THE BELGRAVIA CENTRE BLOG

Name: Mary Sloane 

Question: Do you recommend using full lace wigs to cover hair loss?

I am having a lot of hair loss lately and want something that would not damage my hair. My friend recommends using this. Any feedback?

Answer: It’s difficult to say what would be the best option for your hair loss as it depends on the stage your hair has reached and the condition causing the hair loss.  Lace-front wigs are a suitable option for advanced hair loss but there is a possibility that medicated treatment or other measures may help to grow your hair back naturally.

Here’s more information on NON-SURGICAL HAIR REPLACEMENT and here’s some on HAIR LOSS TREATMENTS FOR WOMEN.

Name: Orlando 

Question: I heard that taking saw palmetto and propecia together can be counter productive? Is this true?

Answer: Taking Propecia and Saw Palmetto together is not counter-productive. Propecia will block the majority of DHT but Saw Palmetto may help as a booster.

Name: Suhayl Isap

Question: As an avid football fan, I always follow all the footie news and recently a story has emerged regarding Romario being temporarily banned from the sport for having finasteride in his body. He has pleaded his innocence, stating he was using a hair growth medication.

Does using Propecia not only help hair stabilisation or regrowth but also help with performance, muscle tone and athletic ability? It must surely work as an anabolic steroid or something similar if players are being banned for cheating with finasteride.

Answer: Finasteride does not enhance sports performance nor increase muscle bulk. The reason why the UK sports authority banned it is because it can mask or hide the presence of steroids.

Football legend Romario failed a drug test for using finasteride. Although
finasteride does not increase sporting ability, it can hide the presence of steroids.

Name: Raymond Letters 

Question: It is two years since I had radiation for prostate cancer. I attend hospital for a PSA check every 3 months but take no medication. Can I take Propecia and Saw Palmetto together?

Answer: Propecia is not recommended if your PSA level is being monitored. It is a product that contraindicates the PSA check due to the possibility of masking the results. Regarding Saw Palmetto; even though it is herbal it can still affect the results of the PSA test.  This matter is something that you should discuss with your consultant.

Name: M Mir

Question: What is the length of the treatment and does it have to be ongoing even after the hair has grown back?

Answer: The required duration of treatment depends on the hair loss condition a person is experiencing.  If the condition is Male or Female Pattern Hair Loss then treatment needs to be used as long as you wish to keep your hair.  Once treatment is stopped the hair will continue shedding at the rate it was before using treatment.

For conditions like Telogen Effluvium or Diffuse Thinning treatment can be stopped if the hair is restored, depending on the person’s individual condition and whether or not the underlying cause of the hair loss has been cleared up (i.e. illness / stress etc.).

For Alopecia Areata, if the hair grows back treatment can be stopped once the user is satisfied with results.  If patches appear in the future treatment can be re-started.

Name: Mark

Question: Hi I’ve read from various sources that Minoxidil inhibits a certain amount of collagen which is essential for maintaining skin elasticity in humans and that the ageing process would rapidly increase whilst using Minoxidil…

How true is this statement? and if true, are the effects reversible after stopping the use of Minoxidil?

Answer: Minoxidil inhibits a certain amount of collagen but not enough to cause premature ageing, especially when applied to the scalp only.  Belgravia has clients that have used Minoxidil for almost 10 years and their scalps have been unaffected.

Name: Grant 

Question: Is there a formal test for (genetic) DHT?

I have been experiencing some degree of hair loss over the last 1.5 - 2 years. I am now in my mid-20s and was particularly put out by this as there is no baldness on either side of my family - certainly not at this age. (Father, Grandfathers, uncles, etc all pretty much have a full head of hair into their 60s and over). I did go through a period of high stress during this time, but I still noticed that my hair has been thinning in the typical male pattern (temples and crown).

My question is therefore: Is it possible to test whether I am genetically disposed to DHT?

I just wish to ascertain whether it was really the stress which has caused my hairloss? Or perhaps I am just unlucky and a gene, which has lain dormant for the past 3 generations, has decided to express itself?

Answer: The best way to self-diagnose Male Pattern Hair Loss is by observing the area of hair loss.  As you say the thinning is taking place at the temples and crown it sounds like the condition is genetic.  It’s difficult to say for sure without having an examination carried out but it’s most likely Male Pattern Hair Loss.  Remember that it’s possible for stress to trigger genetic hair loss so you condition could have originally been set-off by the stress you experienced but continued once the stress passed.

It’s possible for the hair loss gene to skip a generation or two, or be carried by a woman without affecting her as it would a man, so there are many reasons your grandparents may not have seemed to be affected by the genetic hair loss.

Name: Ricky

Question: How long do treatments take to start working in most cases?

Answer: Patients will usually see treatment beginning to work within 2 to six months. It’s difficult to put a time-frame on it as some people may begin to notice their shedding decrease straight away but obviously visible results aren’t going to be seen for longer than that as it takes time for the new or strengthened hair to grow through.

Name: Antonio 

Question: I have been using Propecia for almost a year along with super strength Saw Palmetto extract (1000mg) everyday. Do you think because of the combination, It reduced my libido and impotence more, since they both help by inhibiting type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Do you think if I stop saw palmetto (1000mg) it will help to increase my reduced impotence and libido a bit?

Answer: Your reduced libido and impotence will be most likely to be a side effect of Propecia and not the Saw Palmetto. The Saw Palmetto is an herbal product that has no side effects whereas around 2% of men who take Propecia experience a mild drop in their libido. However, the side effect reverses after around three to six months of taking the medication of if you discontinue. Minoxidil 5% + MPG and Minoxidil 12.5% + Azelaic Acid are good replacements to Propecia should these mild side-effect continue to bother you but I wouldn’t say there is any point in discontinuing usage of  the supplement.

Name: Oliver

Question: How do I decide which is the best method of stopping my hair loss and growing new hair? Who can I trust to give me the best treatment at a reasonable cost?

Answer: Belgraviacentre.com contains extensive information about the treatments that are proven to stabilise hair loss and regrow hair and the combinations that will ensure the optimum response. Here are some pages that will help you in your search:

http://www.belgraviacentre.com/hairlosstreatments.htm
http://www.belgraviacentre.com/minoxidil.htm
http://www.belgraviacentre.com/minoxidil125.htm
http://www.belgraviacentre.com/propecia.htm
http://www.belgraviacentre.com/lasercomb.htm
http://www.belgraviacentre.com/hairvitalics.htm

With regard to your second question; we believe in providing enough information to give the general public the opportunity to judge for themselves the best place to find the most effective treatments at the most reasonable cost. This is the main reason we set up the hair clinic treatment and price comparison page. The page provides information on the treatments and prices offered by the most well-known UK-based hair clinics, including Belgravia of course.

I also recommend you take a look at the information and comments found on the following page. We introduced this page in order to raise awareness after receiving numerous negative reports about a certain hair centre and consultant - http://www.belgraviacentre.com/blog/westminster-practice-complaints-increasing-rapidly/.