All guides · Seeing a doctor
What to tell a doctor about breakage or a change that worries you
Describe what you see. Leave the cause to a proper assessment.
Short pieces of hair can be unsettling. Breakage, in the everyday sense used here, means the hair fibre snapping. Rough handling and harsh styling can contribute. The AAD’s notes on damaged hair are at habits that damage hair. You can say whether you are seeing shorter pieces and whether your routine changed. Do not decide the cause from one strand or one photo.
Before an appointment, write when you first noticed it and what made you notice it. Note whether it seemed sudden or gradual, which area is involved, recent illness or other big changes, medicines and supplements, and any scalp discomfort. Bring product labels. You do not need a perfect count.
A doctor may ask about timing and look at the scalp and hair. Further tests depend on that assessment. Do not invent home tests, and do not stop a prescribed medicine to test a theory. Keep ordinary gentle care, and arrange a medical visit if a change is persistent, sudden, patchy or worrying. This page is general information. It does not assess you.