Trichologist in Ealing: What to Sort Out Before You Book
Before you pay for a trichologist in Ealing, do three things. Work out whether you are losing hair from the root or breaking it along the shaft, because they have completely different fixes. Ask your GP for a short panel of blood tests, because deficiencies and thyroid problems are common, treatable and easy to miss. And review your medication list, because a surprising number of everyday prescriptions cause shedding. A good trichologist will ask about all three anyway. Arriving with the answers turns a 60 pound consultation into something far more useful than a scalp scan and a product recommendation.
Key takeaways
- Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. What matters is the change from your own baseline, not the number itself.
- A hair that has come out from the root has a small pale bulb on the end. A hair that has snapped does not. That single check separates shedding from breakage.
- Diffuse shedding that starts 2 to 3 months after an illness, operation, birth, crash diet or major stress is the classic telogen effluvium pattern, and it usually recovers on its own.
- Ask your GP about ferritin, full blood count, thyroid function, vitamin D and B12 before you spend money privately.
- Several common medicines can trigger shedding, but never stop or change a prescribed medicine because of an article. Raise it with the prescriber.
- Shampoos and conditioners are cosmetic support. They reduce breakage and make hair look fuller. They do not treat a medical cause of hair loss.
Is it shedding, breakage or thinning?
These three get lumped together as hair loss and they are not the same problem. Getting this right at home takes about five minutes and changes everything that follows.
Shedding means whole hairs are leaving the follicle. Pick up a few of the hairs you find in the shower or on the pillow and look at one end under good light. A shed hair has a small, pale, slightly bulbous root on it. Shedding points at the follicle cycle, which means causes like stress, illness, thyroid problems, iron status, hormones and medication.
Breakage means the hair is snapping partway along the shaft. Broken hairs have no bulb, they are often short and of varying lengths, and you tend to see a halo of short pieces around the crown and along the parting. Breakage points at handling, heat, chemical processing, tension and dryness, which are all things you control.
Thinning means the individual hairs are getting finer over time and the density is dropping, usually without a dramatic shed. Compare your parting width in a photograph from a year or two ago. Progressive widening at the parting or recession at the temples suggests androgenetic alopecia, the patterned type.
The 5 minute home triage.
- The bulb check. Look at 10 shed hairs. Bulbs on most of them means shedding. No bulbs and ragged ends means breakage.
- The collection test. For one week, collect what comes out in the shower and brush and keep it in a bag per day. A rising trend over weeks is far more informative than one alarming morning.
- The photo baseline. Photograph your parting and hairline in the same spot, same light, hair dry and in the same style. Repeat monthly. Nothing else will tell you honestly whether a plan is working.
How much hair loss a day is normal?
Roughly 50 to 100 hairs a day is the usual figure quoted, and it is a reasonable rule of thumb. The problem is that almost nobody counts, and the number varies enormously with how often you wash. If you wash daily you lose a small amount each time. If you wash twice a week, wash day looks alarming because you are seeing several days of shedding at once. That is normal and it catches people out constantly.
Two better questions than the count:
- Has it changed? A real shed feels different from your normal. You notice it on the pillow, in the sink, on your clothes, not just in the shower.
- Is the density changing? Heavy shedding with no visible thinning after several months is usually a shed that will settle. Shedding alongside a visibly wider parting is a different conversation.
If you want the detail on what is normal at the basin, we cover it in how to lose less hair in the shower.
When did it start? Why the 3 month gap matters
Hair follicles do not respond to a shock immediately. A significant physical or emotional event pushes a batch of follicles out of their growing phase, called anagen, and into the resting phase, called telogen. Those hairs then sit in place for roughly 2 to 3 months before they are released together. That delay is why people so often connect the shedding to whatever is happening now rather than to what happened in the spring.
So work backwards. Three months before the shedding started, was there:
- A high fever, a bad viral illness, or COVID
- Surgery or a general anaesthetic
- Childbirth, or stopping breastfeeding, or stopping hormonal contraception
- Rapid weight loss, a very low calorie diet, or a sudden dietary change
- A bereavement, a divorce, a redundancy, or a sustained period of poor sleep
- A new medication, or a dose change
If you can find the trigger, the picture is usually telogen effluvium, which is self limiting. Most cases settle within 6 to 9 months once the trigger has passed, and the density recovers. Knowing that saves a lot of money and a lot of panic. We go through the full timeline in what causes telogen effluvium.
