The Belgravia Centre Blog

It must be hard to have your ex-wife tell the world’s media that she prefers younger men because they are not “grumpy, fat and bald”. It must be even harder when your ex-wife is global pop-star Madonna and her new beau is half your age with a head full of hair. Guy Ritchie’s hairline has been slowly receding over the years but now it seems the film director has been dealt his hair loss hand. 

In an attempt to hide his baldness, Ritchie, 41, has shaved his head. While stress can contribute to hair loss (and no doubt a divorce from one of the richest, most successful women in the world must have been stressful), the fact is that Male Pattern Baldness affects approximately 50% of men who are Ritchie’s age, which increases to 70% by the age of 60. Male Pattern Baldness occurs when levels of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) increase. DHT attacks the hair follicles causing hair growth to slow and eventually stop. The first sign is often a receding hairline and thinning hair around the crown area.

Ritchie could take preventative action in the form of hair loss treatments. There are two products that have been proven to be highly effective at combating male hair loss. Minoxidil and Propecia have helped thousands of men worldwide.

Propecia’s active ingredient, Finasteride, was first approved for use in 1992 for the treatment of enlarged prostate. Users noticed a curious side effect – an increase in hair growth. There have been two studies by Merck Pharmaceuticals on the effects of Propecia , a 2 year study and a 5 year study.

In the 2 year study, of the 1,553 men taking Propecia, 99% had visible results: 66% had visible re-growth and 33% had no further hair loss. In the 5 year study, of the 279 men taking Propecia, 90% had visible results: 48% has visible re-growth and 42% suffered no further hair loss. All of the men not using Propecia continued to lose hair. Propecia works by reducing DHT levels in the scalp and as such appears to inhibit the shrinking action of hair follicles. Once the shrinking action is controlled, the hair starts to re-grow.

Originally used in tablet form to treat high blood pressure, Minoxidil was developed 21 years ago as a topical solution for hair loss after patients taking it to control blood pressure noticed that hair they had lost was re-growing. It is not fully understood how Minoxidil makes hair growth increase. Some experts believe that as it is a vasodilator, it causes the blood vessels to relax and widen which allows more nutrients to flow to the hair follicles and subsequently leads to an increase in hair growth. However, other vasodilator drugs do not promote hair growth so this theory is not conclusive.

In clinical trials, 65% of men maintained hair or increased hair count after using Minoxidil. The formulation of Minoxidil that is used can make a significant difference to its effectiveness. The Belgravia Centre has an in-house pharmacy which produces Minoxidil of the highest quality. Belgravia’s qualified pharmacists prepare a Minoxidil 4% and 5% solution with added Medroxyprogesterone (MPG) and an extra-strength Minoxidil 12.5% cream with added Azelaic Acid (AA). MPG and AA are hair growth booster products that may help to reduce the effects of DHT and thereby increase the efficacy of the treatment.

If you would like to find out more about hair loss treatments and how they can help you, contact Belgravia for a free consultation with one of the centre’s specialists. To book an appointment, just call 020 7730 6666 or message the centre. Alternatively, complete the online diagnostic form for a consultation via the website and mail order treatment service.

More Information
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Hair Growth Boosters
Hair Loss Success Stories

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