The Belgravia Centre Blog

Name: Gareth Robinson
Age: 19
Gender: Male

Question: I have been experiencing thinning hair since I was 16 and have noticed a slight bald patch on the back of my head. I use thickening shampoo which seems to be helping and I comb my hair a certain way to hide the bald patch, however some of it is still visible. My Father and Grandfather are both bald and told me they started having noticeable baldness by the age of 22 and had completely lost their hair by the age of 30. So it is more than likely I have inherited the same genes as my father.

My questions are could the medication Propecia and the solution Minoxidil, which your clinic has in a high dosage of 12.5%, be used as a preventative measure so I never have to experience any hair loss. If you passed me in the street you would never think I was bald, however, if you see me 3 years from now you would think differently. Could treatment be started sooner rather than later is what i am trying to get at?

Also could you recommend any better thickening shampoos and conditioners? I heard about Toppik and Couvre hair loss products and would like your professional opinion on them and whether they are worth purchasing.

Any help or advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Hi Gareth.  I am in a very similar situation to you (yet slightly older).  My Grandfather (on my Mum’s side) was completely bald by his late 20′s.  I myself started losing my hair at the age of about 21 – I’d notice it coming out when I put wax in my hair in the morning, and I’d see my hair all over the floor of the shower.  Although I could see my hair coming out, my hair thinning wasn’t really visible at the time.  I began to use treatment and since then I have had no further thinning – I am now almost 25.

We always advise that the earlier treatment for hair loss is started the better as it is almost certain that hair loss will be stabilised or at least slowed down and although regrowth is likely, the amount of regrowth is different for each person and if the hair is visually thin, restoring hair to full thickness is unlikely but does happen in some cases.

With regard to thickening shampoos and conditioners, Toppik and Couvre are appropriate but you must realise that these are cosmetic products, not active treatments, meaning they can cosmetically improve the appearance of the hair temporarily but will not prevent the hair from thinning.