Gradual and familiar.
Photograph the hairline, temples and crown in consistent light. Gentle hair care and avoiding tight styles can reduce breakage while you decide whether to seek advice.
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Hair loss · GP care
Name the pattern. Check the cause first.
Hair loss can be gradual, patchy or a period of increased shedding. A GP review can distinguish common familial patterns from scalp disease, medicine effects and health conditions that may need investigation.
No treatment works for everyone, and some options only work while they are used. Establish the likely pattern before paying for treatment or a commercial hair service.
Choose a suitable route
Choose the right starting point.
Gradual familial thinning is different from sudden shedding, smooth bald patches or loss with an inflamed scalp.
Sudden, patchy or concerning.
Arrange a review for smooth patches, marked shedding, scalp symptoms, loss after illness or weight change, or when hair loss affects your wellbeing.
Explore in-person GP carePainful, infected or systemically unwell.
Seek prompt advice for scalp heat, swelling, pus, spreading redness or fever, especially if you have a weakened immune system.
Use NHS 111The NHS advises seeing a GP to understand the likely cause before considering a commercial hair clinic.
Notice the pattern
What changes the next step.
Distribution, speed and scalp findings help narrow the possibilities.
Pattern thinning
A receding hairline or gradual thinning at the crown or parting often follows a familial pattern.
Patchy loss
Smooth circular patches, broken hairs or scale can suggest different conditions that need examination.
Diffuse shedding
Shedding across the scalp may follow illness, stress, childbirth, weight loss, iron deficiency or another trigger.
Scalp-associated loss
Itch, scale, pain, crusting or inflammation suggests that the scalp itself also needs assessment.
Hair growth cycles are slow, so changes and treatment response are usually judged over months rather than days.
A focused GP assessment
Separate pattern, shedding and scalp disease.
A focused examination and history can guide whether reassurance, tests, treatment or dermatology review is appropriate.
Explore in-person GP care01
Map distribution and timing.
Review onset, speed, hairline, crown, parting, patches, shedding, breakage and changes in eyebrows or body hair.
02
Look for contributors.
Discuss illness, stress, pregnancy, weight or dietary change, medicines, family history, tight hairstyles and chemical treatments.
03
Test only when indicated.
Selected blood tests or scalp sampling may help when iron, thyroid, hormonal, inflammatory or fungal causes are possible.
A proportionate plan
Set realistic expectations before treatment.
The right option depends on the cause, and improvement may take several months to become visible.
01
Address a trigger
Temporary shedding may improve after illness, nutritional deficiency, stress or medicine-related factors are addressed.
02
Pattern-loss options
Licensed treatments may slow selected patterns but do not work for everyone and benefits may stop after treatment ends.
03
Specialist care
Scarring, inflammatory, unclear or treatment-resistant loss may need dermatology assessment or other specialist input.
Do not take high-dose supplements without advice. Too much of some nutrients can be harmful, and a supplement will not treat every cause of hair loss.
Prepare for a useful review
Show the change consistently.
Take photographs of the front, temples, top and crown in the same lighting. Note when you first saw the change, whether shedding increased and any scalp symptoms.
List illness, surgery, childbirth, stress, diet or weight change, medicines, family patterns, hairstyles and products. Bring relevant blood-test results if available.
Explore GP appointments ↗Good to know
Questions about hair loss.
Practical answers to help you choose a sensible next step without trying to diagnose the concern yourself.
Is hair loss always permanent?
No. Some shedding is temporary and can improve when a trigger resolves. Familial pattern loss and scarring conditions behave differently, which is why identifying the pattern matters.
Will I need blood tests?
Not always. Selected tests may be useful when the history suggests iron deficiency, thyroid disease or another medical contributor.
Should I see a commercial hair clinic first?
The NHS recommends speaking with a GP first to get an idea of the cause before considering a commercial clinic.
How quickly do treatments work?
Hair grows slowly, so meaningful change is usually assessed over months. No option is guaranteed, and some treatments need ongoing use to maintain benefit.
Clinical information: NHS hair lossNHS ringwormNHS underactive thyroid. This information is general and does not replace individual medical advice.