- Female Pattern Hair Loss
Do we treat female pattern hair loss and how successful is treatment?
Female pattern hair loss is the most common condition that we see and treat in women. We can ensure well over an 60% chance of hair re-growth for most women treated for female pattern hair loss. You can see the success of many of our patients’ treatment courses by viewing our female pattern hair loss patient photo-scans.
Female Pattern Hair Loss (Androgenic Alopecia)
Whilst genetic hair loss and baldness is more common in men, tens of thousands of women in Britain suffer from female pattern hair loss. However, it affects the genders differently. While men experience 'vertex balding' and/or 'receding frontal hairline', women with female pattern hair loss generally experience 'diffused thinning', generally throughout the top of the head or crown.
Female pattern hair loss usually begins at around the age of 30 and even as early as in the 20s or earlier. The thinning hair usually becomes noticeable around age 40, and may be even more noticeable after menopause. By the age of 50, 50% of women will experience some degree of hair thinning from female pattern hair loss or another condition such as diffuse hair loss or telogen effluvium.
Visit the female pattern hair loss page for further information on female pattern hair loss
View our female pattern hair loss photo-scans
- Alopecia Areata
Do we treat alopecia areata hair loss and how successful is treatment?
Yes. Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss that is seen frequently by our trichologists. Depending on the severity of the hair loss and the stage it has reached, treatment for alopecia areata can be very successful. As you can see in our patient images, patches of alopecia areata hair loss will frequently be cleared up by treatment. It is once a fair amount or all hair on the head or body has been lost due to alopecia areata that treatment begins to be less hopeful.
We have found that Belgravia’s Minoxidil 12.5% + Azelaic Acid formulation is the most effective safe treatment to reverse alopecia areata. Many Doctors recommend steroid injections but the results are not as promising and treatment involves multiple injections to the scalp. For patches of hair loss caused by alopecia areata (depending on the size), Minoxidil 12.5% + AA is likely to grow the hair back but for alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis regrowth is unlikely.
As trichologists we are unable to treat alopecia areata hair loss of any other parts of the body including the face. If this is the case for you please contact your GP. We also recommend people under the age of 16 with alopecia areata hair loss to contact their GP.
What is alopecia areata?
Alopecia areata is characterised by sudden patchy hair loss, which is due to many follicles prematurely and rapidly entering the telogen (resting) phase. The cause of alopecia areata is unknown but this type of alopecia falls into the category of autoimmune disorders. Alopecia areata hair loss is relatively common and can affect as many as one person in a thousand at some time in their life. Occasionally alopecia areata becomes very widespread and severe and develops into alopecia totalis (total hair loss of the head) or alopecia universalis (total hair loss of the body). Alopecia Areata is considered by some to have an autoimmune mechanism but there may be an external trigger such as a sudden shock or extreme stress.
Visit the alopecia areata page for further information on alopecia areata
View our alopecia areata photo-scans
- Diffuse Hair Loss
Do we treat Diffuse Hair Loss and how successful is treatment?
Yes. Diffuse Hair Loss is seen regularly at the centre and is treated with success. The trichologist that you see will take every step to ensure that the underlying cause of diffuse hair loss is treated. It is also important that treatment is used to prevent the diffuse hair loss whilst the underlying cause is being dealt with.
What is Diffuse Hair Loss?
Diffuse hair loss is seen most frequently in women. Diffuse Hair Loss involves an increased rate of hair fall and subsequent thinning from all over the scalp. In these cases a detailed clinical history must be taken.
For those experiencing Diffuse Hair Loss, diet should be checked for adequate intake of nutrients. Clinical investigations should be made for thyroid, haemoglobin and hormonal problems. Stress may also be a contributing factor in Diffuse Thinning.
Visit the diffuse hair loss page for further information on diffuse hair loss
- Telogen Effluvium
Do we treat telogen effluvium and how successful is treatment?
Yes. Telogen effluvium hair loss is seen regularly at the Belgravia clinic and is treated with a high degree of success. With telogen effluvium although the hair will normally grow back on its own, our treatment can help to grow the hair back as quickly as possible and in the best possible condition. For telogen effluvium that is ongoing, we concentrate not only on solving the underlying problem, but also make sure that the hair loss is being prevented with treatment whilst the causes are being dealt with.
What is telogen effluvium?
Telogen effluvium occurs when sudden or severe stress causes an increase in hair loss. With telogen effluvium, a sudden or stressful event can cause certain hair follicles to prematurely stop growing and enter into the telogen (resting) phase. The hairs affected by telogen effluvium will then stay in the resting phase for about 3 months after which time they will shed. Often the person experiencing telogen effluvium will have recovered from the event before the hair loss occurs.
In most cases of telogen effluvium the hair loss is temporary and the hair soon recovers. However in some cases of telogen effluvium the hair loss continues until the underlying cause is resolved. Hair loss cause by telogen effluvium appears to affect more women than men because more of the precipitating events such as childbirth are experienced by women.
