Last updated October 24, 2026
I started with a doctor's appointment. Before deciding what to put on my scalp or which supplements to take, I wanted to understand why I was losing hair.
The diagnosis I was given was seborrheic alopecia. My recovery after COVID-19 was also part of the discussion. I described it as still feeling "depleted" after the infection. That describes how I felt during recovery, rather than a confirmed vitamin deficiency.
My doctor recommended an initial three months of treatment, with a hospital review every two weeks. The plan combines earlier nights, prescribed Chinese herbal medicine, a topical hair-growth tincture, nutritional support, and doctor-recommended red light therapy.
This article follows that plan from the beginning. I am still in the observation period.
Planning a doctor-guided three-month hair-loss care routine
First, understand the diagnosis
The term "seborrheic alopecia" needs a little explanation for English-speaking readers. In China, it is commonly used for androgenetic alopecia, or pattern hair loss. Beijing Friendship Hospital's explanation of androgenetic alopecia uses both names. An oily scalp alone, though, does not establish the cause of shedding.
COVID-19 adds another possible factor. The American Academy of Dermatology's guide to hair loss after COVID-19 explains that illness can trigger telogen effluvium: temporary shedding that often starts a few months after recovery. Many people gradually regrow their hair, but post-COVID shedding and pattern hair loss should not be treated as interchangeable diagnoses.
That is why the appointment came first. A dermatologist can review the timing, examine the scalp, and decide whether tests are needed. The AAD's guide to diagnosing hair loss also explains that more than one cause can be present.
A dermatologist examining the scalp during a hair-loss consultation
Going to bed earlier: a routine I can maintain
Going to bed earlier sounds simple. The practical challenge is making room for it alongside work and treatment.
For these three months, I want a regular bedtime and enough time to wind down. Applying the topical treatment or taking medicine should fit into the evening without repeatedly pushing sleep later.
Adequate sleep and a balanced diet also appear in Beijing Friendship Hospital's lifestyle guidance for pattern hair loss. I see earlier nights as part of looking after my health during recovery, with any changes in my hair assessed separately at follow-up.
An evening routine that leaves enough time for rest
Chinese medicine: an individualized part of the plan
Chinese herbal medicine is part of my treatment. I will follow the practitioner's prescription and discuss any changes at review appointments, rather than borrow a formula that worked for someone else.
Terms such as qi, blood, and kidney essence belong to the traditional Chinese medicine framework. They do not, by themselves, establish anemia, kidney disease, or a laboratory-confirmed deficiency.
I also need to keep my healthcare providers informed about the herbs, topical treatment, and supplements I use. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health's overview of traditional Chinese medicine notes mixed research findings for Chinese herbal products across medical conditions, along with potential safety concerns. It does not establish that my prescription will reverse hair loss.
At each visit, I can report how I have felt while taking it and ask whether the prescription needs adjusting.
Discussing an individualized Chinese medicine prescription
The hair-growth tincture: follow the actual prescription
The topical tincture is the part of the plan that goes directly on my scalp. I will use it according to the instructions for the prescribed product: how much to apply, where to apply it, and how often.
"Hair-growth tincture" does not identify one particular medicine. If a product contains minoxidil, the AAD's information on minoxidil treatment is relevant. A tincture with other ingredients needs its own assessment.
One question for my doctor is how to schedule the application around light therapy. I also want to know what to do if the scalp becomes irritated. Those instructions are more useful than changing the amount myself because progress feels slow.
Checking instructions for the prescribed topical scalp treatment
Vitamins and nutrition: address what is missing
Nutritional support is another part of the plan. That starts with eating regularly and discussing which supplements, if any, I need.
The AAD's advice on vitamins, minerals, and hair loss recommends biotin, iron, or zinc supplementation when blood tests show a deficiency. Taking extra when levels are normal can be harmful.
I will follow the doctor's advice on the product and dose, and bring the supplement names to my appointments. That gives the doctor a clear picture of what I am taking alongside the herbal medicine.
Feeling run-down after an infection does not identify which nutrient is missing. Any claim about a deficiency needs to come from an assessment, rather than from the hair loss alone.
Balanced meals as part of the nutrition plan
Doctor-recommended red light therapy: keep the protocol specific
Red light therapy is included because my doctor recommended it. I want to understand the instructions for the actual device and follow them consistently.
There is clinical research on dedicated low-level laser devices for pattern hair loss. In a 2014 randomized, sham-controlled study by Jimenez and colleagues, participants used lasercomb devices for 26 weeks. The treated groups had greater increases in terminal hair density than the sham groups. The full study is available through PubMed Central.
That finding concerns the devices and people studied. It does not show that every red light product works for hair loss or that the same benefit applies to post-COVID shedding.
For my sessions, I need to confirm the duration, frequency, positioning, and any required eye protection, as well as the timing of the topical tincture. I will use the device and schedule agreed with my doctor. A body panel and a dedicated scalp device should not be assumed interchangeable.
Reviewing instructions for a dedicated scalp light-therapy device
Three months of treatment, with reviews every two weeks
My doctor asked me to follow the plan for three months and return every two weeks. These appointments give us a chance to discuss scalp symptoms, treatment reactions, and whether the routine is manageable.
The schedule is specific to my case. Someone else may need a different follow-up interval.
I plan to bring a short record to each visit:
- Treatments used and any missed applications or sessions.
- Changes in shedding across several days, rather than one wash.
- Itching, redness, discomfort, or other reactions.
- Scalp photographs with the same parting, lighting, and camera angle.
- Questions about the medicines, supplements, and light-therapy schedule.
At the three-month review, I want to compare those records with where I started. Is shedding settling? Are there visible changes? Is the treatment comfortable enough to continue?
The AAD notes that hair-loss treatment can take months to show results. Three months gives my doctor and me an initial point to reassess the plan; further treatment or observation may still be needed.
Because I am using several approaches together, any improvement will be difficult to attribute to one treatment. Natural recovery after illness may also contribute. Keeping regular appointments and consistent records should make those conversations more useful.
Image 8 — Prompt: A realistic editorial photograph of an adult woman and a dermatologist reviewing a treatment journal and appointment calendar during a follow-up visit. Include a simple diagram on a tablet showing a camera, a fixed light source, and a scalp-position outline to suggest consistent photography; do not show fabricated patient photographs or changing hair density. Calm clinical setting, no readable personal records or outcome claims. Landscape 3:2 composition, suitable for 720 × 480 px, small footer "Illustrative."
Alt text: Reviewing treatment records and consistent scalp-photography methods.
Conclusion: following the plan, then reviewing the progress
My three-month plan began with a diagnosis. It brings together earlier nights, prescribed Chinese herbal medicine, a topical scalp treatment, nutritional support based on my doctor's assessment, and doctor-recommended red light therapy. I am still following the plan, so I cannot report a result yet.
For now, my focus is on keeping the routine manageable, recording changes, and returning every two weeks to discuss progress and any reactions. The three-month appointment will be a chance to reassess what comes next, rather than a deadline for regrowth. If my hair improves, using several approaches together will make it difficult to know how much each one contributed.
References
- American Academy of Dermatology. Can COVID-19 cause hair loss?
- American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss: Diagnosis and treatment
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know
- Jimenez JJ, Wikramanayake TC, Bergfeld W, et al. Efficacy and safety of a low-level laser device in the treatment of male and female pattern hair loss: a multicenter, randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind study. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2014;15(2):115–127. DOI: 10.1007/s40257-013-0060-6. Full text.
- Beijing Municipal Health Commission / Beijing Friendship Hospital. Diagnosis and Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia.