Why hair turns grey

It is generally accepted that hair loses its pigment and turns grey with age although there is also a commonly held misconception that this can happen as a result of shock. Shock can make a person’s hair fall out, but it won’t turn it grey. Before we go on to look at the science behind greying hair or graying hair, let’s just sort out the small issue of spelling. Both spellings are correct; if you are using the English spelling, you will have grey hair and if you are using the American spelling, you will have gray hair.

It is the substance known as “melanin” that is responsible for our hair colour and simply put, the more we have of it, the darker our natural hair colour will be. Naturally fair or blonde haired people have less melanin in their hair follicles than red, brown and black haired people. Regardless of our natural hair colour though, the amount of pigment or melanin stored in each hair follicle decreases with age and as this pigmentation declines, our hair turns greyer until eventually, if genetically programmed to do so, it turns white.

If your greying hair goes on to become white, this is a sign that there is no longer any melanin left in the follicle at all. This does not necessarily mean that you will experience hair loss ; it simply means that it will no longer display a natural colour and will revert to being as white as it was, when you were born. Even those born with a head of dark hair, had white hair originally; the colour of their hair at birth is a reflection of the amount of melanin stored in their hair follicles.

In both men and women, hair normally starts going grey between the ages of 35 and 50 but in some cases this process will manifest much earlier. The exact point at which your hair starts to turn grey is genetically programmed and will vary tremendously, from person to person. As with hair loss, which is passed down genetically, you should look to your parents and grandparents for any recurring patterns.

Early greying of the hair can be a symptom of a premature aging syndrome, it can be the result of gene or hormone related factors, it can be down to external factors like climate, pollution and toxins or medical conditions like Poliosis. Poliosis causes localised patches of white hair to appear in streaks across the head. This condition is also known as the “Mallen Streak” and is famously sported by TV presenter Dickie Davies.

So what should we do about grey or graying hair?

There is a school of thought that says “Going grey is a natural part of the ageing process and a sign of maturity and wisdom”. This phrase is often followed by another which speaks of “Growing old gracefully”. These are wonderful concepts which many people adhere to, but it cannot be denied that in this modern age, where youth and beauty are held as Gods in their own right, going grey just like hair loss, can strike fear into the hearts and minds of many people and therein lies the problem.

There are many hair products on the market today that profess to be able to turn back time; reverse the effects of ageing, eradicate grey hair and make you look young again. Some of these products, including hair sprays, mousses, gels, hair dyes, leave-in conditioners and shampoos are very effective and work well, others, it must be said, do not. Some can cause damage to the hair strands or even hair loss, if used too often or in too great a quantity, so if you are going to re-colour your hair, whichever product you use, always read the label and do your research.

About hair dyes

Among the most damaging treatments used when trying to cover grey hair are hair dyes. Many hair dyes contain harsh chemicals which can often have severe after effects leading to possible hair loss. Always check the label for the product’s list of ingredients and do your research. It is fair to say that an ingredient that might be harmful to one person’s hair, may not be harmful to another’s, but it is equally fair to say that if there is a groundswell of opinion out there about a particular ingredient, you might do better to avoid it, better still, ask your trichologist.

The London Centre of Trichology are a London hair loss clinic  who specialise in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of male and female hair loss. Contact our trichologists  today for your free hair loss consultation

Male Pattern Baldness or Androgenic Alopecia

Male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia affects some 50-60% of the male population at some point in their lives. This is because the baldness gene forms a part of their genetic makeup and it is passed on to them, from parent to child.

Are you suffering from male pattern baldness?

Are you concerned that you might be losing your hair? Have you noticed an increasing number of hairs being left behind in your bath or sink after washing? Does your hairbrush seem to be pulling out more hairs than normal? Are you finding that you have to adopt a slightly different hairstyle lately?

What are the signs you should be looking for?

It’s a good idea to keep a look out for all of these things but do not panic at the sight of a few stray hairs in the bath or shower and do not worry if a number of hairs are left in your brush or comb after you brush your hair. The average head of hair loses and replaces up to 100 hairs per day.