Which medicines can cause hair shedding?
This is the box people most often leave unticked, partly because the shedding starts months after the medicine did, so the connection is not obvious. Drug induced hair loss is usually telogen effluvium, it is usually diffuse rather than patchy, and it is usually reversible once the drug is changed, when changing it is clinically appropriate.
Medicine groups that have been associated with hair shedding include:
- Retinoids, including isotretinoin and high dose vitamin A
- Some beta blockers and some other blood pressure medicines
- Anticoagulants
- Some antidepressants, and lithium
- Some anticonvulsants, including sodium valproate
- Starting, stopping or switching hormonal contraception, and hormone therapies
- Some thyroid medicines, particularly while the dose is being settled
- Some medicines used for gout, arthritis and autoimmune conditions
- Chemotherapy, which causes a different and more abrupt pattern called anagen effluvium
That list is not exhaustive and it does not mean your medicine is the cause. Plenty of people take everything on it with no hair change at all. What it means is that the timing is worth checking, and it is a conversation for the person who prescribed it.
Never stop a prescribed medicine because of hair loss. Some of the medicines on that list are treating conditions considerably more serious than shedding, and stopping them abruptly can be dangerous. Write down what you take, when you started it, and when the shedding started, and take that to your GP or prescribing clinician. They can weigh it up properly. Nothing on this page is medical advice.
Which blood tests should you ask your GP for?
Most private trichology plans start by sending you back to your GP for exactly these, so you may as well get them done first. Ask whether they are appropriate for you, given your history.
| Test | Why it is on the list | Other clues to mention |
|---|---|---|
| Ferritin (iron stores) | Low iron stores are strongly associated with diffuse shedding, especially in women, and can be low while a standard full blood count still looks normal | Heavy periods, vegetarian or vegan diet, fatigue, breathlessness, restless legs |
| Full blood count | Picks up anaemia and gives context for the ferritin result | Tiredness, pallor, frequent infections |
| Thyroid function (TSH, and T4 if indicated) | Both an underactive and an overactive thyroid can cause diffuse hair loss, and both are treatable | Weight change, temperature intolerance, dry skin, palpitations, brittle nails |
| Vitamin D | Deficiency is very common in the UK and has been linked with several hair conditions | Little sun exposure, covered clothing, darker skin, aching bones |
| Vitamin B12 and folate | Relevant particularly on plant based diets, after weight loss surgery, or on long term acid reducing medication | Tingling, mouth ulcers, low mood, poor concentration |
| Hormone panel, if indicated | Considered where there are signs of PCOS or other hormonal patterns | Irregular periods, acne, unwanted facial hair, difficulty conceiving |
Take the printed results with you to any private appointment. Ask for the actual numbers rather than being told they are normal, because normal ranges are broad and the bottom end of a ferritin range is not the same as a comfortable level. That is a discussion to have with your GP, not with a product seller.
So what does a trichologist in Ealing actually add?
Quite a lot, once the medical basics are covered. A trichologist takes a much longer history than a ten minute GP appointment allows, examines the scalp under magnification, and is genuinely good at pattern recognition: distinguishing diffuse shedding from early patterned loss, spotting breakage masquerading as thinning, identifying scalp inflammation, and picking up traction from styling that the person has stopped noticing.
They also do the unglamorous, useful work of rebuilding a hair care routine that has quietly been causing damage. Detangling technique, wash frequency, heat use, chemical processing intervals, and how you sleep on your hair all add up, and most people have at least one habit worth changing.
What a trichologist cannot do is prescribe, diagnose a medical disease, or order NHS investigations. In the UK the title is not legally protected either, so check the practitioner against the Institute of Trichologists or the Trichological Society member directory yourself rather than trusting a logo, ask what their referral pathway is for medical findings, and confirm the consultation fee can be paid on its own rather than only as a deposit against a treatment package. Ealing and the surrounding west London clinics generally charge somewhere around 60 to 150 pounds for a first appointment.
