Listen to your body...NOT your doctor.
I am a female. At first I liked Dr. Ponge-Wilson and I went to her for a couple of years for regular dermatological check ups, etc., however during my last few visits I mentioned how I thought maybe we should check into my progressing hair loss (dermatologists deal with this since it is a scalp issue). She even noted that "the density of my hair isn't what it should", but essentially blew it off telling me to just "take some Biotin". VERY VERY SADLY...I listened to my doctor and trusted her in just "taking some Biotin"...which of course did nothing because taking Biotin to improve hair loss isn't even medically proven.
About year later when my hair loss became horribly apparent, I decided to see a dermatologist who specialized in hair loss. She did a number of tests to rule out hormonal balances and other kinds of diseases, sent me to other specialists etc., and finally did a biopsy of my scalp which confirmed (what she IMMEDIATELY thought all along) that I have androgenic alopecia!
I am now on medications which stabalize it and help to stop the shedding dramatically, but had I been taken more seriously YEARS earlier, I'd have MUCH more of my hair left than what I have now! It makes me cry to think about it and makes me so ANGRY at the same time that I could've found this out years ago had she just taken more then 5 minutes to listen to me, her patient, on what I felt was becoming a serious issue.
If she didn't know what it was, she could've referred me to someone who did! Doctors do it all the time. I had no idea what androgenic alopecia was, but had I known, or had a doctor who was more knowledgable, I could've began treatment long ago and saved so much more of my hair from falling out during the year that I listened to her and just "took some Biotin".
I take some accountability for not being a more informed patient and doing more research on my own, but I guess I felt doctors know what they're talking about and she would know if there was something to really worry about, right?
Listen to yourself...despite what your doctor tells you! ONLY YOU understand your body and if you KNOW something is wrong, don't be dismissed by a doctor who is telling you otherwise...find a doctor who will listen and take you seriously! (I wish I had done so sooner!) read more