A friend of mine way back in college pulled back his hair to shock us with how far his hair had receded over his temples. For some people, male pattern baldness (Androgenic Alopecia) starts early.

It's an inherited condition, determined by a complex mixture of genes from both sides of the family. Nowadays, however, there is a hair loss solution .. a 'cure' for most people.

Hair grows from hair follicles set deep into our skin, so deep that they remain in place as old skin sloughs off. They go through a cycle that starts with hair growth (anagen phase), ends in a rest phase (telogen) and has the cessation period between them (catagen). The cycle then restarts with hair growth.

It's the length of this cycle that determines how long your hair grows. It's different in various parts of your body and is set genetically. So on your scalp the growth phase can last 2-6 years. So, if you have a 6 year growth phase and hair grows at 1cm every 28 days, your hair might reach its longest at about 72cm before falling out naturally, meaning you couldn't grow hair longer than that. To illustrate the point, the growth phase in your eyebrows is just a few months.

About 100 hairs fall from the normal head every day, coming from follicles that are at rest. During the cessation stage the follicle grows the white club around the base of the hair that you can often see on a lost hair.

What causes male pattern baldness is your follicles' sensitivity to a derivative of the male sex hormone testosterone, and that susceptability is genetically determined. The derivative is called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Testosterone levels are higher as a young adult which is why the process of male pattern baldness can start early.

For follicles that are susceptable, each time they return to the growth phase they have become less effective. That results in gradually thinner hair until finally they cease production altogether. When all, or a majority of follicles reach that stage, baldness is the result.

The hair loss solution? Act early. It's much easier to stop the hair loss process than to reverse it.

The Belgravia hair loss solution is a full assault on all aspects of hair loss using proven treatments, combined with regular monitoring of progress.

The main strategies are

1. lock DHT's effect on the hair follicles, and
2. increase blood flow to the scalp.

The centre contains a pharmacy able to prescribe prescription, FDA-approved, drugs. The FDA is the American authority that approves drugs for use based on their efficacy and safety.

Propecia (Finasteride) is the real breakthrough drug. Approved just over ten years ago, it blocks the effect of DHT on hair follicles. Simply put, for many, it's a cure for male pattern baldness. Of course, the real world isn't that simple. Having treated thousands of men with male pattern baldness, The Belgravia Centre's approach is to use everything that's proven to work in a combination of drugs and treatments that combine together to mitigate the symptoms. To that end, the other FDA approved drug, Minoxidil, is also often prescribed. Minoxidil stimulates circulation to bring nutrients to the hair follicles. Healthy hair follicles mean healthy hair.

One of the benefits of having their own pharmacy is Belgravia can add additional DHT inhibitors to the mix, two common ones are medroxyprogesterone (MPG) and azelaic acid.

FDA approved drug treatment is only one part of the strategy. For most clients, the centre offers a free laser comb (an FDA cleared device that stimulates hair growth).

In addition, for those who visit the clinic, there are therapies such as steam scalp treatment, light therapies and massage, all of which stimulate activity in the scalp. Also offered are herbal supplements and Belgravia's specially formulated shampoos and conditioners. Trichologist recommended shampoos are important because the balding process is often accompanied by increased sebum production, inflammation, and irritation that can limit the effectiveness of any hair loss treatment.

Any use of prescription drugs should be accompanied by regular monitoring. For hair loss treatment this provides the opportunity to take scalp photographs to assess progress. Clients are encouraged to contact the centre by phone (during opening hours) or the Internet if they have any questions in the meantime.

Male pattern baldness is common and starts early, but the relatively recent launch of Propecia in combination with other approved and scientific treatments now means a real hair loss solution is available.

This is typical of comments we get from our customers:

”I have more hair now than I had 5 years ago…”

“The last year has been an amazing journey. I have more hair now than I had 5 years ago and it feels great. Even people I have regular interaction with have started to notice the dramatic improvement. Thanks to the Belgravia Centre - you are the best!”

Riaan Du Plessis