What you should be looking at is where these hairs are coming from. Have a good look in the mirror at your hair line. If you notice a thinning of your hair, to the left and right of the centre of your hair line, then there is a good chance that you will be experiencing the early stages of what is termed Androgenetic Alopecia or Male Pattern Baldness.

What’s happening with Male Pattern Baldness?

If you are suffering from male pattern baldness or Androgenetic Alopecia, what’s happening is this; some of the hair follicles in your scalp, and you have anywhere between 90,000 and 140,000 depending on your hair colour, are coming under attack from one of your hormones, namely Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. 

 

The DHT attaches itself to your hair follicles, forcing them to shrink over time. As the follicle shrinks, so does the single strand of hair that grows through it, gradually reducing in diameter until eventually, the strand is choked off completely and the follicle becomes too small for another hair to grow through.

The reason this condition is known as male pattern baldness is because in males, the condition follows a very distinct pattern which results in time, with hair disappearing to the left and right of centre at the hairline and later, from a patch or bald spot at the top of the head. 

 

As the hair line recedes, so the bald patch increases in size until eventually it meets the receding hairline. This leaves the sufferer with that characteristic “friar tuck” type hair style with hair remaining to the sides and back of the head, but missing from the front and top.

What can I do about it?

Do not waste time; this condition must be caught early. Contact The London Centre of Trichology, a hair loss clinic London who specialise in treating male pattern baldness. The London Centre of Trichology is pleased to offer a free hair loss consultation  to men who believe they might be suffering from male pattern baldness and other hair loss problems. Our hair loss treatments work by boosting blood and oxygen circulation to the scalp. They strengthen the hair follicles, block the hormone DHT from formulating in root follicles and cleanse the hair root.

At the London Centre of Trichology, our range of hair loss prevention treatments are tailored to suit each client’s specific needs. Treatments will stop further hair loss and follicle miniaturisation, and in some cases, result in hair re-growth. One of the principal benefits of our natural hair loss programme is that it doesn't cause any nasty side effects like some other hair loss products. Also if you stop the programme, then your hair won't instantly fall out as can be the case when using other treatments.

Reasons for Men’s Hair Loss and how they differ to the Reasons for Women’s Hair Loss

Whilst there are some similarities, between male hair loss and female hair loss, there are also clear and substantial differences in the reasons behind why men and women start to lose their hair. Read on to find out more.

If you are suffering from male hair loss  or female hair loss  , visit our central London hair loss clinic. We can effectively treat a wide range of hair loss problems with safe, natural treatments.

Reasons for Men’s Hair Loss

There are any number of reasons why men start to lose their hair and the root cause can only be established through a process of elimination. The most common reason by far though, is due to Male Pattern Baldness or to give it its proper medical name, Androgenetic Alopecia. This is a genetic problem, passed down from either parent to the male child. Genetic hair loss can also be passed down to a female child, though cases of this are fewer as both parents have to have the hair loss gene in order for a female to be affected.

Although there are other theories on the subject, it is widely accepted that Androgenetic Alopecia is caused by the body’s adverse reaction to a naturally produced and fundamentally important hormone known as DHT or Dihydrotestosterone. DHT is the male sex hormone, testosterone, which has been converted by the enzyme; 5-alpha reductase, to DHT. It attaches itself to any susceptible scalp hair follicles, typically those located to the front and top of the scalp, causing them to reduce in size. 

As the follicle shrinks, each hair grows back thinner than the previous one and for less time than normal, before falling out. Eventually the follicle becomes so small that there is only a thin tip of hair left which no longer grows out to the skin surface. At this stage the head will appear completely bald though it will still be possible to see fine, white hairs that resemble peach fuzz.

Male pattern baldness aside, there are a number of other reasons that could well be the cause of balding in men. A stressful lifestyle and poor diet, smoking and/or drinking to excess can all contribute to male hair loss. Other factors that can cause hairloss in men are medical treatments, such as those for cancer and hair loss can occur as a result of taking certain presribed medicine. All these factors could well play a role in the loss of hair in males.

