THE BELGRAVIA CENTRE BLOG

Question:  I’m 25 years old and have been using Minoxidil for around 5 years. When I first started taking it thickened up my hair quite a lot and has maintained it since then.  Now my hair seems to be beginning to fall out again - not at the rate it was before I was using Minoxidil but slowly but surely the condition seems to be deteriorating.  What would you advise I do?

Answer:  This is quite a common occurrence and there could be a few reasons: As you age throughout your 20’s the DHT can build up and cause hair loss to be more excessive.  Had you not used Minoxidil it is likely you would be almost bald by now, if not in the next couple of years.  But as the hormones causing hair loss build up the hair can start thinning again, even if you are on treatment that previously prevented it. 

Another cause could be stress, which can sometimes cause hair loss due to a condition called Telogen Effluvium or speed up the process of genetic hair loss (male pattern hair loss).

The best option would be to add Propecia to your treatment regime, and perhaps a booster such as LaserComb or a natural supplement (or both).  This will most likely prevent any hair loss for the foreseeable future any could also thicken up your hair further.

 Question:  Is genetic hair loss related to the amount of testosterone in the body?

 Answer: No, people with a high amount of testosterone will not necessarily experience genetic hair loss.  Hair loss is caused by dihydrotestosterne (DHT) which is produced when testosterone is combined with an enzyme in the body called 5-alpha reductase.  Some people produce more DHT than others but this is not directly related to the amount of testosterone in the body.

Name:  Edwin 

Question:  A small bald patch has come up on my beard in like the last day!  Do you have any idea what it could be?  What can be done?

Answer:  This sounds like Alopecia Barbae - Alopecia Areata of the beard.  Alopecia Areata is a condition that causes patchy hair loss and in very few cases spreads to the whole head or body - the patches of hair loss can be found anywhere on the body but are most common on the scalp.  More information on Alopecia Areata.

Question: What kind of treatments would you suggest for hair loss in the back of the head from 3 years of very heavy weaves/extensions turned into dreds (originally done to make my hair fuller and disguise a scar from an earlier accident). I tried men’s rogaine for a few months (thought it would work as it’s stronger than women’s) and it caused facial hair growth in spots that I never had before (like around chin, lower face, and a little bit of neck area).

I also have a long scar on the scalp from a bad car accident 7 yrs ago, the worst part of it being at the front which is about the size of a quarter where there’s no hair. Is there anything I can do this many years later to shrink the scar? Hair can not be transplanted too well to old scar tissue like that right?

Answer: It sounds like the hair loss condition you are experiencing is Traction Alopecia. This is caused by long-term pulling on areas of hair until the follicles shrink and eventually become dysfunctional. Minoxidil should be helpful for this. Facial hair growth is an unlikely side effect but is experienced by some women whilst they are on minoxidil - we do however have an FDA approved cream that counteracts this excessive hair growth once applied to the areas.

With regard to your scars - please see this post - http://www.belgraviacentre.com/blog/question-can-you-offer-any-hope-of-hair-recovery-from-scarring-alopecia/.

Question:  Hi.  I want to shave my head but my hair dresser told me that some of the thin hairs won’t grow back.  What is your opinion on this?

Answer:  Shaving your head will not prevent thin hairs from growing.  If your hair is thinning then the hairs may stop growing on their own at some point if you are not using treatment, but shaving your head should have no effect on this.

Name:  Lisa 

Question:  I started to have thin hair around the age of puberty. I would continually pick my dandruff, eventually the thinning spread from my crown to overall thinning of the hair. I’ve had thin hair now for 7 years, do you think the picking of the dandruff caused to widespread thinning? I have lost hope in fixing my problem as i have had it from such an early age. My belief is that the hairs have come out of the root. Is this possible? My grandma also had this problem, what are the chances that i could be cured with Belgravia.

Answer:  It’s a possibility that continually picking an area of dandruff could cause hair loss in that area but unlikely that this would cause hair loss spread over the head.  As the hair loss came about at puberty it is likely that this is a genetic condition or something related to hormones - if it is restricted to the area at the top of the head then it is most likely genetic, if it’s all over the top as well as the sides and back there’s probably another cause.  We would advise an examination - there are treatments available for each of these conditions but you would initially require a diagnosis.

Name: Alex 

Question:  I have receding temples, also thinning at the front with milder thinning on top. I have been using Minox for some years. I added Propecia and a Hairmax Lasercomb at exactly the same time (4 months ago).

After 2 weeks, as well as quite a lot of shedding, I noticed I was getting regrowth ’stubble’ all over my head including sides and back even right down to where hair meets neck (all of which is obviously a good sign).

Although all areas are thickening up and the new hair growth is slowly growing out, the sides and back are responding the fastest and best (but of course hair was thickest here to begin with).

As these areas (back/sides) are supposedly ‘immune’ from MPB does that mean they are responding only to lasercomb or can Propecia be helping this area too - if so how?

(It’s all good - I’m just curious really!)

Thanks.

Answer:  Hi Alex.  Hair loss on the sides and back of the head (just above the neck and ears) would not be due to a genetic condition so Propecia would not assist in this regrowth.  However, this regrowth could be from the use of the LaserComb.  The combination of Minoxidil, Propecia and LaserComb is a very effective hair loss solution so I am sure positive results will be seen over the coming months!

Question:  I visited a hair clinic in London where they asked for £1800 for 1 year’s worth of minoxidil and a natural tablet - I can’t remember the name.  What kind of a deal is this, do you think it’s a rip off?

Answer:  It’s not really our place to say whether you are getting ripped off or not.  I would adise you to take a look at Belgravia’s price comparison page so that you can decide for yourself.  The page compares the costs and treatments of the main London hair centres (including Belgravia) - HAIR CENTRE PRICE COMPARISON.

Question:  I’m in need of some help - I constantly pull and twist my hair.  It’s been a habit since I was a kid and it’s almost like an addiction, kind of like biting your nails.  It’s something that’s really worrying me because my hair is being affected by the pulling and I know it sounds stupid but I can’t stop doing it!

Answer:  This sounds like a condition called Trichotillomania which involves constant twisting and tugging of areas of hair and is more common that you may think, be it to different degrees for different people.  It is a habit, or an obsession, that can be hard to give up but there are ways of assisting the process.  More information on TRICHOTILLOMANIA and how to kick the habit.

Question:  Can you offer any hope of hair recovery from scarring alopecia?

Answer:  Non-surgical hair replacement is the most effective solution for this, where a non-detectable hair replacement system (hairpiece) which is matched to your hair colour can be attached to the area of scarring with a skin base to cover the area up.  More information on HAIR REPLACEMENT.

We also hear of certain surgeons experimenting with hair transplantation on areas of scarring but this is not a widely recognised technique - I would advise you to search around and speak to hair transplant doctors about this and make sure you take advice from a reputable surgeon.