Real Health Podcast: What to do when you experience hair loss, with Trichologist Claire Fullam

Equally, hair loss can be devastating.

But what do we do when we experience hair loss? Can it be treated? And how do we deal with the mental side of hair loss?

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Trichologist and founder of Trua and Remi, Claire Fullam.

If you are wondering what a Trichologist is, don’t worry it's a person who examines the hair and scalp to diagnose and recommend treatment for your condition and its severity when it comes to hair loss.

Around eight years ago, Claire explained that she found a little patch of alopecia in the split of her hair. She first thought she had brushed her hair too hard or overused the hair straightener.

However, she started noticing more and more hair loss and this led her to talk to her GP. She said, “I went to my GP, and she found five big patches on my scalp, one the size of my fist, So I was like, right, give me a plan. What medication do I take? And she just looked me dead in the eye and said, "There's nothing you can do.”

Following this, Claire sought out a Trichologist and the hair loss specialist she spoke to explained that it would get worse before it got better.

The Dublin native told me about how stress can impact hair loss. She explained, “Autoimmune conditions or hair loss are sometimes a whisper from the body to say ‘Right Claire, are you okay here? Like I'm trying to warn you. So, it was a warning from my body. And that's how I treat it now. Like I know, before I'll get a patch of alopecia, I can literally feel the stress levels (rising).”

You can listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.