Male hair loss needs to be treated as early as possible to reduce further thinning and encourage regrowth. Contact us today for a free hair loss consultation in central London. 

Reasons for Women’s hair loss

There are many more possible causes of women’s hair loss. There is of course female pattern baldness, as referred to above, but as mentioned this is less commonly the cause of hair loss in women. Female hair loss is primarily due to the fact that their delicate hormonal balance has, in one way or another been upset. This could be the result of pregnancy, termination, miscarriage, going through the menopause, or suffering from poly cystic ovaries which affect the hormonal balance. Additionally taking the contraceptive pill can affect the growth pattern of her hair.

Female hair loss can be caused by stress such as after a change in personal circumstances, work troubles, a trauma such as an accident, serious illness or bereavement. Other possible causes include treatments for medical conditions such as cancer, an adrenal tumour, or anaemia. 

Any one of these things could be the cause of hair loss in women and it is only by process of elimination, that the root case can be established. The good news is that if you are suffering from female hair loss, there is often a hair loss solution which will help to resolve the problem. Contact us today for a free hair loss consultation in central London.

The Damaging Effects of Female Hair Loss

Let us look at the emotional and physical traumas suffered by women when the spectre of hair loss rears its head. A woman sets great store by her physical appearance and particularly by the way her hair looks and will often spend some considerable time in a bathroom, making sure her ‘crowning glory’ looks as good as it possibly can. For many, this preening is part of a ritualistic process and the prelude to attracting a mate and so it has to be just right. When it starts to go wrong then, when it starts to fall out, the results can be catastrophic, ruinous to a woman’s self image and devastating to her self confidence.

A woman’s self esteem can take a battering while she is battling with hair loss. She may not wish to be seen out in public, she may feel that she has to hide herself away under hats or scarves and dark glasses if she wants to step outside and if she does venture out, she certainly won’t want to be stopped for a chat. Her confidence will be all but lost. If she does not seek help and none is forthcoming, she could quickly sink into depression with the feeling that there is nothing she can do and that she is destined to wear some form of headgear or hair replacement for the rest of her days.

This can lead to a complete loss of self worth and in some cases it has been cited as the reason for a marital breakup and even for attempted suicide.

But, painful as it may be, it is not the end of the world and can, in many, many cases be treated successfully, please read on...

Female Hair Loss Treatment London – click her for more information on our London hair loss clinic

Can female hair loss be prevented?

In the majority of cases of female hair loss, if the condition is caught early enough, further hair loss can be prevented with the treatments on offer from The London Centre of Trichology. The trick is to act quickly. The moment you spot signs of an unusual amount of hair loss, get in touch with us; your initial consultation is free of charge, so you have nothing to lose.

You will notice we referred above to “an unusual amount of hair loss”. This is because you will doubtless have already noticed the odd few hairs that have found their way into your sink or bathtub or been left behind in your hairbrush. The average person loses approximately 100 hairs a day, some slightly more, up to 140 hairs a day, some slightly less, around 80 hairs a day. This is not considered excessive and is in fact, quite normal.

Monitor the situation for a week or so and if you are still concerned, make a free appointment at our central London hair loss clinic. Remember, early treatment is the key to preventing further hair loss and encouraging regrowth in many cases. All hair loss treatment programmes are tailored to your specific needs and are completely natural and free from side effects.

Hair Loss Cures

There are lots of expensive “hair loss cures” on the market causing a range of different side effects and many people giving different and often conflicting advice. So, it’s reassuring to know, that there is somewhere you can go for good, honest, reliable advice and treatments which involve the use of entirely natural products which are completely side effect free. Call us on 0207 935 1 935 or visit our central London clinic in Blandford Street, London W1U 7HB, where we will conduct a completely free hair loss examination and diagnosis.

