Whenever you talk to any customer, remember WWHAM:

Who is it for?

It may not be the customer who is seeking advice about symptoms of hair loss. Always check the licensed age range for individual treatments.   

What are the symptoms?

You may need to ask a few more questions so that you can fully understand the type of hair loss being experienced. 

How long have the symptoms been present?

This may help you identify what stage of hair loss the customer is at.   

Action already taken?

Have they already tried any OTC products without success?

Medication?

It is important to ask about prescribed medicines as well as OTC and herbal remedies because some treatments may interact with certain medicines.

For example, the effect of some medicines prescribed for high blood pressure is increased by the hair loss treatment minoxidil.

You don’t have to ask these questions in order, and a customer might give you some of this information without you asking. As long as you get them into the conversation, you should be able to find out the information you need in order to make a recommendation.

The golden rule to remember is: if in doubt, refer to the pharmacist. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for their advice as they have a lot of information about products and symptoms to hand that you may not be aware of.