DR Jennifer Mamby-Alexander has added trichology to her existing skill sets in pathology, offering the help required by people who are, more often than not, at their wits’ end about what to do about hair loss.

The addition followed her own struggle with hair loss during her battle against breast cancer.

“After losing all my hair during chemotherapy for cancer treatment, I wore a wig for a period until my hair grew back. During that time, I once visited the hairdresser — just when my hair started to regrow. After removing the wig in the salon, two of her clients snickered and tried to hide their laughter,” recounted Mamby-Alexander, who, up to that point, held her medical degree from the University of the West Indies with postgraduate training in pathology and cytopathology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the United States.

It was all the motivation she needed to set about trying to make a difference for those in a similar position.

“I felt embarrassed and became very passionate about the topic of hair loss. My interest in hair loss started at that time as I vowed to help others, so that they may not have to experience hair loss with embarrassment,” she told Career & Education.

Having undertook the requisite training in hair restoration, Mamby-Alexander, who continues her private practice in pathology, opened the doors to The Hair Loss Clinic of Jamaica in October last year and offers a variety of services to her clients.

“We treat hair thinning, damaged and broken hair and hair loss in both men and women,” she said, noting that the cost per visit can range from $1,000 to $4,000.

“It (the cost) mainly depends on the depth of the hair loss, blood flow, hair follicles that need stimulation and the multi-therapeutic approach that has to be taken,” said Mamby-Alexander, who at one time worked with the Government as a psychopathologist.

But getting where she is today has not been easy.

“The main challenge was that this was a relatively new kind of service being offered here in Jamaica. So I had to do a lot of testing on people — in some cases for free — to prove that what I was bringing to the market was indeed real,” she said.

“Many potential clients came with histories of hair loss from 12 to 20 years. Most cases of hair loss are reversible when the history of the hair loss is short. After a number of years, with increasing age, the response is slow and at times the loss has become irreversible,” Mamby-Alexander added.

“Learning micro-invasive hair transplantation and hair restoration can be a very tedious process. My first procedure took me approximately 10 hours and required the removal and transplantation of 2,500 hairs into the balding scalp of a patient,” the doctor said further.

She does her best to remedy the challenges while at the same time educating her clients.

“For those who come with extreme cases of hair loss, I try to recommend hair transplantation. This is a tedious and long process that takes long hours per patient. I also try to educate my patients (about) proper haircare,” Mamby-Alexander said.

Having already treated 20 cases in the year since being in operation, the doctor is feeling good and motivated to continue.

“I feel good about the transition that I have made from doing only my private practice into treating those with hair loss. It is extremely rewarding for me after I help others,” said Mamby-Alexander.

“Hair loss is a sign of age. People with hair loss do not feel that they promote a youthful image. They develop low self-esteem and worry constantly that others are looking at their thin or balding heads. They feel less attractive than others in their age group… I love helping them to restore their confidence level,” she added.