As a part of the examination and to give us the information necessary for an accurate diagnosis of your condition, we will use a high powered microscope known as a Proscope, to examine your scalp and to record pictures of it for future reference and comparison purposes. We will also ask a series of medical and lifestyle questions to see if there are any valid recommendations for change that we could make and we will advise you, on the day, whether we believe that our hair loss treatment programmes will help with your condition.

Female Hair Loss Treatment London – click her for more information on our London hair loss clinic

Hair Loss Prevention

The key to understanding hair loss and its prevention is understanding hair growth. If we first of all understand what types of hair loss there are and what causes hair loss to happen, we can then fully appreciate what it is that’s stopping the hair from growing or making it fall out and will be in a better position to rectify the situation.

First of all, let us say that not everyone is prone to hair loss. Some people are genetically predisposed to it, others are not. That said, the latest figures suggest that over 60% of western men and 40% of western women, will suffer from some form of hair loss throughout their lifetime, whether due to genetics or not, so it is a big problem which is only getting bigger.

Of the men and women who suffer from hair loss, the vast majority, 95% nearly, will suffer from something known as androgenetic alopecia. Given the same name in females as it is in males, and caused by the same thing, DHT, (more on that later) it manifests itself very differently in the sexes.

In males, androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness as its often called, begins with a recession of the hair at the temples and to the left and right of centre at the forehead. This is followed by the appearance of a bald patch at the top of the head, which expands over time to meet the receding hair line, ultimately resulting in near complete or complete baldness.

In females, the manifestation of this condition is entirely different. Female pattern baldness does, as the name suggests, follow a pattern but it is nothing like that formed in male pattern baldness. In female pattern baldness, a diffuse thinning of the hair is experienced all over the scalp, leading to a generally much thinner head of hair.

DHT is the medical abbreviation for DiHydroTestosterone, a naturally occuring compound deriving from Testosterone which, despite being the male sex hormone, is present in both men and women. DHT is important to both sexes from a procreative viewpoint, in that it is the dihydrotestosterone levels in the womb, that determine whether or not you develop into a male or a female. Beyond that it is what gives the male those typically male attributes later in life, the deeper voice, body and facial hair, oily skin and of course, the male sex drive.

Unfortunately, for the majority of western men and a good percentage of western women, our DHT levels come back to haunt us in later life; DHT attaches itself to the hair follicles causing them to constrict. This means that with each hair growth cycle, the hairs will become thinner and lose pigmentation, ultimately resembling peach fuzz.

Hair grows and falls out in a cycle and this hair growth cycle is split into 3 phases. The first phase is known as the Anagen or growth phase and can last up to 6 years, with hairs growing at up to 10 cms per year. The second phase is called the Catagen or transitional phase. This is a much shorter phase lasting just 2 weeks. During this time what happens is the hair follicle shrinks in length (not width importantly) and the dermal papilla breaks away to rest. The papilla is that part of the follicle responsible for the production of new hair. The old hair meantime will remain attached through the third part of the hair growth cycle with is known as Telogen or resting phase, until such time as a new hair is produced by the papilla, to push the old one out. Problems start when DHT attaches itself to the follicle causing it to reduce in width.

Maintaining a good state of general health and a good diet are key issues in the fight to prevent hair loss in men and women and the condition and strength of your hair are barometers of your diet and lifestyle but even the healthiest, most diet conscious people can suffer from hair loss and regrowth or hair restoration, is not a process that happens over night. It is likely that it will take up to 3 months for any significant improvement to occur, so be prepared to be patient and stick at it. Lots of people have reaped great rewards for their hair loss prevention efforts through perseverance and application of the correct treatment methods.

Hair Loss Prevention  – click her for more information on our London hair loss clinic

Male hair Loss Prevention

Our male hair loss prevention treatment can be very effective in reducing male hair loss and even stopping it altogether, but for the best possible results, you must arrange a consultation as soon as the first signs of thinning or receding manifest themselves, regardless of your age. Timely treatment will stop further hair loss and follicle miniaturisation, and in some cases you will notice hair re-growth.

