Trichologist in Bromley: Blood Tests, Diet and Hair Loss
If you are looking for a trichologist in Bromley because your hair has been shedding and nobody can tell you why, the most valuable hour you spend may not be at the trichologist at all. It may be at your GP, asking for the right blood tests. Diffuse shedding with no obvious trigger is frequently linked to something measurable, low iron stores being the most common by a distance, and no shampoo, serum or supplement will compensate for a deficiency that has not been identified. A trichologist is genuinely useful for assessing the pattern and managing the hair and scalp, but they cannot order NHS bloods or interpret them medically.
Key takeaways
- Ferritin, full blood count, thyroid function and vitamin D are the usual starting panel worth discussing with a GP for unexplained diffuse shedding.
- Ferritin matters more than haemoglobin here. You can have low iron stores while your full blood count still reads normal.
- Hair is metabolically expensive and biologically non essential, so it is one of the first things the body deprioritises when energy, protein or iron run short.
- Supplements correct a proven gap. Taken without one, most do very little, and a few do harm at high doses.
- Biotin can distort thyroid and cardiac blood test results. Tell whoever takes your blood if you take it, and ask whether to pause it beforehand.
- Rapid weight loss of any kind, including on medication, reliably triggers shedding two to four months later. It is usually temporary.
Why does nutrition affect hair so much?
A hair follicle in its growth phase is one of the most metabolically active structures in the body. It divides cells rapidly and continuously for years at a time, and doing that requires a steady supply of amino acids, iron, energy and a range of cofactors.
It is also, from the body's point of view, entirely optional. You will not come to harm without hair. So when supply is constrained, whether by low iron stores, insufficient protein, a sharp drop in calories or an illness, the follicle is among the first tissues to be shifted down the priority list. It responds by pushing hairs out of the growth phase and into rest, and around three months later, when those resting hairs are released, you notice.
That delay is the single most misleading feature of the whole thing. By the time you are standing over the plughole, the cause is usually two to four months in the past, and often already resolved. Our guide to what causes telogen effluvium covers that timeline in detail, and it is worth reading before you conclude that nothing happened.
Which blood tests are worth asking about?
You cannot order these yourself on the NHS, and a trichologist cannot order them either. This is a GP conversation. Go in with the shedding timeline and ask specifically.
| Test | What it tells you | Why it is worth asking for |
|---|---|---|
| Ferritin | Your iron stores, as opposed to the iron currently in circulation | The most commonly relevant result for diffuse shedding, particularly in women who menstruate |
| Full blood count | Whether you are anaemic, and the size of your red cells | Can be entirely normal while ferritin is low, which is exactly why both are worth having |
| Thyroid function | Whether the thyroid is under or over active | Both directions disturb the hair cycle, and thyroid problems are common and treatable |
| Vitamin D | Your vitamin D status | Deficiency is very common in the UK and is associated with several hair conditions, though the causal picture is still debated |
| B12 and folate | Two nutrients needed for rapid cell division | Particularly relevant on a vegan or restricted diet, or after weight loss surgery |
| Coeliac screen | Whether malabsorption may be the reason iron will not stay up | Worth raising if iron drops again after supplementation, or with gut symptoms |
| Hormone tests | Androgen levels and related markers | Relevant alongside irregular periods, acne or unwanted hair growth, where PCOS may be in the picture |
One nuance worth understanding before you go: a result at the very bottom of a laboratory reference range is reported as normal, because the range describes the population rather than what is optimal for a demanding tissue like hair. Many hair specialists take more interest in low normal ferritin than a standard report implies. That is a conversation to have with your GP rather than an argument to have with them, and it is a reason to ask for the actual number rather than accepting only that it was normal.
If thyroid results come back abnormal, our guide to thyroid related hair loss explains what usually happens to hair while the dose is being settled.
Which deficiencies genuinely affect hair, and which do not?
Iron: the big one
Low iron stores are the most frequently relevant finding in unexplained diffuse shedding, especially in women with heavy periods, in athletes, in people who have recently given blood regularly, and in those eating little or no red meat. Correcting it, under medical guidance, is one of the few interventions in this whole field that can produce a genuinely satisfying result. It is also slow: stores take months to rebuild, and the hair follows the usual three to six month lag after that.
