Seeing a doctor · 5 min read

Which doctor should you see about hair loss?

Your GP does the first check, a dermatologist goes further, and hair clinics replace neither. What each one does, and what you can expect from them.

Calvap editorial team · Updated 10 October 2026 · 9 sources

You’ve decided to talk to someone about your hair. The question is who. Your GP, who knows you but isn’t a hair specialist? A dermatologist, if you can get an appointment? Or the hair clinic two streets away that offers a free consultation?

Each of them plays a different role, and they’re not interchangeable. How you reach a specialist, and what you pay, depends on the country you live in. What each one can do for you is much the same everywhere.

Your GP: the first check

Your GP is almost always the first door. The NHS points out that a GP may be able to tell what’s causing your hair loss just by looking at your hair¹. They know your medical history, your medicines, and what has happened in your life over the past few months. That context matters as much as the examination.

Their first job is to look for other causes. DermNet, the New Zealand dermatology reference, explains that for female pattern hair loss, the GP checks for other explanations and can order blood tests, which usually look at hormone levels and thyroid function². Low iron or another deficiency is checked the same way.

They also deal with something that’s easy to overlook: how you feel. The NHS suggests telling your GP if hair loss is affecting your wellbeing; if it’s causing real distress, they may be able to arrange counselling¹. You can also ask which treatments are available, bearing in mind that not all of them are on the NHS, so you may have to pay¹.

A dermatologist: when to go further

A dermatologist specialises in skin, hair and nails. Your GP can refer you to one², for example if the cause is still unclear after the first examination. Depending on the country, you can book a dermatologist directly or only through a referral: in the UK, you need a GP referral to see an NHS dermatologist⁷. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) sums up why the diagnosis matters: effective treatment for hair loss begins with finding the cause⁵.

In practice, a good share of hair loss stays with the GP. A large British study looked at GP records from 2009 to 2018 and identified 6,765 new cases of alopecia areata, a type of hair loss that comes in patches³.

Alopecia areata seen by a GP: how many patients are referred to a dermatologist within a year?

Referred to a dermatologist24 in 100

Not referred within the year76 in 100

Only one in four: most of the time, the GP remains the main point of contact.

Harries et al., 2022: 6,765 new cases of alopecia areata, UK general practice, 2009–2018.3

These figures only cover alopecia areata, and only the UK system. The share referred also rose during the study, from 19.4% in 2009 to 27.9% in 2017³. Still, they show that a referral is far from automatic.

Patients notice. In a UK survey of 361 people with alopecia, around a third found the information from their first GP appointment unhelpful. On a scale of 1 to 5, that first GP appointment scored 2.71, against 3.09 for the first dermatologist appointment⁴. The participants were recruited through a patient charity and were mostly women and people with alopecia areata, so they don’t represent every patient. If you feel your hair loss isn’t being taken seriously, asking for a specialist opinion is perfectly reasonable.

What a dermatologist adds

A dermatologist asks how long the hair loss has lasted and whether it started suddenly, then examines your scalp, your nails and any other area where hair is missing. They may gently pull on a small section of hair to see how many come out, and use a dermatoscope, a lit magnifier placed on the skin⁵. If a disease, a vitamin deficiency, a hormone imbalance or an infection is possible, you may need a blood test or a scalp biopsy⁵.

For typical pattern hair loss, the French Society of Dermatology (SFD) notes that no lab test is routinely needed: the diagnosis is mainly clinical. Dermoscopy or a trichogram (a count of hairs in each growth phase) helps in uncertain cases⁶. A dermatologist also has the full range of options, from medical treatment to hair transplants⁶. Your doctor can suggest a treatment that suits the cause.

What about trichologists?

The word sounds medical, and that’s where the confusion starts. In the UK, the Institute of Trichologists, which trains and registers its members, says so itself: trichologists are not medically qualified, but are specialists in the scalp and hair⁷. You can see one without a referral, privately, and trichology is not currently recognised as an NHS service. For blood tests, biopsies or prescription medicines, they refer you on to medical professionals⁷.

The Institute adds that it can only regulate practitioners on its own register⁷. Ralph Trüeb, a dermatologist, criticises trichologists who monopolise publicity and multiply on the high street, and points out that they are not medically qualified⁸. A trichologist can give hair care advice. They can’t make a medical diagnosis.

Commercial hair clinics

The NHS highlights one piece of advice: see a GP to get an idea of what’s causing your hair loss before thinking about a commercial hair clinic¹. The reason is simple: a clinic that sells treatments isn’t best placed to tell you that you don’t need one.

Some procedures are only available privately anyway. The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) lists hair transplants and PRP, injections of your own plasma into the scalp; for PRP, it describes the research as limited and the benefit as unpredictable⁹. If you’re considering either, a diagnosis from a doctor before you sign anything is the best place to start.

Getting the most from the appointment

GP or dermatologist, appointments are often short. Bring the rough date your hair loss started, anything that happened in the months before, your medicines and supplements, and any hair loss in your family. Write down your questions: we’ve listed five questions to ask your doctor. And if you’re unsure how urgent it is, here are the signs that mean you should be seen quickly.

Photos for every doctor you see

Your GP and your dermatologist both see your scalp on one particular day. Neither knows what it looked like six months ago. Dated photos, taken every week under the same conditions, show them what an examination can’t: how fast your hair loss is moving, and in which direction.

That’s what Calvap does. Your previous photo appears as a see-through overlay on the camera, so you line up in the same spot, zone by zone. A journal records your treatments next to the dates. You show the same timeline to your GP, then to the dermatologist if you’re referred, and each of them sees the change in seconds. Your photos stay on your phone.