The London Centre of Trichology offers a range of hair loss prevention treatments, each one tailored specifically to your own, individual requirements. After a free hair loss diagnosis at our London clinic, during which we will be able to ascertain whether or not our treatment methods will help you, we will use products to boost new growth, strengthen hair follicles and block the hormone DHT, which is the cause of male hair loss in the majority of cases. There are no side effects to any of the treatments we use.

Female Hair Loss Prevention

At the London Centre of Trichology we offer entirely natural and effective women’s hair loss treatments that are suitable for a wide range of female hair loss problems. We know how worrying hair loss can be for women; it affects your looks and can have a damaging effect on your self confidence. The good news is, women’s hair loss treatments can be extremely effective, and in many cases, hair re-growth and thickening will be seen as a result.

Women using our natural hair treatment programmes will not experience any discomfort or side effects. Depending on the cause of their hair loss, we usually recommend a treatment programme of a minimum of three months. As with male hair loss treatment, there are no side effects to our women's hair loss treatment programme either.

Other natural ways to help prevent hair loss

In addition to hair loss treatments carried out at our clinic, men and women can, and will be encouraged to, adopt lifestyle changes which will help to maximise the effectiveness of the treatment.

There are four ways in which you can help yourselves to recover control of your hair growth and they are some of the things we will be looking at during our initial consultation with you;

1. Reduce your stress levels – If you have a heavy work load or a stressful home life, find ways of redressing the balance. High levels of stress can destabilise hair growth, weaken the root and increase hair fall.

2.Improve your diet – a balanced diet will improve circulation and provide all the necessary nutrients such as vitamins B6-B12, iron and zinc for a healthy head of hair. Take a good quality multi-vitamin, on advisement, to supplement your diet.

3.Quit smoking and don’t take drugs. These should be obvious if you want to lead a healthy lifestyle.

4.Exercise regularly, particularly if you have a sedentary job. Exercise improves blood flow and circulation around the body, to the organs and to the scalp, assisting hair growth.

Hair Loss Prevention – click her for more information on our London hair loss clinic

Hair Loss Treatments – What Happens When You Come and Visit Our London Hair Loss Clinic?

The London Centre of Trichology is a London hair loss clinic offering a full range of hair loss consultancy, diagnosis and treatment plans to men and women.

When you visit our hair loss clinic, we will...

Make you feel comfortable and relaxed

Our hair loss clinic is easy to find, situated on Blandford Street, London W1. The nearest underground stations are Bond St tube and the tube at Marble Arch. Once here you will be greeted by our friendly receptionist and seated in comfortable surroundings. Offered coffee or tea and made to feel at home, you will then have the chance to speak to one of our experienced and professional trichologists who will answer any questions you may have.

Examine your hair and scalp

During your free consultation which is designed to establish the cause of your hair loss and whether hair loss treatment will be effective, we will examine your hair and scalp using a Proscope. This is a USB served, handheld digital microscope which captures still images, video and even time-lapse photography and transfers those images directly on to a computer screen. The Proscope can magnify an image up to 200 times making it much easier to see and diagnose a problem.

Ask you some questions

The questions we ask are targeted at discovering whether there is a history of baldness in your family, the state of your general health, whether you are taking or have taken any prescribed medication recently, what your diet consists of, how you look after your hair, what your hair care regime is like, what hair care products you use and what your lifestyle is like, all things that can and often do have a bearing on the health of a person’s hair.

Tell you if we can help you

The information gleaned from the Proscope examination and from the question and answer session will be enough to tell our tricholgists whether or not our treatments will be effective for you and we will advise you honestly. If our treatments are not going to be successful in your particular case, we will tell you.

Explain the range of treatments that are on offer

During your visit we will explain the range of hair loss treatments that we provide from our London hair loss clinic. The hair care treatments on offer at The London Centre of Trichology are all entirely natural. That is to say, there are no chemicals or additives likely to cause an allergic reaction of any kind.

When you visit our hair loss clinic, we won't...