Protein and total energy
Hair is largely keratin, a protein. Sustained under eating, whether from dieting, illness, appetite loss or a very restrictive eating pattern, reduces the raw material and the energy available. This is one of the most reliable causes of shedding and one of the least often admitted to in a consultation.
Zinc
Genuine zinc deficiency does cause hair loss, but it is uncommon in the UK outside of malabsorption, alcohol dependence and very restricted diets. Excess zinc supplementation causes its own problems, including interference with copper absorption, so this is one to test rather than guess.
Vitamin D
Deficiency is common in the UK, and low levels are associated with several hair conditions. Whether correcting it improves hair in someone without other issues is less clearly established. It is worth testing and correcting for general health regardless.
What does not have good support
Collagen drinks, most exotic botanical blends, and taking biotin when your levels are normal. Biotin deficiency is genuinely rare, and while biotin is essential for hair, supplementing an adequate level does not add anything. It does, however, interfere with several common laboratory assays.
Three supplements that can make things worse:
- Vitamin A in excess is an established cause of hair loss, not a remedy for it.
- Selenium has a narrow window between adequate and too much, and excess is associated with hair loss.
- Iron without a confirmed deficiency is not harmless. Test first, then treat if indicated.
And tell whoever takes your blood if you take biotin, because it can distort thyroid and cardiac test results.
What should you actually eat?
Nothing exotic, and nothing you need to buy from a website. The pattern that supports hair is the same one that supports everything else: enough total food, enough protein, and iron you can actually absorb.
| What you need | Where to get it | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Protein at every meal | Eggs, fish, poultry, meat, dairy, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils | Spreading it across the day works better than one large evening portion |
| Haem iron, which absorbs readily | Red meat, liver, sardines, mussels | Absorbed several times more efficiently than plant iron |
| Non haem iron | Lentils, beans, tofu, dark leafy greens, fortified cereals | Pair with vitamin C, and keep tea and coffee away from the meal by an hour |
| Vitamin C alongside iron | Peppers, citrus, tomatoes, berries | The single easiest change most people can make |
| B12, on a plant based diet | Fortified foods or a supplement | Not optional if you eat no animal products |
| Enough total energy | Food, consistently | The most commonly overlooked item on this table by some distance |
Weight loss, crash diets and shedding
Rapid weight loss is one of the most predictable triggers of diffuse shedding there is, and it applies whether the weight came off through a restrictive diet, surgery, illness or an appetite suppressing medication. The mechanism is the same in each case: a sharp reduction in energy and often protein intake, sometimes with iron and B12 dropping alongside.
The shedding typically starts two to four months after the drop and settles over the following six to nine months, provided intake has stabilised. The practical steps are unglamorous: keep protein up even while calories are down, get iron and B12 checked rather than assumed, lose weight at a slower rate if that is within your control, and if you are on a prescribed medication, raise it with your prescriber rather than stopping it yourself.
So what does a trichologist in Bromley add?
Quite a lot, provided you have the medical side covered. Bromley and the surrounding south east London boroughs have a reasonable spread of practices, and central London is a short train ride if you want more choice.
- They tell you whether it is shedding or pattern thinning, which changes everything about what comes next and is genuinely difficult to judge yourself.
- They look at the scalp properly with magnification, because a scalp condition often rides alongside a nutritional shed and treating only one gives half a result.
- They separate shedding from breakage. A great deal of what people bring in as hair loss turns out to be hair snapping mid shaft, which needs a completely different fix.
- They give you a baseline of standardised photographs and measurements, so that in six months you are comparing evidence rather than impressions.
- They tell you what to ask your GP. A good trichologist sends you back with a specific list rather than a vague suggestion to get some bloods done.
Trichology is not statutorily regulated in the UK, so check membership of the Institute of Trichologists or the Association of Registered Trichologists on the register itself, and be cautious of any consultation that ends in a large product bill and no review date.
The everyday routine
These are cosmetic products, not treatments for a deficiency or for medical hair loss. What they do is cleanse gently, support scalp comfort and reduce the breakage that makes shedding look worse than it is. If bloods have shown something correctable, that comes first and this runs alongside it.
