THE BELGRAVIA CENTRE HAIR LOSS BLOG

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.

Question: I am an afro-caribbean 26 year old woman and have had my hair in a corn-row style since I was about 12 years old.  Where the hair has been pulling there are areas of hair loss that are getting wider and wider.  How can I stop this?

Answer: Well the first and most obvious course of action is to remove your corn-rows immediately.  This is the cause of the hair loss and as long as they are pulled tight the areas of baldness will stretch wider and wider.  The condition is called Traction Alopecia and minoxidil cream can be successful in treating it.  Results depend on the extent of the hair loss and how much the hair follicles have been damaged by the constant pulling.  Generally, smooth areas of hair loss will not be restored but quite frequently thin areas of hair can be thickened up.

More information on TRACTION ALOPECIA
See some Traction Alopecia photo-scans

Question:  I’m 28years old and have been using an herbal treatment for hair loss.  The ingredients seem to block DHT and supply the proper nutrients to body.  My question is can I use minoxidil 12.5% + azelaic acid along with my present treatment?

Answer:  Yes you can.  Minoxidil 12.5% + azelaic acid can be used with any other hair loss treatment as long as you are suitable for the medication.

We are always interested in feedback on hair loss products and would appreciate information on which product you are using, how long you have been using it for, and how it has worked.