Hair loss treatment for St Johns and World Golf Village

The usual sequence is shampoo, then a supplement, then a device seen online, then a clinic. By the time someone sits down with us, a year has often gone by and several hundred dollars with it, and nobody has yet established what is causing the thinning.

That order is backwards for a simple reason: the treatments that work for one cause do nothing for another. A supplement aimed at a deficiency you do not have cannot help. A device aimed at miniaturising follicles cannot help an active shedding phase that will resolve by itself.

The evaluation costs one appointment. It either finds a medical cause worth treating in its own right, or it tells us which process we are dealing with, and both outcomes save money against another year of guessing.

Thyroid disease is common, under-diagnosed, and thins hair. It also causes fatigue, weight change, temperature intolerance and mood change, which means finding it matters considerably more than the hair question that brought it to light.

Iron deficiency is the second. Ferritin, which reflects iron stores, can be low while a standard blood count looks normal, so the right test matters. This is a frequent finding in menstruating women and a frequent explanation for diffuse thinning.

Medication is the third, and the one people forget to mention. A number of common prescriptions list hair loss as a recognized effect. We go through the full list, including anything bought over the counter, because the timing often lines up once it is written down.

Beyond those, hormonal change around perimenopause and menopause in women, and androgen sensitivity in men, account for most of what remains. Those are treatable, but the treatment differs from the ones above, which is exactly why the order matters.

The office is on R G Skinner Parkway in southside Jacksonville, which is a straightforward drive up I-95 from the World Golf Village and County Road 210 areas. Parking is free and the entrance is step-free.

We try to keep the number of trips down. Bloodwork is ordered at the first visit where it is indicated, results are reviewed without requiring another consultation, and review appointments are short. Call or text 904-454-4937 and tell us you are travelling in.