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Why a hair protocol is not a treatment
When a patient comes to a consultation asking “which treatment is best for hair loss”, the first thing we do at Santé Clinics is return the question. Best for what type of loss? In what pattern? Due to what cause? With what objective, to stop or recover density? With what time horizon?
A serious hair treatment is never an isolated technique. It is a personalized protocol: a sequence of medical, injectable, topical, oral, and home cosmetic interventions designed based on each patient's trichological diagnosis. A well-designed protocol is not invented in the treatment room; it is designed during consultation, adjusted at each visit, and evaluated with concrete metrics.
In this article, we explain, step by step, how we build hair protocols at Santé Clinics and why we believe this is the only honest way to treat hair.
The starting point: trichological diagnosis
Before prescribing a single product, the trichologist performs a complete assessment that combines:
- Directed anamnesis. Onset of loss, speed, previous episodes, family history, pregnancies, diets, stress, medication, systemic diseases, thyroid alterations, cosmetic habits.
- Scalp examination and loss pattern. Frontal, vertex, diffuse, patchy, cicatricial pattern.
- Digital trichoscopy at 20–60x magnification. Allows assessment of density, miniaturization, signs of perifollicular inflammation, hair diversity, yellow dots, perifolliculitis, predominance of vellus hairs.
- Targeted analytics when a deficiency is suspected (ferritin, vitamin D, thyroid profile, hormonal profile, complete blood count).
- Standardized photographic documentation to allow comparison at 3, 6, and 12 months.
Only when these pieces fit together does a trichological diagnosis emerge: androgenic alopecia, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, trichodynia, frontal fibrosing alopecia, seborrheic dermatitis, etc. This diagnosis, and not the trend of the moment, is what guides the therapeutic decision.
The four layers of the protocol
Based on the diagnosis, the doctor builds the plan in four layers that overlap in time.
1. Underlying medical treatment
This is the foundation. When there is a clear androgenic component or a deficiency, no injectable treatment works if the engine of the disease is not addressed.
- Oral antiandrogens (finasteride, dutasteride) in selected patients, always with prescription and follow-up.
- Low-dose oral minoxidil, which in recent years has gained importance due to its efficacy and convenience.
- Targeted supplementation (iron, vitamin D, zinc, biotin) when analytics justify it.
- Treatment of associated pathology — thyroid, low ferritin, polycystic ovary.
2. Home topical treatment
The patient works at home every day. It is the most constant layer and the one most easily neglected.
- Topical minoxidil at 2%, 5% or custom formulations.
- Specific lotions with peptides, caffeine, melatonin or plant-based antiandrogens.
- Medical shampoos to treat the scalp ecosystem (seborrhea, scaling, itching).
- Maintenance masks and serums.
3. In-clinic medical treatment
This is the injectable “boost” that accelerates the response and reinforces the patient who is already well-treated at the base.
- Hair mesotherapy with vitamins, growth factors, dutasteride or intradermal minoxidil.
- PRP (autologous platelet-rich plasma).
- Hair exosomes for higher potency regeneration.
- Phototherapy and hair radiofrequency as a complement in selected cases.
4. Lifestyle and follow-up
Without rest, sufficient protein, stress control, and regular review, no protocol can be sustained.
- Sleep, chronic stress management, exercise.
- Diet rich in protein, iron, zinc, and omega-3.
- Review at 3 months: comparative trichoscopy, photo, adjustment.
- Review at 6 and 12 months: maintenance decisions.
How the right combination is chosen
Not all patients need all four active layers. The combination is decided according to the diagnosis:
| Profile | Typical Plan |
|---|---|
| Young person with initial hair loss without a clear pattern | Diagnosis, supplementation, topical treatment, preventive mesotherapy |
| Moderate male androgenic alopecia | Oral finasteride or dutasteride + minoxidil + PRP/mesotherapy + medical cosmetics |
| Female alopecia with a hormonal component | Analytical study, antiandrogens when appropriate, low-dose oral minoxidil, mesotherapy and exosomes |
| Post-partum or post-diet telogen effluvium | Correct deficiency, mesotherapy with vitamins, follow-up, no oral in many cases |
| Post-transplant reinforcement | PRP or exosomes, minoxidil, inflammation control |
The protocol is documented in writing and given to the patient. Each visit reviews what works, what doesn't, and adjusts. There is no “forever” protocol: hair changes, the patient changes, the plan changes.
Metrics, not impressions
One of the differences between a serious protocol and an improvised treatment is that the former is measured. At Santé, we document:
- Density per cm² in predefined areas.
- Average hair shaft diameter.
- Ratio of terminal hairs versus vellus hairs.
- Standardized photography with the same light, same distance, same posture.
When a patient returns at 6 months, we are not discussing whether it “seems” they have more hair: we see it in figures.
What a well-done protocol promises and what it does not
A good hair protocol can:
- Stop active hair loss.
- Recover density in miniaturized but living follicles.
- Improve hair shaft quality and thickness.
- Gain time and postpone or avoid a transplant.
What no medical protocol can do:
- Recover completely lost follicles (for that, hair transplantation exists).
- Work without consistency: a minimum of 6 months of well-executed treatment to judge results.
- Give the same results for everyone. Biology varies.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a hair protocol last? The initial plan usually covers 6–12 months. From there, we move into maintenance, which can be more spaced out.
Is it expensive? It depends on how many layers are activated. What is always true is that a cheap and poorly done protocol ends up being very expensive: lost months without stopping the loss.
What if I am a transplant candidate? The medical protocol is done before and after the transplant. Stabilizing native hair is a prerequisite for a clean surgical result.
Do I need to come every week? No. Initial consultations are concentrated and then spaced out to 3–6 months.
Book your hair assessment at Santé Clinics
The first step of any protocol is to understand what is happening to you. We offer a free hair assessment with digital trichoscopy and a personalized written plan at Avenida Diagonal 384, Barcelona.
Write to us via WhatsApp at +34 699 14 58 87 and we will book your appointment this week.
