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Hair loss treatment : what patients can expect at initial interview and evaluation
Datuk Dr Inder explains the stages of hair loss treatment
• Glaucoma
• Immune system disorder
• Blood transfusions
• Mental health issues
• Bad reaction to local anesthetics
Other questions include the weekly intake of alcohol , cigarettes , and any other type of drugs . Patients will also be asked if they have had any bad reactions to other medications generally used in surgery , which include :
• Novocaine
• Xylocaine
• Iodine
• Valium
• Penicillin
• Codeine
• Prednisone
• Topical substances applied to skin
During your hair transplant consultation , you will first be asked some details about your background . These will include your age , how long you ’ ve been struggling with hair loss , and whether you ’ re taking drugs to combat it . You will also be asked about your living conditions , your job , and how hair loss has affected you , something some might find a bit too personal . But this is done to fully assess your situation and , most importantly , to avoid bad results or complications during the procedure .
Evaluating the cause of hair loss Hair loss ( alopecia ) is a condition that affects both males and females and can come in different patterns as a result of congenital hair shaft disorders that cause fragility in the hair shaft . As a result , in order to accurately address patients ’ conditions and arrive at the correct diagnosis , an organised and systematic approach is required .
Prior to hair restoration , the doctor will record your medical history through a series of questions . The documentation covers the health status of the patient , pathological history , and possible causes of alopecia . We will also examine the alopecic and donor areas , focusing on density , elasticity , colour , and hair gauge .
The first segment of the evaluation will address the patient ’ s history of illnesses , if any . Several options will be given for patients to tick off indicating if such illnesses are present , for example :
• Bleeding problems
• Poor or abnormal healing
• Hepatitis
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Lung disease
• Hormonal disease
• Kidney bladder disease
• Stomach diseases
• Neurologic disease
• Hay fever , hives , eczema
If patients are allergic to other medications , on top of those that they take as nutritional supplements , including prescription and non-prescription medications , they should also inform the interviewer .
The second part of the process will focus on the hair itself using a diagram . Male pattern baldness follows a well-defined pattern that is best depicted by the Norwood Classification System . This includes a scale ranging from type 1 ( no frontotemporal recession ) to type 7 ( severe frontotemporal recession ). The hair loss progression is classified into types 2-6 .
Women ’ s clinical presentation , however , will differ slightly from men ’ s . Hair loss along the hairline is usually not the case in women , while thinning on the top and upper sides of the head is more widespread than in men .
Below is a sample form used for hair loss evaluation .
Datuk Dr Inder is an aesthetic physician at Klinik Dr Inder in Malaysia .
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com MAY 2022
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