DERMATOLOGY | HAIR & NAILS
Hair Loss and Nail Disorders
Thinning hair, patchy loss, a flaking scalp or nails that have changed: these are diagnosable, and most are treatable. Consultant dermatologist assessment at Berkshire Grove Hospital, with the tests to find the actual cause.
Procedure
15 to 60 minutes
Anaesthetic
Local
Healing
7 to 14 days
Histology
On every excision
IS THIS YOU?
Most people reading this page are thinking one of these things:
There's more hair on my pillow and in the plughole than there should be.
A smooth, round patch appeared out of nowhere.
My scalp itches and flakes whatever shampoo I buy.
My nails have gone thick and discoloured, and it's spreading.
My ponytail is half the thickness it was five years ago.
I've tried every supplement the internet sells. Nothing's changed.
Hair and nail changes are easy to dismiss and easy to mistreat, because the same symptom can have half a dozen causes. Diagnosis first is the entire game, and it's what a consultant dermatologist adds that the supplement aisle can't.
DIAGNOSIS FIRST
Why hair and nail problems need a proper diagnosis
Hair and nail disorders are among dermatology's most misdiagnosed problems because different conditions look alike: patchy loss might be autoimmune (alopecia areata), gradual thinning might be hormonal and genetic (androgenetic alopecia) or a temporary shedding response to stress or illness (telogen effluvium), and a discoloured nail might be fungal, psoriatic or trauma-related, each needing a different treatment. Treating the wrong cause wastes months.
They can also be genuinely distressing, affecting confidence and comfort in ways that deserve to be taken seriously. A consultant dermatologist reaches the actual cause with clinical and dermoscopic examination, fungal microscopy where needed, and blood tests or biopsy where the picture warrants them, then treats that cause with evidence-based options.
They can also be genuinely distressing, affecting confidence and comfort in ways that deserve to be taken seriously. A consultant dermatologist reaches the actual cause with clinical and dermoscopic examination, fungal microscopy where needed, and blood tests or biopsy where the picture warrants them, then treats that cause with evidence-based options.
WHAT WE TREAT
Common hair and nail disorders we treat
An autoimmune condition causing patchy loss on the scalp or elsewhere. It can progress unpredictably and sometimes resolves on its own; topical and systemic treatments encourage regrowth and manage the inflammation driving it.
The most common cause of gradual thinning in both men and women. Assessment covers hormonal and genetic factors, and treatment is evidence-based, including prescription topical and, where appropriate, hormonal and nutritional approaches. Female hair loss is a particular focus: pattern loss, and shedding triggered by stress, pregnancy or menopause, are all assessed and treated with the seriousness they deserve.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis, scalp psoriasis and folliculitis cause itching, flaking and discomfort. Treatment is tailored to reduce inflammation, control symptoms and prevent flare-ups rather than endlessly rotating shampoos.
Discoloured, thickened, ridged or brittle nails can signal dermatological or systemic issues. We assess and treat onychomycosis (fungal nail infection), psoriatic nail changes, trauma-related damage and paronychia (nail fold infection), confirming the diagnosis with dermoscopy and fungal microscopy before treating.
Apex Medical
Led by Hair and Nail
Specialists You Can Trust.
THE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLKIT
Getting to the answer
Getting the diagnosis right is a matter of using the right tools in the right order. Dermoscopy of the scalp and nails reveals patterns invisible to the naked eye and separates conditions that look identical at arm's length. Where a nail looks fungal, we confirm it with microscopy and culture before treating, because months of antifungal treatment for a nail that was never fungal is the classic wasted treatment in this field.
Where the picture warrants it, blood tests check thyroid, iron, hormonal and autoimmune causes, and a scalp biopsy answers unexplained or scarring hair loss definitively. If contact allergy is a suspect, from hair dye to nail products, patch testing runs on the same site. And because most hair and nail conditions are managed over months rather than fixed in a visit, follow-up is designed to monitor progress and adjust the plan, not prescribe and forget.
Where the picture warrants it, blood tests check thyroid, iron, hormonal and autoimmune causes, and a scalp biopsy answers unexplained or scarring hair loss definitively. If contact allergy is a suspect, from hair dye to nail products, patch testing runs on the same site. And because most hair and nail conditions are managed over months rather than fixed in a visit, follow-up is designed to monitor progress and adjust the plan, not prescribe and forget.
The nails and the scalp are windows into general health: thyroid, iron, autoimmunity and stress all leave their signature there. Reading that signature correctly is the consultation.
Consultant-led care
Led by consultants who specialise in hair and nail disorders
Hair and nail clinics at Apex are delivered by our consultant dermatologists, GMC-registered specialists with active NHS practices: Dr Benjamin Chun-Man Lee, whose specialist interests include hair and nail disorders, patch testing and skin allergy, and Dr Sara Sherif, Consultant Dermatologist covering the diagnosis and management of all skin diseases. You see a consultant from your first appointment, and the same consultant follows your progress through treatment, review and adjustment, as part of our wider dermatology service.