Visit the telogen effluvium page for further information on telogen effluvium
- Traction Alopecia
Do we treat Traction Alopecia and how successful is treatment?
Yes. Depending on the stage that the hair loss caused by traction alopecia has reached, it is possible to grow some hair back and stop any further hair loss (as long as no further tension is applied to the areas). However, once the follicles affected by traction alopecia have ceased to produce hair treatment will not be effective. This will be the case if the hair has been under large amounts of strain for many years and the areas of traction alopecia hair loss are completely bald (these areas will appear shiny). It is always worth giving treatment for traction alopecia hair loss a try for a minimum of three months to see how the hair responds.
What is Traction Alopecia?
Traction Alopecia is hair loss caused by excessive amounts of tension on the hair shafts. This causes the hair to be pulled and can damage the follicle. Over long periods of time under these circumstances, Traction Alopecia will cause the production of hair to slow down and finally cease.
Visit the traction alopecia page for further information on traction alopecia
View our traction alopecia photo-scans
- Trichotillomania
Can We Treat Trichotillomania and How Successful is Treatment?
Depending on the severity of the case of Trichotillomania, it is possible to treat the condition with medication. The factor that decides whether medication will succeed in growing back hair that has been affected by Trichotillomania is down to whether the follicles are still functional or not. As well as treatment, non-surgical hair replacement is a successful technique that we use for trichotillomania. A hair integration system not only covers up the appearance of Trichotillomania, but also prevents the individual from getting to the area, which can help beat the habit. We have had some success with this method and were recently featured in a documentary on BBC’s Channel 4.
What is Trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania is based on an obsession with the hair. People with Trichotillomania tug, twist or pull their hair out creating bald patches or areas of hair loss. The hair for plucking is selected from other hair based on it being different in some way, perhaps feeling rough to the touch or more curly than other fibres. Once a bald area has been created it becomes even more enticing to pull at the hair around it, making the hair loss patch larger. Sometimes Trichotillomania is more generalised and looks like a diffuse alopecia. Trichotillomania is generally a non-scarring non-inflammatory form of hair loss, although long term repeated pulling over several years may result in irreversible scarring and damage to some hair follicles.
Visit the trichotillomania page for further information on trichotillomania
- Follicular Degeneration Syndrome
Do we treat Follicular Degeneration Syndrome and how successful is treatment?
Yes. Hair loss caused by follicular degeneration syndrome can be treated at the centre. The treatment that is used will help to grow back as much hair as possible in the follicles that are still functional.
What is Follicular Degeneration Syndrome?
Follicular degeneration syndrome goes under a variety of names including ‘Central Progressive Alopecia’ and ‘Hot Comb Alopecia’.
Follicular degeneration syndrome was first identified in black African-American women and thought to be due to the overuse of hot combs and oil pomades. It was thought that the oils applied to the hair were heated up by the hot comb and liquefied. The liquid oil then dribbled down the hair fibre into the hair follicle opening and irritated the skin causing inflammation around the upper hair follicle. However, it is now known that, while hot combing might elicit follicular degeneration syndrome in some individuals, it can also occur in the absence of any cosmetic procedure. With this discovery the condition has been named follicular degeneration syndrome.
Visit the follicular degeneration syndrome page for further information on follicular degeneration syndrome
- Pseudopelade
Do we Pseudopelade and how successful is treatment?
No. The Belgravia Centre is unable to treat pseudopelade hair loss. It is advised that you consult your GP.
What is Pseudopelade?
Pseudopelade is also known as alopecia cicatrisata. Pseudopelade is a very rare hair loss condition primarily affecting women and sometimes children.
Initially, Pseudopelade causes development of well-defined patches of hair loss which for some people may deteriorate to near total scalp hair loss with individual surviving hairs. The history of Pseudopelade for affected individuals is usually slow, lasting many years. For every male affected, three females get Pseudopelade.
Visit the pseudopelade page for further information on follicular degeneration syndrome
- Lupus
Do we treat Lupus and how successful is treatment?
For severe cases of Lupus we can offer hair replacement which will undetectably cover up the appearance of the hair loss. Find out about our advanced hair replacement methods.
What is Lupus?
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a rare chronic disease manifested by inflammation of multiple organ systems including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain. The ratio of women to men affected by Lupus is around 10:1.
Skin rashes appear in the majority of patients with Lupus. The classic manifestation of Lupus is a pink, butterfly-shaped eruption over the nose and cheeks that is aggravated by sun exposure. A similar rash, bruising, hives, blisters or ulcers may be present in other areas. In association, there may be diffuse hair loss as a result of the generalized immune response throughout the body. Hair loss caused by Lupus can temporarily recover or it may wax and wane with changes in disease severity. However, hair loss caused by Lupus can in many cases become permanent as a result of scarring. The hair loss is associated with a heavy infiltrate of immune cells in the skin. As with many autoimmune diseases there may be spontaneous remission for some people who have Lupus.
Visit the lupus page for further information on lupus |
