The Belgravia Centre Blog

We occasionally see male patients who have experienced hair loss, only to see that loss fully, or partially, regrow by itself. Obviously, when this happens, the patient has little need of a hair loss clinic! However, when men are beginning to lose hair once again, they often visit to establish whether they can expect this loss to grow back, too.

The first important point to make is that the most common cause of hair loss in men, male pattern hair loss, cannot be regrown without the use of a medically proven hair loss treatment programme that contains at least one of the two medications that have been licensed by the MHRA and approved by the FDA to treat hair loss.

Ready For Regrowth?

However, in certain cases, men can experience different types of hair loss that can regrow. Hair loss from traction alopecia may be able to regrow by itself, providing that whatever is causing the loss in the first place, for instance tight hair braids, is quickly stopped. Although, it’s often the case that a high strength minoxidil cream is needed to ensure optimum regrowth. Minoxidil is one of the two proven hair loss medications, and is applied topically at a dose recommended by a hair loss specialist.

There are other, less well known causes of hair loss in men that can recover to an extent. The auto-immune condition alopecia areata can cause sudden patchy hair loss on the scalp, and whilst partial recovery and even spontaneous remission is possible, hair loss often comes and goes in cycles.

Aside from the above conditions, there are certain forms of hair loss such as folliculitis decalvans, which can recover to a certain extent if scarring has not occurred. There are also various medical conditions of which hair loss can be a side effect, such as Lupus, and if the underlying condition is one that can be cured or managed, hair loss may cease to be an issue.

Diagnosis Is Key

The key thing to remember is that even though you may have experienced a type of hair loss that has regrown, if you’re noticing a thinning atop the scalp or a receding hairline, the chances are that this is the onset of pattern hair loss. A treatment plan that contains Propecia, the hair loss medication that blocks DHT (which damages hair follicles, causing weaker hair to grow) and minoxidil will halt hair and potentially regrow thinning patches.

It’s important to treat pattern hair loss before the area becomes completely shiny and bald, as at this point hair cannot be medically regrown. If you’re unsure as to what is causing your hair loss, or whether it will recover by itself or not, a consultation with a Belgravia hair loss specialist will diagnose the issue and establish whether it can be treated, and whether treatment needs to be maintained.

The Belgravia Centre—————————————————————————————————–

The Belgravia Centre is the leader in hair loss treatment in the UK, with two clinics based in Central London. We offer clinically proven treatments for hair loss, as part of comprehensive treatment programmes offered by our hair loss specialists. Our in-house pharmacies produce high-strength medications for hair loss that contain medically proven ingredients and are available at no other clinic worldwide. Treatment programmes are available by visiting the centres or for home-use, anywhere in the UK or the rest of the world. View our hair loss success stories, which are the largest collection of such success stories in the world and demonstrate the levels of hair regrowth that so many of Belgravia’s patients achieve. You can also phone 0800 077 6666 for our hair loss helpline or to arrange a free consultation.

Name: Sal

Question: Hi, can I start off with 12.5% minoxidil and then reduce to 5% if the hair grows thicker, or do I have to stay with 12% to maintain the thicker hair?

Answer: A patient often needs to maintain the same dose of minoxidil to sustain hair growth. Reducing the dose often results in deterioration. However, it may be possible to maintain regrowth using a lesser dose. A patient could reduce the dose of minoxidil, then monitor hair growth within a period of six months. Lack of deterioration indicates that the new lower strength is managing to maintain the regrowth stimulated by the higher 12.5% minoxidil dose. However, a patient needs to revert to the original dose of minoxidil should regrowth continue to deteriorate.

Do you have a question that you would like our senior hair loss specialist Leonora Doclis to answer? You can submit it here via our HairLossANSWERS form and we’ll get back to you

Joanna Rowsell has had a busy year. Not only has the cyclist achieved three consecutive world medals, she won an Olympic gold in the velodrome and has been awarded an MBA. The cyclist has also become a poster woman for the hair loss condition alopecia.

By collecting her gold medal without her wig in front of 17 million people, Rowsell became a celebrity overnight after winning the women’s pursuit with teammates Laura Trott and Dani King. Speaking to the Mirror newspaper, Rowsell said that she had “no idea” that she was making a statement “or what a huge reaction it would cause”.

“I get why people are interested”

Rowsell also discussed how she enjoyed new found confidence after her podium moment, saying: “It was hard to deal with all the attention at first and I was really, really shy about talking about my alopecia then. But I understand it a bit more now.

“I get why people are interested. It’s because I’ve met a lot of people who’ve told me they saw me at the Olympics and it changed their perception of the condition. It made them feel able to go out and do things.”

