What Our Doctors Wish You Knew About Stopping Hair Loss Treatment

If you’ve started hair loss treatment, you’ve already taken a positive, proactive step for your health and confidence. But it’s completely normal to have moments of doubt along the way – especially if progress feels slow, shedding has increased, or you’re unsure what comes next.

So we asked our doctors and Pharmacist Prescribers:

What do you wish people knew before stopping hair loss treatment?

Here’s what they want you to understand, to help you make an informed decision about your next steps.

1. First: Starting Treatment Was the Right Step

Our doctors want to reassure you of this upfront.

Starting treatment means:

• you took your concerns seriously

• you sought expert medical support

• you chose evidence-based care

• you gave your hair the best possible chance

Even if you’re feeling uncertain now, you haven’t wasted time. Hair loss treatment is a process – and uncertainty is a very common part of it.

2. Hair Loss Treatments Take Time (Longer Than Most People Expect)

One of the biggest reasons people consider stopping is timing.

Hair grows slowly. That’s not a flaw – it’s biology.

Our doctors typically see this timeline:

• Weeks 1–8: Adjustment phase (sometimes including shedding)
  
  

• Months 3–4: Early signs (reduced shedding, improved texture)
  
  

• Months 6–9: Visible regrowth and density changes
  
  

• 12 months: Visible, stabilised results

Progress often happens before it becomes obvious in the mirror. This is why patience – while difficult – is essential.

If you’re early in your journey, stopping now may mean stopping just before results begin.

3. If Shedding Is Making You Want to Stop, Read This First

Shedding is one of the most common reasons people feel tempted to quit.

Our doctors want you to know:

Shedding is often a sign that treatment is working – not failing.

As weaker hairs make way for stronger ones, shedding can temporarily increase. This phase is usually short-lived and resolves on its own.

If this is what you’re experiencing, we strongly recommend reading our article, “What Our Doctors Wish You Knew About Hair Shedding”, before making a decision.

Stopping during the shedding phase is one of the most common reasons people never reach the regrowth stage.

4. What If You Saw Early Improvements – Then Progress Feels Like It’s Slowed?

Another common concern our doctors hear is:

“It worked at first… and now my progress feels like it’s plateaued.”

This doesn’t mean treatment has stopped working.

Hair growth naturally slows after the initial response – and this is often the point where treatment needs adjusting, not stopping.

What our doctors recommend instead of stopping:

• Get back in touch at hello@hairandme.com
  
  

• Complete a reconsultation
  
  

• Update your Prescriber on your progress

This allows your them to:

• assess your progress
  
  

• potentially adjust concentrations of existing ingredients
  
  

• introduce different or additional active ingredients
  
  

• Prescribe a new personalised formulation if appropriate

This personalised adjustment is all included in your Hair + Me treatment plan and a key factor in long-term success – something many people don’t realise is available to them.

5. What Happens If You Do Decide to Stop Treatment?

This depends entirely on the cause of your hair loss.

For Pattern Hair Loss (Male or Female Pattern Hair Loss)

Pattern hair loss is:

• genetic
  
  

• chronic
  
  

• progressive

Treatment doesn’t “cure” it – it controls it.

If treatment is stopped:

• the biological process resumes
  
  

• hair that was preserved may be lost
  
  

• thinning typically continues over time

Our doctors want you to know:
Stopping treatment doesn’t harm your hair – but it usually means losing the protection treatment was providing.

For Temporary Hair Loss (e.g. Telogen Effluvium)

Some types of hair loss are temporary and can appear by themselves, or they can co-exist with pattern hair loss.

Stress-related hair shedding, postpartum hair loss, or hair loss linked to illness or deficiency, a condition called telogen effluvium, often improves over time once the trigger resolves or supplementation is provided. 

In these cases:

• treatment may be time-limited
  
  

• hair density can recover
  
  

• stopping treatment may be appropriate once regrowth is established

This is why accurate diagnosis and ongoing review matter so much.

6. Before You Stop, Ask These Questions

Our doctors encourage you to pause and consider:

• Do I know what type of hair loss I have?

• Am I early in my treatment timeline?
  
  

• Is shedding influencing my decision?
  
  

• Have I had a review or reconsultation with my Prescriber?
  
  

• Could my treatment be adjusted instead of stopped?

Often, the best next step isn’t stopping – it’s checking in.

7. Your Prescriber Is There to Support You

Hair loss treatment isn’t meant to be a ‘one and done’ process.

If you’re unsure, worried, or frustrated:

• reach out and ask our Dermatology Team your questions
  
  

• request a reconsultation
  
  

• get advice on next steps from your Prescriber once they’ve assessed your progress

Your Hair + Me Prescriber is there to support you, and unlimited support is included in your Hair + Me treatment plan.

Final Thoughts

Our doctors don’t want you to push through blindly – they want to support you through the sometimes difficult journey of hair loss.

They want to work with you to help you feel informed, supported and confident in your choices.

Before stopping treatment, remember:

• you’ve already taken a positive step
  
  

• results take time
  
  

• shedding is often temporary
  
  

• plateaus can often be addressed
  
  

• some hair loss types require ongoing treatment, while others don’t

Stopping treatment is always your choice – and it’s a choice best made with clarity and support from medical experts.

References

1.Starace M, Orlando G, Alessandrini A, Piraccini BM. Female Androgenetic Alopecia: An Update on Diagnosis and Management. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2020 Feb;21(1):69-84. 

2..Bi L, Kan H, Wang J, Ding Y, Huang Y, Wang C, Du Y, Lu C, Zhao M, Sun W, Su T, Fan W. Whether the transient hair shedding phase exist after minoxidil treatment and does it predict treatment efficacy? A retrospective study in androgenetic alopecia patients. J Dermatolog Treat. 2025 Dec;36(1):2480739. 

3.Cortez GL, Hassun K, Linhares LRP, Florenço V, Pinheiro MVB, Nascimento MMD. Male androgenetic alopecia. An Bras Dermatol. 2025 Mar-Apr;100(2):308-321

4.Jimeno Ortega I, Stefanato CM. Telogen effluvium: a 360 degree review. Ital J Dermatol Venerol. 2023 Dec;158(6):457-466.