Editorial Policy | Sheffield Hair Loss Clinic

The health information on the Sheffield Hair Loss Clinic website is written, checked and updated in the way this policy describes. The policy applies to all pages on hair loss conditions and causes, including female pattern hair loss, male pattern baldness, and hair shedding. It also covers all pages on hair loss treatments, such as hair transplants in Sheffield, minoxidil, finasteride, and scalp treatments.

This policy covers all the health information we publish, including the questions and results in our hair loss assessment. Our assessment is a screening tool. It doesn't diagnose a hair loss condition.

This policy doesn't cover your consultation with our pharmacy partner, The Independent Pharmacy. That consultation, along with any treatment that follows, is provided by their UK-registered clinicians and covered by The Independent Pharmacy's own terms and privacy policy.

Why we write these guides

Hair loss and thinning are common, yet much of what is written about them online is confusing, alarming or trying to sell a product. Plenty of women who search for a hair loss clinic in Sheffield have shedding that is temporary. Others put their thinning down to stress when something else may be contributing. Our aim in publishing is to help you make sense of what is probably happening, see what a sensible next step would be, and know when to go to your GP or get urgent help instead.

The principles behind our content

Whatever we publish, we want it to be:

Clinically accurate – a UK-based expert with relevant experience in hair and scalp conditions has written or reviewed it.
Evidence-based – it rests on current UK guidance and peer-reviewed research rather than on opinion or anecdote.
In plain English – we use short sentences and clear headings, and explain terms such as telogen effluvium on first use.
Honest about limits – we are clear that our pages don't diagnose, and about what a screening assessment can and can't tell you.
Safe – each page tells you when a symptom calls for your GP, NHS 111 or 999 instead of an online assessment.
Balanced – we are open about the downsides of treatments as well as the upsides, and about when the NHS is the better route.
Independent – we do not accept payment from pharmaceutical companies or hair transplant clinics to create or influence our content.

Who writes and reviews it

Our condition pages are written by, or together with, UK-registered professionals who have experience of hair and scalp conditions. Clinical review is carried out by Kate Holohan (AIT, Registered Trichologist, Institute of Trichologists) and Andy Boysan (BPharm (Hons), GPhC Registered Pharmacist).

On each condition page you'll find the name of the author, the name of the reviewer, their professional registrations and the date of the review, which lets you see who stands behind the content. Clinical content is never published anonymously.

The evidence we draw on

Our starting points for writing about a condition or a treatment are:

NICE guidance – including its Clinical Knowledge Summaries on hair loss.
NHS information, together with guidance from UK professional bodies such as the British Association of Dermatologists.
Peer-reviewed research on hair loss, where systematic reviews and large trials carry more weight with us than single small studies.
MHRA licensing and safety information for every medicine we mention.

The evidence on hair loss is often mixed or still emerging. Where that is the case we say so, and we don't overstate it.

How we keep content accurate and up to date

Knowledge about hair loss doesn't stand still. Guidance gets revised, treatment options change, and so does advice about who needs tests or a specialist referral. This is how we keep pace:

Each condition page shows a "medically reviewed" date, and every page is reviewed at least once every 12 months.
A review happens sooner if NICE guidance changes, if the MHRA issues new advice about a medicine we mention, or if a treatment we describe becomes available or unavailable.
If a reader, patient or clinician tells us that something is wrong or out of date, we check it and correct the page.

Written so everyone can follow it

Hair loss can affect men and women of any age and background, and it is often distressing. With that in mind we write for someone who is worried and reading on their phone:

Sentences are short, headings are clear, and every page has an outline that lets you jump to the part you need.
Medical terms are explained on first use - female pattern hair loss (FPHL), telogen effluvium (usually temporary shedding), alopecia areata (patchy hair loss).
We use UK spelling, UK guidance and UK routes to care, including the NHS.
Comparisons are set out in tables and lists, so you can find the row that applies to you.
Pages are built to work with screen readers and keyboard navigation, and we keep improving on that.

Putting safety first

Some symptoms should not wait for an online assessment, and we write our content so that you never miss that:

Each page states clearly when to call 999, contact NHS 111 or see your GP.
We describe our assessment as what it is, a free screening tool. It does not diagnose, and our pages don't either.
We make clear that medication is only ever prescribed once a clinician has reviewed your full assessment and judged it appropriate, and that not everyone will be eligible for prescription treatment.

Balance and honesty about treatment

We are a private clinic, and we take care that this never shapes what we tell you:

First-line, evidence-based options are explained before anything else.
We say plainly when treatment isn't needed, when hair loss needs investigating before it is treated, and when the NHS is the right route for you, including what to ask your GP for.
The downsides of treatments are described as well as the upsides, including those of oral minoxidil, which is prescribed off-label for hair loss.
A patient's quote is published only if that patient has consented. It describes one person's experience and is not a promise of what you will experience.
We don't use fear or exaggerated claims to push you towards a decision.

Commercial independence

Sheffield Hair Loss Clinic does not take payment from pharmaceutical companies or hair transplant clinics to write about a product or service.

When a page names a medicine, the purpose is to explain what it is and who it may or may not suit. We do not advertise prescription-only medicines to the public, and any decision to prescribe is made only by a clinician after assessment.

Sheffield Hair Loss Clinic receives a referral fee from our pharmacy partner, The Independent Pharmacy, when a reader goes on to buy treatment. This does not affect the price you pay.

From brief to published page

Brief – starting from the questions patients ask us and the guidance that applies, we decide what the page needs to answer.
Research – the current guidance and evidence listed above are gathered.
Draft – a writer prepares a first draft in plain English.
Editorial review – an editor checks clarity, structure and tone, and checks that the page says clearly when to seek urgent help.
Clinical review – a UK-registered clinician checks accuracy and safety, then either signs the page off or sends it back.
Publication – the page goes live with its author, reviewer and review date shown.
Scheduled review – the page is reviewed at least every 12 months, or sooner if the guidance changes.

Spotted a mistake? Tell us

We want to hear about anything that is out of date, unclear or incorrect. Please contact us, letting us know which page it is and what you noticed. Every report is checked, and pages are corrected where needed.

Getting in touch about our content does not create a clinical relationship between you and Sheffield Hair Loss Clinic. If your hair is worrying you, start with our hair loss assessment or talk to your GP. Call 999 if you have life-threatening symptoms.