The subject of hair loss is definitely never a story or conversation someone looks forward to!
I don’t think anyone has ever been pleased that they’re losing their hair, some undoubtedly are more bothered than others, but no one pleased.
The next bit of bad news is that there isn’t much you can do to stop it.
Hair loss in men can start as early as 15 years old with 20% showing signs of hair loss at age 20 and 66% at age 60.
In the UK alone it’s estimated that approximately 15.5 million people are currently affected by hair loss.
So what is it and why does it happen?
Pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia affects both men and women and is hereditary.
For women approximately 30% will be affected by the age of 75.
For men it’s a massive 85% by the age of 50 making up over 90% of all their hair loss.
It’s caused by the chemical dihydrotestosterone (DHT) a hormone that’s naturally produced by the body.
High levels of DHT block the supply of nutrients to the hair follicle which eventually stops it growing.
So can you reduce the levels of DHT in your body I hear you ask!
The answer is yes.
Your diet can play an important role in reducing the production of DHT
Vegetables rich in iron like spinach and kale and foods rich in lycopene like tomatoes and carrots all naturally block DHT
Whilst various other fruit and vegetables enable you to have a healthy scalp.
It’s a win, win, essentially changing your diet would help you reduce your hair loss and potentially be in great shape!
To make things better exercise, head massages taking time to rest will also help.
There are also a wide variety of products out there designed to block the production of DHT and help to maintain blood flow to the scalp.
From oral medication, topical solutions and shampoos it’s hard to know what works best so I’ll break it down for you.
Shampoos
Definitely have mixed reviews with many studies showing to very little evidence to support the claims and there are currently no hair loss shampoos that are clinically proven to support hair regrowth.
Oral medication
They tend to work better, with Finasteride being the most popular, however results are often not seen for often up to a year and it is only beneficial whilst your on medication, the side affects are also not great as it can cause erectile disfunction and depression.
Topical solution
Minoxidil is the most popular one in this category, reasonable results, minimum side effects and ease of use. Again results are only seen whilst using the solution.
Quick fix’s
So there are several options for the night out quick fix, in either powder or spray form.
Hair fibers are one of the most commonly used and are a great quick fix, this definitely comes at a price though, not being waterproof means certain weather conditions could cause you a problem!
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP, is one of the most recent additions to join the fight against hair loss and so far the results seem ok, what the treatment entails is blood being taken from the patient then being put in a machine which separates the blood, providing the PRP which can then be injected into your scalp.
Although they don’t block the DHT that is damaging the follicles, they give the follicles vital nutrients that then counteracts the effect of the DHT.
Scalp Micropigmentation
Now this is my favorite for obvious reasons, I know firsthand the impact it can make!
The method replicates hair follicles to give the illusion of either a freshly shaved full head of hair or much thicker fuller hair for those clients not already shaving their heads.
For more information on Scalp Micropigmentation please click on the link below
Last but not least, we have the hair transplant.
The two types are FUE and FUT
FUE is where individual hair follicles are harvested and then transplanted, this can be done in two ways, either manual FUE or robotic FUE with the later having better results and a success rate of between 90-100%. the benefit of this procedure is minimal scarring.
FUT is where a strip of skin from the scalp is taken, leaving the client with a thin scar but allowing individual follicular units to be harvested. Success rates can be higher as the follicles keep their protective tissue intact.
Both methods have great success rates and your level of hair loss would depend on whether it's a viable option and also which procedure would be best for you, as both have advantages and disadvantages.
For more information or to book a consultation please either click the link below or call the clinic direct on 01242 374675
Comments