August Is Hair Loss Awareness Month. Let’s Get Curious.

August is Hair Loss Awareness Month, and this year I decided to do something a little different.

Throughout the month, I’ve been answering real hair loss and scalp questions on TikTok and Instagram. Some are questions I hear in my clinic all the time. Others have made me stop and think for a minute. And somewhere in the middle of answering all of them, I realized what I love most about this conversation.

Curiosity.

I love when my clients get curious.

Not scared. Not ashamed. Not frantically Googling every symptom at 2 a.m. Just genuinely curious about what their body might be trying to tell them.

Why is my hair doing this?

Is this actually normal for me?

Why does my scalp hurt?

Why does my shedding seem to come and go?

Everyone in my family has thin hair. Does that mean I will too?

Could something else going on in my body be showing up in my hair?

Those questions open doors.

Hair Loss Is an Invitation to Understand Yourself Differently

Hair loss can feel incredibly personal. Sometimes the first instinct is simply, How do I make it stop?

I understand that.

But one of the things I try to bring into my work as a trichologist is the space to ask another question too.

Why?

Hair and scalp changes don't happen in isolation. Hormones, genetics, nutrition, stress, inflammation, medications, illness, life transitions, scalp conditions and a whole host of other factors can become part of the picture.

Sometimes investigating your hair means learning about a part of yourself you've never really had a reason to explore before.

And I think that's pretty incredible.

You may start because your ponytail feels smaller and suddenly you're learning about your iron levels. Or hormones. Or family history. Or how your scalp functions. Or whether you've actually been eating enough protein lately.

Hair can be the thing that gets your attention.

Curiosity is what helps us figure out where to look next.

This Work Is Deeply Human

One of my favorite things about my job, microscopes and poop talk aside, is how deeply human this industry is.

Hair loss is rarely just hair to the person experiencing it.

It's the woman who quietly tells me she doesn't recognize herself in the mirror anymore.

It's someone showing me a widening part they've been trying not to look at.

It's the person who has taken 47 pictures of the top of their head and needs someone to help them understand what they're actually seeing.

It's the relief of finally having a place where you can ask the question you've been embarrassed to ask.

There is vulnerability in allowing someone into that space.

I don't take that lightly.

I'm honored every time someone trusts me with one of those moments. I'm honored when you tell me the things that seem completely unrelated because sometimes they're not. I'm honored when you bring me your questions, even the weird ones.

Especially the weird ones.

So, Keep Asking Questions

That's really what I want Hair Loss Awareness Month to be about this year.

Not fear.

Not convincing everyone that every shed hair means something is wrong.

Not another list of supplements everyone should supposedly be taking.

Curiosity.

Learning what is normal for your hair. Understanding when something has changed. Knowing that you can ask questions before you've figured out exactly what those questions mean.

I'll be answering hair loss and scalp questions throughout August on TikTok and Instagram, so if there's something you've always wondered about, ask me.

You might give me my next video topic.

And you might start understanding a part of yourself you haven't met yet.

Stay curious.