What a Trichologist Does

If you have searched for a trichologist, you are probably trying to work out why your hair is changing and who can actually help. Here is what a trichologist is, when it makes sense to see one, and what happens when you do.

What a trichologist is

A trichologist studies the hair and the scalp. How hair grows, why it sheds, what breaks it, and how the condition of the scalp affects all of it. Aria Pilar is a licensed cosmetologist and trichologist with more than 30 years of experience, and she is the founder of Moxi Loxi in Danville, California.

What a trichologist is not

A trichologist is not a physician. Moxi Loxi does not diagnose, prescribe or treat medical conditions. When something needs a medical answer, and it often does, we will say so plainly and point you toward a dermatologist, an endocrinologist or your own doctor. Educational guidance and medical care are two different things and you deserve both, from the right person for each.

When it makes sense to see one

You are shedding more than usual and you do not know why
Your part is widening, or your ponytail feels thinner than it used to
Your scalp is tender, itchy, flaking or tight
Your hair breaks before it ever gets long
You are preparing for chemotherapy or radiation
You have a diagnosis and want to understand your options
You have tried products for months and nothing has changed

Shedding, breakage and follicle loss are three different things

Shedding is hair leaving the follicle as part of the normal growth cycle. Breakage is the strand snapping along its length before it reaches full length, so the follicle is still working but your hair looks and feels thinner. Follicle loss is the follicle no longer producing hair. Telling these apart matters, because what helps is different in each case.

What can cause hair to thin

Genetics. Hormonal change, including pregnancy, the postpartum months, perimenopause, menopause and thyroid shifts. Autoimmune conditions. Medical treatment, including chemotherapy. Stress and illness. Nutritional gaps. Scalp conditions. Some medications, and the rapid weight change associated with medications such as semaglutide. Chemical processing, bleaching, heat and tension. In practice, more than one of these is usually happening at the same time, which is why a single product rarely fixes it.

What happens in a consultation

We start with your history. What changed, when it changed, what you have already tried, and what you actually want. We look at your hair and your scalp. Depending on what we find, the conversation may go toward scalp and home care, toward styling and tension, or toward coverage: toppers, wigs, extensions, hair replacement systems or a full cranial prosthesis. If something needs a doctor, that is what we will tell you.

The Moxi Loxi method

Understand the cause first. Support the scalp and the hair you still have, where that is possible. Provide beautiful, natural looking hair when restoration is not possible. In that order, every time.

Who we work with

Women are most of who we see, and we also fit teens, men and children. Everyone is welcome in this studio, including people navigating hair loss while exploring or expressing their identity. Hair is tied to who you are, and nobody should have to explain that to be taken seriously.

Book a consultation

Consultation options and current fees are listed on the booking page. If your hair loss is related to chemotherapy, alopecia, radiation or another medical circumstance, the Medical Hair Loss Consultation is complimentary and no referral or documentation is needed to book it.

See consultation options and book

The Moxi Loxi hair loss guide goes through the causes and the options in detail. Full cranial prosthesis covers medical hair loss and documentation. Scalp and Grow covers scalp care. Our story is how Moxi Loxi started. The FAQ answers questions about fit, care and policy.