What actually has evidence behind it?
| Approach | Evidence tier | What it realistically does |
|---|---|---|
| Treating a confirmed deficiency or thyroid problem | Established | Resolves the shedding it was driving, under GP supervision |
| Waiting out a telogen effluvium once the trigger has passed | Established | Density usually recovers over 6 to 12 months with no treatment at all |
| Reviewing medication with the prescriber | Established | Where a swap is clinically appropriate, shedding often settles afterwards |
| Topical minoxidil | Established, pharmacy or prescriber led | Licensed for patterned hair loss, needs months and ongoing use. Ask a pharmacist or GP |
| Changing detangling, heat and styling habits | Established for breakage | The fastest visible win when the problem is snapping rather than shedding |
| Gentle sulphate free cleansing and conditioning | Cosmetic support | Less breakage, better feel and more apparent fullness. No change to follicle density |
| Supplements taken without a tested deficiency | Limited | Little reason to expect benefit at normal levels, and high dose vitamin A can make shedding worse |
| Multi session in clinic packages bought up front | Mixed | Judge each on its own evidence. Be wary of committing before a diagnosis is settled |
If you are early in this and want a sensible order of operations, our guide to what to do in the first 90 days sets out the same logic in sequence, and how to work out your cause goes deeper on the patterns.
Gentle everyday care while you work it out
Whatever the cause turns out to be, one thing is worth fixing immediately: hair you are breaking during washing and detangling. That is loss you can stop this week, and it is purely cosmetic ground, no medical claims attached.
Grow Me® Hair Growth Shampoo
Sulphate free, with biotin, caffeine, rosemary, niacinamide and hydrolysed lupine protein. Formulated to cleanse without stripping and to reduce breakage so hair looks fuller and thicker. Cosmetic support alongside whatever your GP or trichologist advises, not a treatment for hair loss. 14.95 pounds.
View Grow Me shampoo
Condition Me® Hair Growth Conditioner
The partner step, and the one that matters most for breakage. Shea butter, glycerin, cholesterol and hydrolysed lupine protein give enough slip that the comb passes through instead of snapping the hair. If your problem is short broken pieces rather than shed bulbs, start here. 13.95 pounds.
View Condition Me conditionerWatermans has sold over 5 million bottles since 2012. Vegan, and made in the UK.
Frequently asked questions about trichologists in Ealing
Is a trichologist a doctor?
No. A trichologist is a hair and scalp specialist, not a medical doctor. They cannot prescribe medication, order NHS tests or give a formal medical diagnosis. A good one refers you to your GP when the findings are medical.
How much does a trichologist cost in Ealing?
Roughly 60 to 150 pounds for a first private consultation in west London, with follow ups usually lower. Tests, products and treatment courses are extra. Ask for the consultation price on its own before booking.
Can I get a trichologist on the NHS?
Not generally. Trichology is private and treated as cosmetic. Your GP can investigate medical causes, arrange blood tests, and refer you to NHS dermatology where there is a clinical reason, such as suspected scarring alopecia or alopecia areata.
How do I know if my hair is shedding or breaking?
Look at the end of the fallen hair. A shed hair has a small pale bulb at the root end. A broken hair has no bulb and is often shorter than the rest of your hair. Shedding points to the follicle cycle, breakage points to handling and styling.
Can medication cause hair loss?
Yes. Several medicine groups have been associated with diffuse shedding, including retinoids, some beta blockers, anticoagulants, some antidepressants, lithium and some anticonvulsants. It is usually reversible when the medicine is changed, but never stop or alter a prescription yourself. Raise the timing with your prescriber.
Which blood tests should I ask for?
Ferritin, full blood count, thyroid function, vitamin D and vitamin B12 with folate are the usual starting panel, with a hormone panel where there are other signs such as irregular periods. Ask your GP whether they are appropriate for you and request the actual numbers.
How long does stress related hair loss last?
Telogen effluvium typically starts 2 to 3 months after the trigger and settles within 6 to 9 months once that trigger has passed, with density recovering over the following months. Persistent shedding beyond that deserves another look.
Will taking biotin help?
Only if you are deficient, which is uncommon. There is little reason to expect benefit at normal levels. Worth knowing: high dose biotin can interfere with some laboratory blood tests, including thyroid and cardiac tests, so tell whoever takes your blood if you are taking it.
Does hair grow back after telogen effluvium?
In most cases yes. The follicles are not destroyed, they have shifted phase, so once the trigger resolves they return to growing. Expect the new growth to appear first as short fine hairs around the hairline and parting.
Where to start
Do the bulb check tonight, start a monthly photo baseline, book a GP appointment for bloods, and write down every medicine with its start date. Then, if you still want a specialist eye on your scalp and your routine, book a registered trichologist in Ealing and turn up with all of it. In the meantime, stop breaking the hair you already have.
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