has triggered the hair loss, the stress of hair loss itself can create a cycle.  There are many avenues to explore regarding this and you will find one that works best for you and many entail minimal cost or are free.  Looking back on my own journey, the feeling of not being able to control hair falling out was difficult and at the beginning probably treatments via the NHS gave me a sense that something was being done. as well as bringing my hair back albeit with patches for several years. This may be why many people also explore non medical avenues, I suppose like anything in life, feeling you are doing something can raise your emotional well-being and give you inner strength to deal with the emotional side of hair loss.  

Some people may walk, read, practice yoga, 

meditate, seek counselling…there are many options and you will  find what is best for you. However, please don’t neglect this side of hair loss or see it as a weakness, it is a natural and common reaction to hair loss to feel overwhelmed.  It often isn’t just hair to you, it can affect how you see yourself. Speak to someone to let them know how you are feeling.

There are organisations listed below, often with someone on the other end of the phone who has hairloss and has felt the same emotions. I find speaking to others who have hair loss is really helpful as you can say it as it is, as they just get it, having experienced it themselves and they may share tips from what they have learned.  Could I talk to my customers or empathise in the same way as I do If I did not have hair loss? No - I personally wouldn’t feel it was my place to do so. I would be frightened to offend. As it is I can speak about my personal experience with the knowledge that there will be really significant common reactions and emotions but their paths and reactions may be different due to a huge range of factors but I can talk about hair loss without skirting around the important parts.

Over the years, I have kept up to date with advances impacting my personal form of hair loss which is an auto immune condition.  There are other causes of hair loss than my own and below I have listed some sources of support and guidance which I have found helpful.  The NHS and medical professionals (dermatologists) have always been my first port of call. My own hair made a reappearance for a period of 4 years in my teens and then fell out again. Whether this was due to NHS treatments at the time or just the natural course of my hair loss, I do not know!

Each person's experiences, circumstances and reactions to hair loss are as unique and individual as we each are.  

Some people decide not to wear a wig or hairpiece, others do.  Some people are open about their hair loss while others prefer to keep it private. Some people will be looking at the prospect of long term hair loss, others short term.  Some people will be navigating hair loss as part of cancer treatment at a time when there are so many things to think about at once.  The next page on this website is devoted to hair loss during cancer treatment.

 I hope by providing signposts to the organisations below, you may find resources which resonate with your own particular circumstances.  I have my own experience of treatments and for the first time in decades there is a really exciting treatment on the horizon for my form of hair loss which does however carry some risk. You can find out about  FDA Approval for Ritlectinib on the Alopecia UK website JAK inhibitors – treatment options, not a cure | Alopecia UK  or on BBC News  First alopecia treatment recommended on the NHS - BBC News  There are many questions I would need to find the answers to, for example whether the effectiveness of the treatment would plateau and need increasing doses over time, long term studies of side effects by age of recipient and whether in those predisposed genetically to auto immune conditions, the immune system would find something else to attack when no longer busy with hair follicles! I really hope also that the principles behind this treatment may open the door to improvements in treating or perhaps even preventing in the future other autoimmune conditions.  From my own point of view, my sense of  physical identity changed with Alopecia and my identity and sense of who I am now, is the person I see in the mirror every day who wears wigs.  Oddly, should my hair reappear, this would be another significant change!  I am happy as who I am.  I love the opportunities wigs provide nowadays and I think even if I had my own hair, I would still experiment with different styles of wigs and hairpieces.   

Also, many people with long term hair loss have tried many treatments over the years and hair may have returned but the thing with certain types of Alopecia is that they are often unpredictable and can lull you into a false sense of security.  It often does exactly what it wants to do and many people find this unpredictability something they don't need in their lives.  So we sometimes let Alopecia do what it wants to do and live our lives by accepting that is what hair loss does and controlling the things in life we can have a positive impact on.  For some this can include using wigs - providing the look they would like without the ups and downs of treatments and hair loss. The positive thing about the new treatment I mentioned is that it is not treating the hair or scalp which is the result or symptom of what the immune system is doing but the cause of the hair loss  - the immune system. For me in my life just now I will be an interested spectator and hope it will help future generations. As I  have children and have reached a different stage of life than the early years with hair loss, for me personally now, there is more to consider with treatments. 

