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Lupa
Don't Guess. Test.
Ever wonder why the popular options work for some women and not you?
One in four women will develop noticeable hair loss by 49. Fewer than half keep a full head of hair for life. And minoxidil, the one treatment the FDA has actually approved for it, only works for about 40% of the women who try it.
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The reason is straightforward: minoxidil treats the scalp, not the cause. So do most procedures and prescriptions. They can slow shedding or stimulate growth without ever asking why the hair is falling out in the first place, which means the moment you stop, nothing has actually changed.
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Supplements come closer, but only under the right conditions. They work if you have the specific deficiency they're built to correct, and if your body can absorb it. Thyroid dysfunction, autoimmune disease, hormonal shifts, gut issues, or anemia can all be the real cause, and if one of them is, the supplement was never going to be the answer.
Let's treat the cause that's actually yours.
It's almost never just about the hair.
Beyond Hair
These are conditions I investigate right alongside hair loss, since they're so often connected.
Autoimmune Conditions
Hashimoto's, lupus, alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's
Anemia
Iron deficiency and other nutrient-related causes
Hormonal imbalances
PCOS, perimenopause, postpartum shifts
Gut & digestive issues
Dysbiosis, malabsorption, chronic digestive symptoms
Thyroid dysfunction
Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and related imbalances
Chronic fatigue
Persistent, unexplained low energy
Metabolic health
Insulin resistance, blood sugar dysregulation
Skin Concerns
Eczema, acne, rosacea
Adrenal dysfunction
HPA-axis dysregulation, cortisol imbalance, burnout
Meet dr. Michelle valdes
Why I do this work
I noticed it in the shower first. More hair on my hands than usual, then more the next day, and the day after that. I was in my early twenties, and it had taken me a long time to admit that something was wrong, longer still to find anyone who agreed.
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Two years, and I lost count of the doctors. Bloodwork that kept coming back normal. Symptoms spread across five different specialists because nothing fit neatly into one. When someone finally said lupus, it was almost a relief.
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What I learned, eventually, was that my body wasn't working against me. It was communicating. So I learned the language. I put my disease into remission within one year of diagnosis, and then I promised to help other women do the same. I became a naturopathic doctor because I wanted to close the distance between what women are feeling and what they're being told. That's the work now, almost entirely, and on purpose.
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The name of this practice comes from that period of my life. Lupa is Portuguese for magnifying glass, the closer look this work is built on. It's also Latin for she-wolf, and the root of the word lupus. I didn't choose it lightly.
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Investigate → Test → Analyze → Treat → Follow-up
Investigate
Free fit call, then a real intake
A free 15-minute call to see if we're a fit. No diagnosis, just a conversation. Then a 90-minute deep dive into your history, symptoms, and goals.
Test
Foundational + functional testing
You'll have blood drawn at a lab that's convenient for you. Some functional panels ship as an at-home kit instead, and everything is priced and explained upfront.
Analyze
Results, in full context
A 60-minute session where your labs are read against your complete picture. You leave with a full written report explaining what each result means, plus a personalized plan.
Treat
A protocol built around your causes
Nutrition, targeted supplementation, and lifestyle changes built around your labs, not a generic starter kit.
Follow-up
Adjust as you respond
Hair grows in cycles measured in months, not weeks. Your plan evolves with regular check-ins.
How it works
Investment
What it costs
Healing takes time. Hair grows in cycles that span months, and hormones, gut health, and nutrient stores don't recalibrate overnight, no matter how targeted the plan. That's why care here isn't built around one visit and a hopeful goodbye. The packages below exist to walk with you through the months it actually takes to see the change you came for.
Start Here
New Patient Package
$695
A 90-minute initial visit to map your case, and a 60-minute follow-up to review your labs and build your plan.
Existing Patients
Follow-up Visit
$200
45 min. For a flare, a check-in, or a protocol adjustment.
Most popular
Half-Year Care
$1,250
Your New Patient Package, plus a monthly 30-minute check-in for 5 months. Includes a discount on supplements through Fullscript.
Maximum Support
Full-year Care
$1,900
Your New Patient Package, plus a monthly 30-minute check-in for 11 months, built for a condition that takes real time to resolve. Includes a discount on supplements through Fullscript.
Foundational bloodwork is often billable to your insurance directly through the lab that draws it, separately from anything billed by this practice. Coverage depends on your specific plan. If you're outside Connecticut or California, see the FAQ section for how lab ordering works for you.
Optional Functional Testing
If your case needs it
Most cases are fully explained by foundational bloodwork. Occasionally, a case calls for something deeper. These are only ordered when relevant, and always priced and discussed with you first.
DUTCH Complete (cortisol & hormones)
$350
GI-MAPÂ (comprehensive stool analysis)
$399
Organic Acids Test (gut, mitochondrial & nutrient markers)
$350
3X4 Genetics (nutrigenomic & metabolic pathways)
$350
Heavy Metals & Mycotoxin Panel
$399
Food Sensitivity Panel
SIBO Breath Test
$399
$399
Before you book
Questions
A dermatologist typically treats the scalp and hair directly. I investigate what's happening upstream, things like labs, hormones, gut, and nutrients, that may be driving the hair loss in the first place. Many patients see both.
No. As a naturopathic doctor, prescribing medication isn't within my scope of practice. It's also not the direction I'd take even if it were. Medication can manage a symptom, but it doesn't treat the root cause behind it. My work is entirely focused on finding and addressing what's actually driving your hair loss through testing, nutrition, targeted supplementation, and lifestyle change, not managing symptoms indefinitely.
Yes. Most patients choose virtual consults, but in-person visits are also available upon request if you're in Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk, Westport, or Fairfield, Connecticut.
I'm licensed to order labs directly in Connecticut and California. Outside of those states, you'd order your own foundational bloodwork out of pocket. I recommend Function Health for this: through my practitioner link, membership runs $340 instead of $365, and it covers 160+ biomarkers, more than enough for the foundational panel your case needs. You can bring those results directly to your visit.
Not necessarily. If you've had relevant labs done within the last 2 months, share them during your intake and we can build on what you already have instead of duplicating tests unnecessarily.
No, not for visits or testing. Insurance reimbursement is built around short, standardized appointments. It doesn't account for the time it actually takes to review your full case, connect your labs to your symptoms, and build a plan that's specific to you. Working outside of insurance is what allows me to give your case the time it needs. Pricing is flat and disclosed upfront, and I'm happy to provide a receipt you can submit for HSA/FSA reimbursement.
I ask for at least 24 hours' notice to reschedule or cancel a visit. Appointments cancelled with less notice, or missed entirely, are subject to a $75 fee, or $150 for a missed New Patient Package visit, given the time reserved for it.