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
