Dermatologist or endocrinologist for hair thinning? I am 28 years old now.

I suggest seeing a hair loss expert now to go over your condition and provide you information about your best treatment options. There are great non-invasive options like prp/progesterone which can help with hair regrowth and/or hair transplantation. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

There is a difference of opinions you will find. My advice is start with a general physician. If your periods are regular and you don’t have acne, or increased hair on the face, it’s unlikely an endocrine problem. Some endocrinologists don’t see many patients with hair loss and some dermatologists don’t see many patients with hair loss. The key is to find someone in your geographical area who sees alot of patients with hair loss.

I would advise you seek out a hair loss specialist who can order basic labs (that will help determine if you have specific hormone imbalances that you would need to see an endocrinologist for), as well as examine your scalp and evaluate your history in order to determine all the contributing factors for your hair loss.  Once a diagnosis is made, various treatment options can be discussed.  There is typically multiple factors involved in female hair loss, and usually a multi-treatment approach is best.  Good luck!!

I simply can’t write a textbook on the subject on this site, but here’s a list of past posts that may help you understand what you’ve got going on:

1.     Female Genetic Hair Loss Is Different From Male Genetic Hair Loss

2.     Birth Control Pills and Hair Loss

3.     Woman With Thinning Hair After Family Tragedy

4.     Diseases Causing Women’s Hair Loss

5.     Female Hair Loss

The first step in evaluating hair loss in women, after a detailed history and physical exam, is to rule out any underlying medical causes of hair loss which can be treated. If clinically appropriate, the following disease processes should be considered: anemia, thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, gynecological conditions and emotional stress. Furthermore, over 50% of women going through change of life hormone fluctuations (menopause) experience significant hair loss. It is also important to review the use of medications that may cause hair loss, such as (but not limited to) oral contraceptives, beta-blockers, Vitamin A, thyroid drugs, coumadin, and prednisone. The following laboratory tests have been recommended to rule out the aforementioned medical conditions:

Some common blood tests for female hair loss:

·         Sex Hormone tests

·         SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) used to test status of male hormones

·         Estradiol is a sex hormone

·         FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) *not hair follicle but follicle in the ovary*

·         LH (Luteinizing Hormone) is a sex hormone

·         Free Testosterone

·         Total Testosterone

·         ANA (Anti Nuclear Antibody) used to test for Lupus or other autoimmune diseases

·         TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) used to test for hyper or hypo-thyroid disease

·         Test Iron status

·         TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity)

·         Ferritin

·         Iron