Hair Loss Treatment

 

LONDON

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Hair loss is a very common reason for consultation at our clinic. It is a symptom that affects both men and women during certain seasons of the year. Baldness or alopecia is the abnormal absence of hair. Our trichology unit identifies the causes of the loss of hair and then recommends the most appropriate treatment to restore hair density.

What is alopecia?

Alopecia -popularly known as baldness- is the temporary or permanent loss of hair. This symptom can be due to multiple factors: heredity, hormonal changes, medical pathologies or the natural ageing process itself. It is also a condition that affects mostly men.

Some people prefer to let alopecia run its course. However, nowadays there are multiple procedures to eradicate hair loss and guarantee the maintenance of existing hair in the future. Before starting treatment, it is essential to arrange a visit with a trichologist who is an expert in alopecia to assess the particular type of alopecia.

Types of alopecia or hair loss

We distinguish between two types of alopecia:

Scarring alopecia

Those in which the hair follicle is destroyed.

In this type of alopecia, whether due to an immunological or allergic mechanism or another type of unknown cause, the follicle or hair root is destroyed. It is characterised by the appearance of whitish areas of the scalp, where there is no hair, either in the frontal area -frontal fibrosing alopecia -, in a scattered form – flattened hairline- or with a lot of inflammation -decalvans folliculitis -.

Patients suffering from scarring alopecia are often very concerned about the evolution of their alopecia. In general, a process such as frontal fibrosing alopecia can last between 5 and 10 years. Lichen planus pilaris can last five years. Folliculitis decalvans can last about eight years. These types of processes are chronic in nature and require long-term treatment.

Non-scarring alopecia

The hair follicle remains, but it is dormant and no hair grows.

We distinguish between four types of non-scarring alopecia:

It is the loss of hair that occurs with recession of the frontal line of the scalp, the appearance of receding hairline, crown and the eventual loss of hair on the top of the head. It is caused exclusively by the effect of a hormone, dihydrotestosterone, on the receptors it has in the stem cells of the hair follicle. This interaction between the hormone and the receptor causes the follicles to become smaller and smaller. This phenomenon is known as miniaturisation.

Patients suffering from alopecia areata develop very distinct, circular bald patches on the scalp. This alopecia occurs over periods of 2 to 3 years and each plaque can last between 6 and 12 months.

Alopecia areata is an immune disorder where our body reacts allergically to the hair follicles. Our immune system starts to attack the hair follicles, but not in the central area of the follicle where the stem cells live, but at the base or root where the vascular and nutrient supply is produced. Unlike other kinds of alopecia, the stem cells remain intact and, although they enter a resting phase, they can grow again in the future.

Telogen – or telogen effluvium – is a generalised reduction in the density of hair on the scalp. This occurs when the hair, due to circumstances that are not well understood, spends more time in the resting phase than in the growth phase (telogen phase). Hair loss within 4 months after childbirth is a classic example of felogenic effluvium.

In the trichoscopic study, patients show a generalised reduction in hair density in all areas of the scalp, but no change in hair thickness. Blood tests may also be carried out, but in general these never show any alterations.

The hair growth phase is called anagen. When this phase is short due to certain circumstances – illness, after pregnancy or certain alterations – massive hair loss occurs because many hairs pass from the growth phase (anagen) to the resting phase (telogen).

With the trigoscopic study we observe a normal hair density. However, what most characterises this hair loss is that the traction sign – stretching of a strand of hair with the fingers of the hand – is positive.

Causes of alopecia

The most determining factors in hair loss are:

Family history

This is the most common factor in hair loss. This hereditary disorder occurs during the natural ageing process and is called androgenetic alopecia. The hair loss progresses progressively and in predictable patterns.

Medication

Hair loss is closely related to the intake of certain medications that treat diseases such as arthritis, cancer or even heart problems. Our medical staff reviews the patient’s medication regularly to modify it based on the progress of treatment.

Hormonal changes

Processes such as pregnancy, menopause and some symptoms related to hyperthyroidism can cause temporary hair loss. In the latter case, the doctor will carry out a thyroid test to rule out this.

Stress

If the patient has been under stress or anxiety, it is likely that the hair thickness will decrease. However, this type of hair loss is temporary and should not cause too much concern, although it should be monitored.

Hair treatment before and after

The result of our combined programme achieves truly satisfactory results as shown. In addition to the different techniques, our hair expert staff will carry out an exhaustive follow-up of the treatment to modify the doses or the programme itself if necessary. The patient can guarantee that he or she will have more hair than in the initial phase. Make an appointment now with one of our trichologists and ask any questions you may have. We will be happy to help you at the De Felipe Dermatology clinic.

Price of our hair treatments

Here you can check the price of the different hair procedures:

One-off payment

£1200

Save £300 by paying for all your sessions in one instalment.

Includes:

  • Follow up consultation
  • Phototrichoscopic study
  • 6x Hair infiltrations
  • 6x Low power laser 635 nm
  • 6x Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Pay in 3 instalments

£500

We offer you the possibility of paying in three installments.

Includes:

  • Follow up consultation
  • Phototrichoscopic study
  • 6x Hair infiltrations
  • 6x Low power laser 635 nm
  • 6x Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Single session fee

Price according to session

If you do not prefer to select a pack of treatments, you can book individual sessions.

Includes:

  • Follow up consultation

£150

  • Phototrichoscopic study

£50

  • Capillary infiltration

£100

  • Low power laser 635 nm

£50

  • Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

£250

Frequently asked questions about hair loss

The most frequently asked questions about alopecia treatment are:

No. All of our procedures are very minimally invasive, and the patient will only experience slight discomfort. In addition, we accompany the process with a vibratory system to easy pain.

DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is a derivative of testosterone and is the main cause of hair loss in men. This hormone intervenes to cut off the hair growth phase. As a result, the new hairs do not reach the size and thickness of their predecessors.

Yes, hair falls out and is renewed on a daily basis. However, we go through periods when we lose only 50 or 60 hairs a day and others when we lose between 150 and 200 a day. These periods often match with the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.

Yes, but in moderation. Fixatives clog the pore, harden the hair shaft and hinder hair growth.

Yes, they are garments that only protect us from external agents such as the sun or the wind. We can use them whenever we want.