Male Hair Loss
Androgenic Alopecia – Male Pattern Hair Loss
This is the commonest form of hair loss and is to a greater extent hereditary. Androgenic alopecia is partially due to the effects of testosterone on hair follicles. Testosterone (male sex hormone) is converted to dihydrotestosterone by the enzyme five alpha reductase. There are two types of this enzyme of which the second type is present in hair roots of the scalp. Those who do not have this enzyme do not, on the whole, suffer from androgenic alopecia.
How is Male Pattern Hair Loss graded?
The Hamilton – Norwood classification is the gold standard classification system for male pattern hair loss due to androgenic alopecia. Characteristically there is shrinking of hairs with hair loss generally starting at the front of the hair line extending towards the top of the scalp and backwards.
A hair transplant is not always the best solution!
Many suffering with hair loss believe that a hair transplant is the ultimate solution for their problem. Indeed aggressive advertising and cost cutting by clinics predominantly based in Turkey has meant that a hair transplant is potentially affordable for many more now. However, it is very important to understand that opting for a cheap hair transplant abroad by no means guarantees the best possible result. Indeed if a hair transplant goes wrong and the implantation pattern is substandard results can not be reversed. A hair transplant is the last resort. The most number of hairs that can be transplanted in one sitting is around 3000. These hairs are strategically implanted into a region that, in its prime, had between 30000 to 40000 hairs. Hair transplantation is no more than a treatment of last resort where there are no other options left.
In contrast early treatment with plasma therapy and new biocellular techniques on offer at Rejuvence can potentially mean you can save what hair you have and have hair regrowth much greater than any hair transplant can achieve. So before you jump to a hair transplant consider plasma therapy and biocellular hair treatments at Rejuvence Clinic.
©Individual results may vary.
Rejuvence Philosophy
Supplementation of microneedling and plasma therapy with Hair Facts Vitamin Supplements can provide great hope for those suffering with androgenic alopecia also known as male pattern hair loss. At Rejuvence Clinic we strongly believe in the potential of plasma therapy for the treatment of hair loss. Early treatment with plasma is likely to significantly delay the establishment of androgenic alopecia and can lay a great foundation for any future hair transplantation. Biocellular hair restoration at Rejuvence Clinic using nanofat from your own fat is a unique treatment option that can even surpass plasma therapy and give you even better results. For further details please contact us to book a consultation.
Foams and shampoos containing 5% minoxidil, such as “RegainTM”, have been shown to reduce hair loss and encourage hair regrowth. Minoxidil was discovered during clinical trials for high blood pressure. Minoxidil promotes hair regrowth by reversing miniaturization of hair follicles, increasing blood flow around follicles, stimulating follicular movement from resting to the growth phase and extending each follicle’s growth phase. Appreciable improvement in hair density can be expected at 9 to 12 months. However, stopping the product often results in new regrowth hairs falling out. Once you are on minoxidil it can be very difficult to stop it!
Shampoos containing caffeine have been shown in recent studies to improve hair regrowth. Caffeine has been shown to block the effects of five alpha reductase and hence prevent the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. This helps to reduce hair loss and assist hair regrowth. Caffeine’s ability to increase blood supply to the scalp is also beneficial for hair follicles.
Numerous practitioners have claimed spectacular results with injections of cocktails containing vitamins and plant extracts. Limited scientific evidence exists for their effectiveness. In fact what has been published in scientific journals sites nasty allergic reactions that have resulted in scarring and left patients with permanent hair loss. Be wary of spectacular claims from clinics offering mesotherapy for hair loss.
Thousands of vitamin supplements are available but do they really work. Male pattern hair loss has a very significant genetic cause. However, stress, underactive thyroid, low vitamin D levels and low iron levels can all make it much less. Hence it makes sense to replace these with supplements.
At Rejuvence Clinic we offer Hair Facts. This is a unique hair supplement that is only available at Rejuvence. It is different to other supplements in that it is a cyclical vitamin therapy that pairs supplements together on different days to ensure that all vitamins and supplements are absorbed efficiently as opposed to other supplements that just bundle lots of ingredients together. The results of Hair Facts are there to be seen and it has proven to be extremely popular. Indeed many users of Hair Facts worldwide have found that this supplement has meant they are able to stop using minoxidil and finasteride and may not need any further treatment, especially where the cause of their hair loss is more medical than hereditary. For further details please look at our page on Hair Facts. To book a consultation please contact our clinic.
At Rejuvence we offer intravenous vitamin drips tailored to specific needs. Our Hair Boost Drip consists of a combination of vitamins and biotin and can help improve the quality of your existing hair as well as improve hair loss.
Finasteride has also been used in the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Finasteride blocks the action of five alpha reductase and hence reduces the amount of dihydrotestosterone. As a result hair loss is reduced. There were initially fears that finasteride may increase the risk of prostate cancer but these fears have been shown to be incorrect. Despite finasteride being more effective than minoxidil and caffeine in treating hair loss it can be associated with significant side effects. A significant proportion of men have complained of reduced sex drive and weaker erections, both of which seriously compromise their sex life. More recently, a weak association has been found between long term finasteride use and mental health problems such as depression and even psychosis. Despite all of this, finasteride is the medication of choice for those ultimately considering a hair transplant.
Microneedling and plasma therapy is fast emerging as an effective treatment for androgenic alopecia especially suited to the treatment of female pattern hair loss. Studies published to date have included both males and females suffering with hair loss and demonstrated significant gains of almost 20 to 25% in hair thickness and hair density following an average of three treatment sessions over three months. Plasma treatments are very well tolerated in women and do not involve a lengthy surgical procedure. The treatment can also be targeted to specific bare areas of the scalp leaving thick healthy hairs untouched.
Beware! Not all plasma treatment is the same!
Numerous clinics in the UK and abroad provide plasma treatments for hair loss. In Turkey many clinics offer sessions at unbelievable prices. However, it is important to understand that you get what you pay for. Plasma therapy for hair loss has been found to be effective only when the concentration more than 4 to 5 times normal baseline. More or less than this renders the plasma ineffective. The vast majority of clinics offering plasma therapy in the UK use test tube based systems. It is well documented that these systems can only achieve concentrations of up to 3 times baseline. Often it is much less than this. At Rejuvence we are among the few clinics in the UK that use the Magellan™ system. Magellan™ results in high quality appropriately concentrated plasma that can really deliver excellent results. For genuine plasma treatment contact us and book a consultation.
At Rejuvence we go a step further than the rest! We are one of the first few clinics in the UK that offer fat cell based biocellular hair loss treatments. Treatment of hair loss with nanofat goes a step further than plasma therapy alone. Recent advances in minimally invasive liposuction have shown that by filtering (micronizing) your own fat, it is possible to tap into a rich source of progenitor cells and growth factors. The difference between plasma therapy and nanofat treatments is that plasma is used as a chemical messenger to attract cells and growth factors to the region of interest. With biocellular treatments, nanofat is directly injected into the region of interest. This is clearly going to yield better results and many hair transplant surgeons in the US and around the world have started incorporating micronized fat into their transplant regimes with very promising results. At Rejuvence Clinic we combine Magellan™ with micronized fat to give you a biorestorative hair loss treatment that can give you the best results possible for hair loss. For further details please look at our page on Biocellular Hair Restoration. Please contact us for a consultation.