Hurt you

All our treatments and examinations are completely natural, safe and pain free.

Charge you any money if we can't help you

Your initial consultation is free or charge. It is an exploratory session in which we establish whether or not our hair loss treatment processes are going to be beneficial to you. We will only recommend further treatment if we believe you will benefit from it.

Recommend any treatments that have nasty side effects

All of our hair loss treatment products are completely natural and do not produce any nasty side effects

Contact your doctor

Our work does not involve your GP and so there is no need for us to contact your surgery. If however, it is found that a course of medication you have been prescribed is resulting in your hair loss we will recommend that you consult your GP with a view to obtaining a different prescription.

About Us

The London Centre of Trichology has been at the forefront of research and development in finding natural solutions to hair loss and scalp problems. Leaders in this field since 1956, we know all there is to know about hair loss, alopecia and male and female pattern baldness. We have helped thousands of men and women regain both their hair and their self confidence.

If you are suffering from male hair loss, male pattern baldness or Alopecia, female hair loss, female pattern baldness, the sooner the problem is diagnosed and addressed, the better. Please call us on 020 7935 1935 to arrange to visit our London Hair Loss Clinic

Male Hair Loss Treatment – What Are The Options?

Male hair loss affects more than half of the male population and can mostly be attributed to a phenomenon known as male pattern balding. However, with an early diagnosis and the correct treatment, there is lots that can be done to prevent further hair loss and even to encourage hair regrowth.

Hair Loss Treatment – Diagnosis is Key

In order to effectively treat male hair loss, the first step is to correctly diagnose the cause. At The London Centre of Trichology, a hair loss clinic in central London, the resident trichologists do this free of charge, for any man or woman suffering from hair loss.

During a diagnostic session your scalp will be looked at closely using an instrument called a Proscope.  This works rather like a magnifying glass which is hooked up to a computer monitor, allowing the trichologist to see really close up, detailed pictures on the monitor. These images are then saved for comparison later on, when you return for a check up.

During your free hair and scalp consultation you will be asked a series of general health questions about any medications you may be on, your diet, your lifestyle and whether or not there is any family history of hair loss or baldness. You will also be asked about your hair care regime, the sorts of shampoos and conditioners you use, whether you use a hairdryer, brushes, combs etc.

With trichology which is the study of the structure and functions of the hair and scalp and the treatment of any hair or scalp diseases, there is no need to contact your GP. In fact you will only be recommended to do so, if it is thought that the cause of your hair loss is attributable to any pre-existing medical condition or to a side effect of any medications you are taking.

Once a diagnosis has been reached and if it is thought that hair loss treatment may help, a hair restoration treatment plan will be devised.

Hair Restoration Treatments

Whilst at present, no hair loss treatment can guarantee hair regrowth and most work solely on the basis of trying to prevent further hair loss, in many cases hair regrowth does occur. This may well be due to the fact that our natural hair treatments are aimed at specifics like stimulating the blood flow to the scalp, blocking the hormone DHT from forming in the root follicles, strengthening the hair follicles and cleansing the hair root.

Here at the London Centre of Trichology we only use entirely natural hair loss prevention treatments and each treatment is specifically tailored to the needs of the client. This is important because it means we can guarantee that there will be no side effects to our treatments whatsoever. Hair loss will not only be prevented but your may actually start to re-grow and it won’t start to fall out again when treatment stops, in difference to some chemical based hair loss treatments.

What other options are there?

Hair restoration surgery, scalp flap surgery, hair transplants and hair weaving are options available to men who have not responded well to other forms of treatment. Many men utilise these with successful results. Others choose to go bald gracefully, accepting it as a natural part of the ageing process.

How London Centre of Trichology can help

The London Centre of Trichology can help by quickly ascertaining the cause of your balding, determining whether or not our treatments might be successful and if so, recommending a course of treatment to suit your specific condition.

Male Hair Loss Treatment - contact us today for a free, no obligation, consultation at our clinic in London’s West End.