Hair Loss

New Patient Appointment or 214-645-8300

Specialists at UT Southwestern have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating hair loss. Using the most advanced therapies available, our team creates individualized treatment plans for both men and women.

Individualized Plans for Slowing Loss and Restoring Growth

Hair loss affects more than 80 million adults in the U.S. At UT Southwestern, our dermatologists are experts at discovering the underlying causes of hair loss and then developing treatment plans to slow the depletion and, in some cases, restore growth.

Types of Hair Loss

Hair loss types are grouped in general in two categories:

Scarring hair loss
Non-scarring hair loss

Scarring hair loss types include:

Lichen planopilaris
Frontal fibrosing alopecia
Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia
Folliculitis decalvans
Dissecting cellulitis

Non-scarring hair loss types include, but are not limited to:

Telogen effluvium
Female and male pattern hair loss
Traction alopecia
Alopecia areata

Symptoms and Causes of Hair Loss

The loss of hair can occur anywhere on the body, but it’s usually most noticeable on the scalp. While there often are no symptoms, when symptoms do occur they include scalp itch and even scalp pain.

Factors that can contribute to the type of hair loss include:

Genetics and hormones
Medical health
Medications including chemotherapy treatment
Stress
Poor nutrition, including iron deficiency

Treatment is tailored to each patient and his or her type of hair loss.

Diagnosing Hair Loss

To diagnose hair loss, our dermatologists take a detailed medical and family history, review medications, and perform a careful physical examination.

As part of the hair consultation, additional tests might be required to determine the type of hair loss. These tests include:

Hair pull: Procedure in which the dermatologist lightly pulls a section of hair to assess how much comes out
Scalp biopsy: Removal of a small section of scalp (3mm – 4mm) to examine under a microscope; performed at bedside, this procedure involves local anesthesia and suture placement
Blood tests: To screen for several deficiencies that can play a role in hair loss; these tests might also be done as part of a treatment regimen if the patient is a candidate for certain oral medications
Other tests: These include skin swabs of scalps for certain scalp conditions to uncover possible infectious etiologies that could be contributing to hair loss

Treatment for Hair Loss

The goal of our specialists’ individualized treatment is to stop further hair loss and promote follicular recovery/regrowth in viable follicles.

Clinical Trials

UT Southwestern’s dermatologists are involved in various clinical trials to improve understanding and treatment of hair loss. Ask our doctors about current trials during an appointment.