GrowPro® Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies
Sugar free vegan gummies providing zinc, biotin, vitamin C and other nutrients that contribute to the maintenance of normal hair. A supplement is for filling a dietary gap rather than a growth strategy, so check with your GP first if you are already taking anything, and mention biotin before any blood test.
Sulphate free daily cleanser with biotin, caffeine, rosemary and niacinamide. Keeps the scalp clean and comfortable without the stripped feeling that a harsh detergent leaves.
Condition Me® Hair Growth Conditioner
Slip for detangling and breakage defence with shea butter, glycerin and lupine protein. During a shed, protecting the hair you still have matters more than usual.
How long does recovery take?
Longer than anyone wants, and in two stages. First the deficiency has to be corrected, and iron stores in particular take several months of consistent supplementation to rebuild. Only then does the follicle start behaving normally again, and only after that does the new hair grow far enough to be visible, at roughly a centimetre a month.
Realistically that is six to twelve months from the day the correction starts, with the first encouraging sign being short, fine regrowth standing up along the parting and hairline. Those baby hairs are frequently mistaken for breakage. They are usually the opposite.
It also helps to know what a normal amount of shedding looks like, so that you are not chasing a problem that has already resolved. Our guide to what counts as normal hair loss sets out the numbers, and our daily, weekly and monthly protocol covers the habits worth keeping once things have settled.
Frequently asked questions
What blood tests should I ask my GP for if my hair is falling out?
Ferritin, full blood count, thyroid function and vitamin D are the usual starting panel for unexplained diffuse shedding. B12 and folate are worth adding on a restricted or plant based diet, and hormone tests are relevant alongside irregular periods or other androgenic symptoms.
Can low iron cause hair loss even if I am not anaemic?
Yes, and this catches a lot of people out. Ferritin measures your iron stores, and it can be low while your full blood count still reads as normal. That is why asking for ferritin specifically, and asking for the actual number, matters.
Will hair vitamins make my hair grow?
They help if you have a genuine dietary gap, because nutrients such as zinc and biotin contribute to the maintenance of normal hair. If your levels are already adequate, the evidence for extra benefit is weak, and a few nutrients cause problems at high doses. Testing beats guessing.
How long after correcting a deficiency will my hair improve?
Expect six to twelve months from the start of correction. Iron stores take months to rebuild, the follicle then has to complete its cycle, and new hair grows at roughly a centimetre a month. Photographs are far more reliable than memory over that period.
Does rapid weight loss cause hair loss?
Frequently, yes. Sharp reductions in energy and protein intake push follicles into their resting phase, and the shedding appears two to four months later. It usually settles once intake stabilises. Keep protein up, get iron and B12 checked, and never stop a prescribed medication over it without speaking to your prescriber.
Can a trichologist order blood tests?
No. Trichologists are not medically qualified and cannot order NHS tests or interpret results medically. A good one will tell you exactly what to ask your GP for, which is genuinely useful, and will work alongside those results.
Is biotin worth taking for hair?
Only if you are deficient, which is rare. Supplementing beyond an adequate level does not appear to add anything, and biotin can interfere with several laboratory tests including thyroid and cardiac markers. Always tell whoever takes your blood that you are taking it.
Does going vegan cause hair loss?
Not in itself, but a poorly planned plant based diet can leave you short on iron, B12, zinc and total protein, any of which can contribute. A well planned one with attention to those nutrients, plus vitamin C alongside iron rich meals, is perfectly compatible with healthy hair.
The short version
For unexplained diffuse shedding, the order of operations matters. Ask your GP for ferritin, full blood count, thyroid function and vitamin D, and ask for the numbers rather than just being told they are normal. See a trichologist in Bromley to establish whether you are shedding or thinning, to sort out any scalp problem alongside it, and to get a proper photographic baseline. Eat enough, with protein at each meal and vitamin C alongside iron. Treat supplements as gap fillers rather than growth strategies, and give the whole thing six to twelve months.
For a gentle everyday routine while you work through it, Grow Me® Shampoo and Condition Me® Conditioner are where most people start. Watermans is a family run British brand, vegan and cruelty free, with over 5 million bottles sold since 2012. This article is general information and is not medical advice.