Rowsell has had the condition for fourteen years, and is “happy to help” wherever she can in terms of raising awareness of this type of alopecia, which is thought to effect around one in 1000 people at some point in their lifetime.

The Olympic athlete has a collection of wigs in various different colours, but despite her regularly changing appearance she still often gets recognised by fans, though Rowsell says that: “It’s great to know I have helped people and to get tweets and emails from all over the world makes it all worthwhile.”

Understanding alopecia

Alopecia can cause patchy hair loss on the scalp (alopecia areata) and total hair loss (alopecia totalis, which is what Rowsell appears to be experiencing). Whilst treating totalis is generally impossible, Belgravia has treated many patients experiencing patchy hair loss on account of the autoimmune disorder using high strength minoxidil cream.

Minoxidil, which can be used by men and women alike, works by stimulating the hair follicles and can achieve regrowth in a matter of weeks. A consultation with a hair loss specialist at Belgravia can confirm your diagnosis, after which a bespoke treatment plan can be compiled.

Whilst men experiencing hair loss generally have genetics to thank, for women lifestyle and environmental factors often play a large part, and alopecia areata appears to have been triggered by everything from allergies and illness to sudden shocks and long term chronic stress.

The Belgravia Centre—————————————————————————————————–

The Belgravia Centre is the leader in hair loss treatment in the UK, with two clinics based in Central London. We offer clinically proven treatments for hair loss, as part of comprehensive treatment programmes offered by our hair loss specialists. Our in-house pharmacies produce high-strength medications for hair loss that contain medically proven ingredients and are available at no other clinic worldwide. Treatment programmes are available by visiting the centres or for home-use, anywhere in the UK or the rest of the world. View our hair loss success stories, which are the largest collection of such success stories in the world and demonstrate the levels of hair regrowth that so many of Belgravia’s patients achieve. You can also phone 0800 077 6666 for our hair loss helpline or to arrange a free consultation.

“One year of good experience with the treatment, looking ahead for another one….Thnkss a lot”

J

Age: Late 20′s

Diagnosis: Male Pattern Hair Loss

At Belgravia, we do see women who are concerned that hair dye has caused hair loss. Usually, dyeing hair (especially when the dye contains bleach) can cause the existing hair shaft to become brittle, weak and prone to breakage, but the new hair that grows through should be unaffected by previous dyeing.

However, a top doctor has come forward to argue that warnings should be put on the front of hair dye packets based on the fact that the dye could contain chemicals that can cause severe allergic reactions that can – and have – resulted in death.

The Dangers of Dyeing

Dr Ian White, a dermatologist at St Thomas’ Hospital in London took on the task of reviewing the chemicals for the European Commission, and identified 36 chemicals that are potentially “extreme” or “strong” skin sensitisers, which means that they can trigger allergies. White concluded that dyes containing any of these chemicals “may not be safe”.

Whilst it is not immediately clear what percentage of shop-brought dyes contain these chemicals, it is thought that a large number do, with one medium-brown dye in Clairol’s Nice ’n Easy range containing six such compounds. Potential allergic reactions range from an itchy scalp and flaking skin up to hair loss and breathing problems.

Since November 2011, hair dye companies have been required to place warnings on their products asking users to perform a patch test, but White claims that these warnings are not prominent enough, and has spoken of his desire for hair dye warnings to “hit you in the face” in the way that health warnings on cigarette packaging do.

But How Likely Is It?

It is estimated that between 1 in 50 and 1 in 100 people who use hair dye experience some sort of allergic reaction as a result. A Clairol spokesperson said that millions of people used hair dyes “without experiencing any adverse effect,” although they acknowledged that reactions could occur “for a very small number” of people.

If you are noticing an allergic reaction to hair dye, no matter how minor, you should cease to use the product. If you think your hair loss is linked to your use of hair dyes, visiting a hair loss specialist for a diagnosis is a good idea. Women’s hair loss can result from a wide variety of causes, ranging from allergies to hormonal imbalances and genetics.

Most forms of female hair loss that are linked to environmental factors are temporary, meaning hair should grow back by itself once the trigger has been dealt with, though a hair loss treatment programme containing minoxidil can help to regrow hair whilst the wider issue is addressed. If your hair is thinning atop the scalp, it may be that your hair dye is not to blame, and instead you’re experiencing female pattern hair loss, which requires treatment to prevent the condition progressing.