Your clinical team:
Dr Sara Sherif
Consultant Dermatologist
Diagnosis and management of all skin diseases, including acne, eczema, psoriasis and skin cancer.
Mr Benjamin Chun-Man Lee
Consultant Dermatologist
Diagnosis and management of all skin diseases, including acne, eczema, psoriasis and skin cancer.
Mr Kuen Yeow Chin
Consultant Plastic Surgeon & Skin Cancer Specialist
Founder of Apex and Skin Cancer Lead at Frimley Park, providing surgical care for skin lesions and skin cancer alongside our dermatologists.
YOUR CARE, STEP BY STEP
How your Hair and nail treament works
Diagnosis first, tests only where they change the plan, and follow-up that treats months-long conditions as months-long. Here's the pathway.
1
Consultation
A consultant dermatologist reviews your full medical, hair or nail history, including triggers, timeline and what you've already tried.
2
Examination
Clinical and dermoscopic evaluation of the affected areas.
3
Tests, where needed
Bloodwork, fungal microscopy or biopsy, arranged quickly on site; treatment for ambiguous conditions waits for the answer, deliberately.
4
Your treatment plan
Evidence-based options discussed honestly, including expected timescales; hair and nails respond slowly, and we say so upfront.
5
Follow-up
Chronic and progressive conditions get scheduled reviews to monitor progress and adjust the plan, because these conditions are managed over months, not fixed in one visit.
Transparent Pricing
Hair and nail clinic pricing
Fixed, transparent pricing with no hidden extras. Your consultation fee is confirmed when you book, and any tests are quoted before they're arranged.
Consultant Dermatologist Consultation
A full history, with clinical and dermoscopic examination of the affected areas, and a diagnosis and treatment plan wherever possible at the first visit. Your fee is confirmed when you book.
ONGOING CARE
What ongoing care looks like
Hair and nails improve on biological timescales, and honest care means saying so upfront: hair cycles are measured in months, and a damaged nail grows out over six to twelve months, showing improvement at the base first. Your plan is built around that reality. Scalp conditions that flare get a clear flare-management plan alongside day-to-day control, so a bad week doesn't undo good progress. At each scheduled review your consultant checks what's working, adjusts what isn't, and is honest about when maintenance treatment is worth continuing and when it can stop. And because living with visible hair or nail changes can be genuinely hard, the emotional side is taken seriously and factored into your plan, plainly and without fuss.
Where to find us
Consultant-led care at Berkshire Grove Hospital
Apex Medical is based at Berkshire Grove Hospital, Grove House, Waltham Road, White Waltham, Maidenhead SL6 3TN, with clinics also at the Parkside Suite. Patients travel to us from Maidenhead, Windsor, Reading, Bracknell and Slough, and from across Berkshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and London, for consultant-led care in a regulated private hospital without long waiting times. On-site parking is available.
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm | Saturday by appointment only | Sunday closed
Phone
020 3871 5898
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about hair and nail disorders at Apex Medical
Not necessarily. Telogen effluvium (shedding after stress or illness) and alopecia areata are often temporary or reversible, and respond best when diagnosed early. The cause determines the outlook, which is why diagnosis comes first: examination, dermoscopy and a personalised plan that may include prescription medication, topical therapies or nutritional support.
Yes, comprehensively and at all ages: pattern loss, and shedding triggered by stress, pregnancy or menopause. Options include prescription topicals, hormonal therapy, nutritional optimisation and advanced medical options where appropriate, with the emotional weight of hair loss treated as real, because it is.
Yes. Psoriasis and eczema cause pitting and ridging; fungal infection causes discolouration and thickening; and nail changes can reflect thyroid disease, iron deficiency or other systemic conditions. Dermoscopy and microscopy identify the cause so treatment targets the right one.
Yes. Prolonged stress can push hair into a shedding phase (telogen effluvium) and worsen existing skin, scalp and nail conditions. Assessment covers the whole picture, and the plan addresses both the trigger and the symptom.
Honestly: slowly, because that's biology, not the treatment failing. Some patients improve within weeks; hair regrowth and nail recovery more often take months, and nails show improvement at the base first as they grow out. Your consultant monitors progress and adjusts the plan rather than leaving you guessing.
Sometimes. Unexplained, severe or persistent changes may warrant blood tests (hormones, thyroid, iron, autoimmune markers), fungal microscopy, or a scalp biopsy. All are arranged quickly on site, and only when they genuinely change the plan.
Patient Stories.
In Our Patients' Own Words
BOOK A CONSULTATION
No GP Referral Needed
Get the diagnosis before the next supplement
If you're searching for answers about hair loss, an irritated scalp or nails that have changed, one consultant appointment replaces guesswork with a diagnosis and a plan. Patients visit us from Windsor, Ascot, Slough, Marlow, Reading and across Berkshire, London and Surrey.
Consultant-led private skin, hands and aesthetic care across Berkshire. Precise, caring and expert.