Your concern
Hair loss
Understanding why hair is falling before deciding how to treat it: thinning, seasonal shedding and alopecia.
Losing hair every day is normal: hair has a life cycle, and a proportion falling out is part of physiological turnover. The problem is not shedding itself, but when the balance between what falls and what regrows changes. This is why "my hair is falling out" describes very different situations, and why the first step is not choosing a product: it is understanding which mechanism is at work.
A useful distinction is between the shedding you see in the brush and the thinning you see in the mirror. In the first, more hair falls but density is preserved, often temporarily and linked to an event — an illness, surgery, a period of intense stress, the postpartum period, a nutritional deficiency — with a delay of some weeks after the cause. In the second, hair does not necessarily fall more, but becomes finer and shorter with each cycle, and the scalp begins to show: a progressive process, often genetic and hormonal, appearing in characteristic areas.
The trichological assessment distinguishes them. The clinical history is reconstructed — since when, with what course, what happened in the preceding months, family history, current medication — and the scalp is examined, where indicated with trichoscopy, which allows hair calibre and follicle condition to be seen under dedicated magnification. In some cases blood tests are added to check for deficiencies or abnormalities that may contribute.
On results it is worth being precise, because this is the area where most is sold and least honestly promised. An active follicle can be supported, and thinning caught early responds better; an area where the follicle is no longer functioning cannot be brought back with medical therapy. The difference between the two is not established by eye or by reading a label: it is seen at the visit. And it is the main reason why waiting "for it to pass on its own" is the most expensive choice.
Falling more, or simply thinner?
These are two distinct problems and the answer changes everything. If more hair falls but it stays the same thickness, there is often an underlying event and the situation may resolve once the cause is removed. If instead the amount falling is similar but the hair is thinning and the scalp shows, the cycle is shortening and the process is progressive: here time works against you, and acting early changes the outcome. Counting hairs on the pillow is not enough to tell which of the two you are facing.
How it shows
- A clear increase of hair on the brush, pillow or in the shower
- A scalp that shows through, especially along the parting or at the temples
- Hair becoming finer, shorter and duller than before
- Receding temples or crown thinning that progresses over time
- Shedding appearing some weeks after an event: childbirth, illness, surgery, intense stress
- Itching, flaking or redness of the scalp alongside the shedding
How we proceed
- 1Trichological visit: history of the shedding, its course, family history and current medication
- 2Scalp examination, with trichoscopy where indicated
- 3Where useful, blood tests to check for deficiencies or abnormalities contributing to the picture
- 4Distinction between shedding reactive to an event and progressive thinning
- 5Definition of the pathway and scheduled follow-up to assess response over time
Available treatments
- Trichological visit
- Trichoscopy
- PRP for hair
- Scalp mesotherapy
- Topical and systemic therapy
- Scheduled follow-up
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Our specialists will evaluate your case and define the most suitable treatment plan.
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Frequently asked questions
How many hairs a day is it normal to lose?+
A certain amount of shedding is part of normal turnover, and the number varies between people and across the year. Counting is of little use: it is more telling to notice a change from your own norm — suddenly far more hair on the brush, or a scalp visible where it was not before. It is the change, not the absolute number, that warrants assessment.
After childbirth (or an illness) I am losing a great deal: is it permanent?+
Generally no. After a significant event for the body — childbirth, a febrile illness, surgery, a period of intense stress, a very restrictive diet — a proportion of hairs can enter the shedding phase together, appearing some weeks after the cause. It is often temporary and resolves once the cause is past. An assessment is still useful to confirm this is the picture and to rule out an overlapping progressive thinning.
Can hair loss be stopped?+
It depends on the mechanism. Shedding reactive to an event tends to resolve once the cause is removed. Progressive thinning can be slowed and, on follicles that are still active, hair quality and density can be worked on: the earlier the intervention, the greater the margin. What no medical therapy does is bring hair back to an area where the follicle is no longer functioning. Anyone promising otherwise is selling an expectation, not a result.
Do supplements and over-the-counter products help?+
They can play a supporting role, particularly when there is a documented deficiency to correct. They do not, however, replace diagnosis: taken blindly they risk wasting months in exactly the phase when progressive thinning would respond best. The point of the visit is to establish which mechanism is at work first, and then decide what is actually needed.
When is it worth booking a visit?+
When shedding has lasted more than a few weeks, when the scalp starts to show where it did not before, when hair is visibly thinning, when shedding comes with itching, redness or flaking, or when there is a family history and you want to understand your situation in good time. In progressive thinning, the factor weighing most on the outcome is when you start.
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