The Belgravia Centre—————————————————————————————————–

The Belgravia Centre is the leader in hair loss treatment in the UK, with two clinics based in Central London. We offer clinically proven treatments for hair loss, as part of comprehensive treatment programmes offered by our hair loss specialists. Our in-house pharmacies produce high-strength medications for hair loss that contain medically proven ingredients and are available at no other clinic worldwide. Treatment programmes are available by visiting the centres or for home-use, anywhere in the UK or the rest of the world. View our hair loss success stories, which are the largest collection of such success stories in the world and demonstrate the levels of hair regrowth that so many of Belgravia’s patients achieve. You can also phone 0800 077 6666 for our hair loss helpline or to arrange a free consultation.

Name: Indi

Question: Is it possible to have an allergy to shampoos or conditioners? I find that if I don’t constantly switch products (every 3 or 4 washes) the condition of my hair deteriorates, getting thin and fragile and falling out, and I get very itchy or sore rashes on my scalp in the patches where the hair is coming out. This happens even with very natural products such as tea tree oil shampoos. There is a possibility that it’s something else, but I have a very healthy diet and I don’t believe that it is stress related. Moreover I am only 18 and no women in my family have the same problem so I don’t think it is genetic.

Answer: Shampoos or conditioners do not cause hair loss. However, some products do affect the quality and the texture of your hair shaft resulting in thin and fragile hair. The sore rashes on your scalp are possible symptoms of dermatitis of the scalp. This condition can make your scalp irritable and sensitive to the majority of hair products, including the ones that are supposed to help. I suggest that you see a specialist to have your hair and your scalp examined and your condition diagnosed. This is your first step in finding the appropriate product to help your scalp and then to help stabilise your shedding. Regarding genetic hair loss, it is not always the case that a family member exhibits the same condition. You could be the first to express the trait and therefore be experiencing female pattern hair loss. This type of hair loss needs treatment to prevent it from becoming more pronounced, and a hair loss treatment plan that contains minoxidil is usually the best way to address this.

Do you have a question that you would like our senior hair loss specialist Leonora Doclis to answer? You can submit it here via our HairLossANSWERS form and we’ll get back to you

Based on the fact that we struggle to see the back of our own head, without the aid of a mirror, camera, or someone to point it out, hair loss on the crown can go unnoticed to a far greater extent than loss at the hairline. It’s also true that no sign of a receding hairline can lead men to become complacent and less vigilant when it comes to hair loss in general.

Bald Spot Vigilance

However, it is entirely possible that a juvenile or mature hairline (ones that show no sign of male pattern hair loss) can remain in place whilst a thinning crown progresses towards becoming a bald spot. This is due to the fact that the frontal area of the scalp and the crown area are independent of each other in terms of hair loss, and do not trigger each other into shedding.

Each hair follicle is genetically coded in terms of how many cycles of growth, resting and shedding it will progress through, though there are are no general rules as to which area of the scalp will go bald first. In this respect, it’s important to keep an eye on your crown in order to clock any changes to the hair density there.

Treating A Thinning Crown

So, if your crown does begin to thin, what’s the best way to treat the hair loss before it becomes noticeable? A combined treatment approach using clinically proven medication can prevent the need for a surgical hair transplant and can halt hair loss and regrow thinning.

Propecia is one of only two medications for hair loss that has been licensed by the MHRA and approved by the FDA. It works by blocking DHT, the androgen hormone that causes follicular miniaturisation atop the scalp, a process that leads in turn to thinner, weaker hairs being produced. By blocking DHT, hair follicles can recover and begin to produce stronger hair once again, meaning that a thinning crown can be regrown providing that treatment is maintained.

If hair struggles to return to its previous condition, a second medication, minoxidil, can stimulate the follicles. Unlike Propecia, minoxidil is a topical treatment, so can be used in a targeted way. Belgravia produce minoxidil in a variety of strengths, up to an extra-strength minoxidil cream, which has produced consistently good results for stubborn hair loss.

So, in order to prevent your hair loss progressing to the point where it cannot be treated medically, a comprehensive treatment approach that includes proven medication, a range of hair growth boosters to ensure hair stays healthy, and regular check-ups to chart progress, is your best bet for regrowing that thinning crown, and tackling any other patches of hair loss that may develop over time.

The Belgravia Centre—————————————————————————————————–

The Belgravia Centre is the leader in hair loss treatment in the UK, with two clinics based in Central London. We offer clinically proven treatments for hair loss, as part of comprehensive treatment programmes offered by our hair loss specialists. Our in-house pharmacies produce high-strength medications for hair loss that contain medically proven ingredients and are available at no other clinic worldwide. Treatment programmes are available by visiting the centres or for home-use, anywhere in the UK or the rest of the world. View our hair loss success stories, which are the largest collection of such success stories in the world and demonstrate the levels of hair regrowth that so many of Belgravia’s patients achieve. You can also phone 0800 077 6666 for our hair loss helpline or to arrange a free consultation.

