Hair Consultation at Santé: What to Expect from Your First Assessment with Dr. Elena

Why the first consultation changes everything

When someone starts to notice hair loss, the first reaction is usually to buy products. Anti-hair loss shampoos, ampoules, vitamin complexes. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, and usually nobody really knows why. The reason is simple: a symptom has been treated without diagnosing the cause.

Hair loss is not a disease: it is a symptom common to dozens of different conditions. Genetic androgenic alopecia is treated very differently from telogen effluvium due to stress, hair loss due to iron deficiency, alopecia areata, or a hormonal problem. The hair consultation exists precisely for this: to identify what is happening to you before proposing any treatment.

At Santé Clinics, this initial assessment is performed by our trichology specialist. We'll tell you exactly what it's like.

Before the consultation: what you should prepare

You don't need to bring anything specific, but the consultation is more useful if you come with:

• Any recent blood tests (last year), even if generic.
• List of usual medications and supplements.
• Family history — did your father, mother, or grandparents lose hair?
• An approximate idea of when the hair loss started and how it has evolved.
• Photos of your scalp that you have saved from months or years ago, if any. They are invaluable for assessing evolution.
• Come with clean hair and, if possible, without styling products (hairsprays, waxes).

The consultation, step by step

1. Anamnesis: the story no one usually asks you

The first part of the consultation is a conversation. We will ask you about:

• When you noticed the change. Six weeks ago? Three years ago? The speed guides the diagnosis.
• Pattern of loss. Is your parting wider? Receding hairline? Crown thinning? Diffuse shedding?
• Life events. Pregnancies, drastic diets, COVID, surgeries, sustained stress, hormonal changes.
• Habits. Sleep, diet, physical activity.
• Previous treatments. From specific shampoos to finasteride, minoxidil, or transplants.

This part seems trivial. It is not. 60% of the diagnosis comes from a good anamnesis.

2. Clinical examination of the scalp and hair

With adequate light, the doctor examines:

• General and localized density.
• Miniaturization pattern — fine vellus hairs are the fingerprint of androgenic alopecia.
• Condition of the scalp — sebum, flaking, erythema, signs of seborrheic dermatitis or folliculitis.
• Traction test — a simple gesture that assesses if there is active shedding.

3. Digital trichoscopy: detailed diagnosis

With the trichoscopy camera, we magnify the scalp image 20–60 times and save it to your history. There we can see:

• Diameter and heterogeneity of the hair shafts.
• Presence of yellow dots, black dots, exclamation mark hairs (typical of areata).
• Peripilar vessels, inflammatory signs, follicular scaling.
• Density per unit area.

Trichoscopy is the key tool for differentiating cicatricial from non-cicatricial alopecias — a fundamental nuance, as it conditions the prognosis.

4. Targeted blood tests (if indicated)

If the history or examination suggests a medical background, we will order targeted blood tests. The most relevant parameters in trichology:

• Complete blood count, ferritin, iron, transferrin (to rule out iron deficiency anemia).
• Thyroid function — TSH, free T4.
• Vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc.
• Hormonal profile in women with suspected hyperandrogenism (testosterone, DHEA-S, SHBG).

Treating alopecia with critically low ferritin without iron replacement is working at 30%. We do it completely or not at all.

5. Diagnosis and personalized plan

At the end of the consultation, you will have:

1. A clear diagnosis of the type and degree of your alopecia.
2. A staged plan, with medical treatments (oral and topical) and, if indicated, injection protocols (mesotherapy, PRP, exosomes).
3. A realistic follow-up schedule.
4. A transparent budget, with packages if available and alternatives.

We don't push you to start anything the same day. You take the information and decide in your own time.

The medical team: why it matters that it's medical

Many centers offer “hair studies.” The difference is not trichoscopy — any decent center has that. The difference is:

• Who interprets the image.
• Who can prescribe oral treatment when necessary (finasteride, dutasteride, oral minoxidil, spironolactone).
• Who can integrate the complete clinical context (blood tests, hormones, other pathologies).
• Who assumes the medical responsibility of serious follow-up.

At Santé, this consultation is performed by medical personnel. It's not commercial, it doesn't sell products: it offers a diagnosis and a plan.

What you will learn in a single visit

Patients who come to the first consultation convinced they “have genetic alopecia” discover that they are actually experiencing postpartum effluvium that will resolve on its own.

Patients who come thinking their scalp is fine discover seborrheic dermatitis that was accelerating their hair loss.

Patients who have been using topical minoxidil twice a day for years discover that they are doing the routine incorrectly and that the product is not reaching the follicle.

The hair consultation is valuable in itself, even if you later decide not to undergo any treatment at our clinic.

After the consultation: follow-up

If you decide to start treatment with us, follow-up is the part that best predicts the outcome. We schedule reviews at 3, 6, and 12 months with comparative trichoscopy: we superimpose images and measure density and diameter. This converts the subjective feeling (“I think I have more hair”) into objective data.

Frequently asked questions

Is the hair consultation free? We offer an initial free hair assessment. The full medical consultation with blood tests and detailed therapeutic indication is billed separately and detailed in the assessment.

How long does the first visit last? Between 30 and 45 minutes.

Can I go if I'm not losing hair, just for prevention? Yes. Preventive trichology is one of the best possible uses of the consultation, especially if there is a family history.

Do you treat men and women? Yes, the patterns are different but the diagnostic approach is the same.

Do I need to stop minoxidil before the consultation? No. Maintain your usual routine; we will assess it during the first visit.

Book your hair consultation in Barcelona

If you've been thinking about it for a while, stop looking for answers online. A single serious consultation saves you months of intuitive treatments.

Request it at Avenida Diagonal 384, Barcelona, or write to us via WhatsApp at +34 699 14 58 87. We will confirm an appointment for you this week.