Should You Disclose Hair Loss When Buying Travel Insurance?'

Name: Micah

Question: I need to buy travel insurance but I'm not sure if I have to disclose my hair loss on the list of existing health conditions, can you help?

Answer: Hi, Micah. This is really a question for the travel insurance company as each insurer is likely to have their own set of rules regarding which medical conditions must be disclosed.

As such, we would highly recommend checking with your potential insurance providers first so that you can be certain of having the correct information.

However, as a general rule,
for the purposes of travel insurance 'pre-existing medical conditions' declarations, hair loss is not widely considered a 'health issue' nor an existing medical condition.

This is the case for the majority of hair loss conditions, especially Male Pattern Baldness, Female Pattern Hair Loss, Alopecia Areata and Traction Alopecia as the insurance industry largely classes these issues as 'cosmetic'.

You don't mention the cause of your shedding but if the hair loss is the result of an illness or medical treatment, for instance cancer and chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or Telogen Effluvium due to, for example, an underlying thyroid problem, it is the health condition that should be listed on the form, rather than the hair loss it causes as a side effect.

Reputable UK consumer rights organisation, Which? published an article on 13th May 2019 about this subject which you may find interesting. It lists the pre-existing medical conditions that must be declared when purchasing travel insurance. As per our advice above, it does also caution that the buyer should always check with their individual insurer before buying, in order to ensure they have provided the correct information necessary to validate their cover.

The key conditions Which? listed, as provided by Medical Travel Compared, are as follows and generally apply if they have been present within the past two years:

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Diagnosed complications with a current pregnancy
• Epilepsy
• Asthma - current or any historic cases
• Parkinson's Disease
• Arthritis
• High blood pressure - current or any historic cases
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression
• Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Cancer - current or any historic cases

We hope this information is helpful; have a great holiday!