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“For the last 6 months I’ve been on treatment and I have seen a lot of improvement in that period. treatment is working very well. I am very pleased. You can see the results. Thanks you very much.”

Bujar B

Age: Early 40′s

Diagnosis: Male Pattern Hair Loss

It’s natural that many of our patients are so concerned by their hair loss that their priority is halting the hair loss and hopefully regrowing the thinning areas using a bespoke hair loss treatment programme. However, if the type of hair loss being treated is male pattern hair loss, there is no ‘cure’ as such, meaning that treatment must be sustained.

A long term solution

Happily, then, a hair loss treatment plan from Belgravia has no maximum time limit, and can be taken indefinitely. Indeed, many of our patients have seen great long term results spanning many years, where not only has excess shedding been halted, but thinning hair and receding hairlines have been regrown and then stabilised under treatment, just a take a look at our hair growth success stories blog for many examples.

A combined treatment programme containing the two medications that have been approved or licensed for treating hair loss by the UK and US medical regulatory bodies (the MHRA and the FDA) is the most effective means of treating hair loss medically.

The first of these medications, Propecia, is a daily oral tablet (containing 1mg finasteride) and works by blocking the production of DHT, a powerful androgen hormone formed by testosterone and the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. Propecia stops the follicular miniaturisation that occurs as a result of DHT, and can halt thinning and allow thick, healthy hair to regrow atop the scalp, therefore stopping a bald spot from appearing.

However, hair often needs a boost to regrow to its full potential, which is where the second medication, minoxidil can come in handy. Unlike Propecia, minoxidil is dose dependent, which means that a hair loss specialist is needed to ascertain the ideal daily strength for your individual case of hair loss.

Maintaining treatment

Belgravia produce a wide range of minoxidil formulations in their in-house pharmaceutical laboratory, ranging from liquids up to high strength minoxidil cream for particularly stubborn areas of hair loss.

Propecia and minoxidil are highly complementary, though it should be noted that if a patient discontinues the use of one medication, it cannot be expected that the remaining treatment will sustain all the hair regrowth and stabilisation of the other discontinued medication. If one or both medications are discontinued, those with pattern hair loss will notice “catch up loss,” where the hair that would have been shed if treatment had not been used falls out.

So, maintaining treatment is important, but different minoxidil strengths and formulations can be experimented with to ensure that hair regrowth is at its optimum level. There are also a number of hair growth boosters that patients have access to, and whilst these alone will not regrow hair, they can improve the condition of existing hair and regrowth. So, for a long term hair loss solution, a hair transplant is not your only option, and a medical approach may just save you money and the stress of an operation.

The Belgravia Centre—————————————————————————————————–

The Belgravia Centre is the leader in hair loss treatment in the UK, with two clinics based in Central London. We offer clinically proven treatments for hair loss, as part of comprehensive treatment programmes offered by our hair loss specialists. Our in-house pharmacies produce high-strength medications for hair loss that contain medically proven ingredients and are available at no other clinic worldwide. Treatment programmes are available by visiting the centres or for home-use, anywhere in the UK or the rest of the world. View our hair loss success stories, which are the largest collection of such success stories in the world and demonstrate the levels of hair regrowth that so many of Belgravia’s patients achieve. You can also phone 0800 077 6666 for our hair loss helpline or to arrange a free consultation.

Name: Lisa

Question: My 14 year old son is starting to lose hair and there are visible signs of a widow’s peak. Dad and Grandpa lost their hair at a young age too. Are there any benefits in seeing a hair loss specialist now while he still has a full crop i.e. for prevention now rather than restoration later?

Answer: We always recommend early intervention when it comes to hair loss, as the earlier treatment is begun, the better chance there is of treating the condition. Restoration is possible though, providing the area you wish to treat has not become completely shiny and bald, as the hair can no longer grow back once it has reached this stage. It is unfortunate that your son is only 14 years old, as we can only treat patients when they turn 16. At this point, providing that a hair loss specialist deems him a suitable candidate for treatment, your son would be able to begin using the proven hair loss medication minoxidil, with the option to add Propecia, the second and only other proven hair loss medication available into his treatment plan when he turns 18. You can visit a dermatologist in the meantime, or you can wait until he turns sixteen then bring him to the centre for a free consultation.

Do you have a question that you would like our senior hair loss specialist Leonora Doclis to answer? You can submit it here via our HairLossANSWERS form and we’ll get back to you