Personally I find it more comfortable for those I work with and who I am friends with to know that I have Alopecia and wear wigs.  At the beginning of the journey, I found the stress of worrying whether people knew and hiding it exhausting and detrimental to me.   Women talk a lot and moan a lot about their hair and I used to find myself sitting quietly not wanting anyone to ask me questions when I wasn't open about my hair loss.  I found all this self imposed worry was relieved when I let people know that this is who I am, I never chose to have Alopecia, it is an autoimmune condition but it is part of me and with the passing years a very small part.  People have been amazingly accepting and are aware of my situation in hair conversations and I can even contribute now with my own experiences.  If I go to work with a new hair people are more likely to comment honestly as they would if I had hair and I don't worry about those comments whereas before this I didn't want people to notice my hair or comment on it.  Oddly at this stage, when selecting a wig I never wanted one that looked too nice or would attract attention.  Those who see me everyday probably knew and felt worried they may offend by commenting when I wasn't open about my hair loss.  However, something that comes with age is the realisation that other people probably don't notice as much as we think, as they are probably too busy thinking about things they themselves may be worried about!

I am still stunned when customers with  hair loss take their wigs off by how beautiful they are without hair, how all their features seem to pop more, something we don't often appreciate ourselves as we don't see ourselves the way others do.  Hair loss can affect your confidence for varying degrees of time. I suppose as someone older I often wish I could make sure younger women see how beautiful they are and how their hair loss makes them no less than before.  I do sound old when I write this.  Possibly an indication of this is that I sometimes forget when doing the school run which hair I had on when I dropped them off in the morning and arrive with a different colour and length at home time, only remembering when I reach the school.

Eyebrows, eyelashes, make up, styling a wig, fixing a wig, wind, holidaying, swimming and more! These topics will soon be added on this site and on social media where we can share knowledge/experience and arrange to meet in person as a group/virtually for tutorials /listen to speakers/fundraise for charity as friends of Beech Grove Wig Boutique.  Our location is ideal for this.

If you search for Hair Loss on the NHS website  Hair loss - NHS (www.nhs.uk) you will find advice on causes, symptoms and treatment options.  There is also reference to emotional support.  I often ask during my personal dermatology appointments whether the emotional side, especially for children dealing with hair loss is now cared for.  I feel it is important for many people encountering hair loss and needs to be addressed in the same way as the physical symptoms of hair loss. Some people may prefer to wear wigs for hair loss, others may not. From my own experience, my years as a primary teacher and as a parent, I understand that often young children encountering  hair loss do not have the emotional vocabulary and experience to communicate/process how they are feeling and tending to this side of hair loss is just as important as the physical side.

An invaluable organisation for people experiencing Alopecia and their families.  On their website Alopecia UK   I have found information on treatments, education, wigs, support groups and the important work they do fundraising/campaigning.  They have really super material to help all people dealing with hair loss, and lots of material to support children experiencing hair loss. From my own experience, I wish I had met people like me earlier in my hair loss journey as when you do there is an instant connection from a shared experience.  Especially for children who often feel like there is no one else with the same hair loss experience,  once they meet people with similar experiences, they benefit from having that support network. I feel so lucky through my business to be able to be that other person for my customers and share avenues of support.  It still benefits me to talk to others navigating the same road as I have and I am always learning.  This also applies to speaking to people who wear wigs for fashion and do not have hair loss - you pick up tips and tricks along the way.  Wearing wigs for hair loss and Alopecia and for fashion as mentioned earlier go hand in hand.

 The Little Princess Trust provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people with hair loss. This could be due to cancer treatment or other causes.  It costs on average £700 to make, fit and style one wig so any help is hugely appreciated by the charity.  Staff at The Little Princess Trust know from speaking to the young people they support just how much the wigs help to restore the confidence and identity of children at what can be a very challenging time.  To make a donation to The Little Princess Trust, visit https://www.littleprincesses.org.uk/donate-money or call them on 01432352359. Beech Grove Wig Boutique will also support this charity by donating a percentage of profits from sales ongoing.