What Is This Approach?
Autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, vitiligo or lupus are long-term conditions in which the immune system targets the body’s own tissues. The diagnosis and treatment of these conditions are carried out by physicians in the relevant specialties, such as rheumatology, endocrinology and dermatology.
The supportive approach for autoimmune conditions does not replace this treatment. The aim is to review lifestyle factors in harmony with your specialist’s plan, to monitor findings that appear on the skin and hair, and to take your condition and treatment into account when making decisions about cosmetic or skin care.
Because autoimmune conditions follow a different course in each person, this support is not the same for everyone; consultations are shaped around the person’s diagnosis, treatment and daily life.
Fulya Koç
What Does It Include?
- Evaluation of sleep patterns, stress management and physical activity habits
- General recommendations for balanced nutrition; referral to the relevant specialist if a special diet is needed
- Monitoring of skin and hair findings such as hair loss, dry skin, color changes and sun sensitivity
- Safe planning of skin care and cosmetic procedures with your medications and disease activity in mind
- When considered necessary, sharing information with the specialist managing your treatment and referral
In autoimmune conditions, skin and hair findings can sometimes be one of the places where changes in the course of the disease are noticed. Monitoring these findings regularly and sharing them with the physician managing your treatment when needed may contribute to your follow-up.
What Does It Not Include?
- Diagnosing an autoimmune condition or adjusting its drug treatment
- Stopping, reducing or changing the medications recommended by your specialist
- Any promise that the condition will be cured or that the need for medication will go away
Stopping your medications on your own can lead to serious health problems. All decisions about your treatment should be made together with the specialist who follows you.
How Does the Process Work?
- At the first consultation, your diagnosis, your medications, your follow-up with your specialist and your recent test results are reviewed.
- Your skin and hair findings are evaluated, and your daily habits are discussed.
- Supportive steps that are compatible with your treatment, practical and realistic are determined together.
- Changes are monitored at follow-up visits; referral to the relevant specialist is made when needed.
The frequency of follow-up visits is determined by the person’s needs and the course of the condition. Your priority throughout this process should always be to keep up your specialist check-ups regularly; supportive visits complement that follow-up.
Important Warnings
In people with autoimmune conditions, some cosmetic procedures may require extra caution during active periods of the disease or while taking medications that suppress the immune system. For this reason, your condition and treatment are always evaluated before any procedure.
Herbal products and dietary supplements can interact with the medications you take. Before starting any supplement, it is important to assess whether it is needed and to inform the physician managing your treatment. If you have new or rapidly worsening symptoms, you should see your specialist without delay.
Dr. Fulya Koç’s Approach
Dr. Fulya Koç considers the skin, the body and lifestyle as a whole. In autoimmune conditions, this view means support that respects the specialist’s treatment and works in harmony with it.
For her, trust sometimes means doing less, or moving forward with preventive steps only. In these consultations too, what is possible and what is not is shared transparently, and decisions are made together.
In this approach, the goal is to determine sustainable steps that move in the same direction as the physicians managing your treatment and can fit into your daily life.
Fulya Koç
Frequently asked questions
Yes. This supportive approach does not replace your specialist’s treatment; it is carried out alongside it. All changes to your medications should be made only by the specialist who follows you.
This depends on the type of condition, its activity and the medications you take. While some procedures may be suitable, others should be postponed or not done at all. The decision is made after an examination and, when needed, by communicating with your specialist.
Hair loss may be related to different causes such as the condition itself, changes in thyroid function, some medications, stress or nutritional deficiencies. An evaluation is carried out to identify the cause correctly, and you are referred to the relevant specialist if needed.
The information on this page is general. Whether the treatment suits you, its possible risks and the results you can expect are assessed individually at your consultation. Results vary from person to person. Image is illustrative.
