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Hair transplant expert Dr Richard Rogers, of London's Westminster clinic, says…

 HAIR                                                        

‘John has a classic case of male pattern balding. He has lost hair from both the front and the crown, which means that if it wasn’t for the four hair transplants he’s confessed to he would have a horse-shoe shape of hair growth remaining.

Hair and tear: John Cleese has classic male pattern balding

‘The process of transplanting hair involves taking hair from the back and sides of the head and inserting it to the crown and frontal regions.

‘You literally remove the hair bulbs using a scapel – as you do in gardening – and then implant them where you want hair to grow.

‘First you remove a thin strip of skin before laboriously, and under magnification, teasing out the individual hair bulbs then replanting them in the desired place.

‘The procedure takes between four and six hours under local anaesthetic and costs £4,000 per transplant.

‘The hair takes three months to grow in the new area and most people have to return three or four times before they are happy with the results.

‘The effects are permanent and some complain of soreness after treatment.’

HOW TO IMPROVE: ‘There is a limit to how many hair transplants you can have before it becomes ineffective. If he wanted to improve his look, he could use a hair thickener such as Nanothick or Nanogen Fibres, which would add volume and shine.

‘He could also try dying it a darker colour, as grey hairs can make hair look thinner.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1135417/Basil-Faulty-As-John-Cleese-admits-running-repairs-DO-women-think-men-trying-turn-time.html

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Does LaserComb stop hair loss? The evidence is thin

Popular hand-held laser device LaserComb might revive follicles for some men. Maybe.

Americans spend billions on hair-care products each year, a remarkable investment for a part of the body with no real function. We clean it, nourish it and style it — and we definitely mourn its loss.

Lots of products and procedures promise to restore thinning or disappearing hair. One especially intriguing option is the HairMax LaserComb, a hand-held laser device that supposedly revives hair follicles. Hailed on TV news programs as a potential “cure for baldness,” the device received FDA clearance for men in 2007. Unlike drugs, most medical devices can be approved without rigorous testing. A company must merely persuade the Food and Drug Administration that the new device is “substantially equivalent” to other products already on the market. In this case, the makers of the LaserComb told the agency that their product was roughly as safe and effective as a wide range of other laser devices, including a gadget intended to kill lice. They also claimed to be in the same league as the Evans Vacuum Cap, an early 20th century hair-growth contraption that’s pretty much what it sounds like.

The LaserComb is sold online and through the SkyMall catalog for about $500.

Users are instructed to slowly move the comb back and forth through their remaining hair for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, three days a week.

The claims

According to the HairMax website, “90% of HairMax users notice positive benefits starting in as little as 8 weeks. These results include: increased hair growth, cessation of hair loss, faster growing hair, more manageability and more vibrant color.”

David Michaels, the managing director of Lexington International, the company behind the LaserComb, says it works by “transferring light energy to cellular energy” in the follicles. The device can’t restore hair to a bald spot, he says, but it can make any remaining hair grow “faster, thicker, heavier and stronger.”

The bottom line

Lasers can undoubtedly encourage hair growth, says Dr. Marc Avram, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

In fact, a small percentage of people who undergo laser hair removal end up with more hair than they had to start with. As Avram and colleagues noted in a 2007 issue of the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, many hair-loss centers offer treatment with low-level laser devices, and some patients really do seem to benefit. Nobody knows why hair responds to lasers, he explains, although it’s possible that the beams somehow encourage blood flow to the follicles.

Still, according to Avram, there’s no good evidence that the LaserComb works any better than more-established treatments such as the prescription medications Rogaine or Propecia. For his patients who are unwilling or unable to use the medications, he says that the device could be worth a try. The LaserComb is safe, he says, and it just might help. “But I set low expectations for it.”

Avram recently tested the HairMax LaserComb on a handful of patients in his office over six months. (Contrary to claims made for the LaserComb, Avram says, it takes at least six months to see real results from any hair-loss treatment.)

“In 20% of the subjects, it seemed to maybe have an effect” on the appearance of hair, Avram says. The study hasn’t been published yet, and it didn’t include a control group for the sake of comparison. Avram readily admits his study “isn’t definitive,” but he hopes it might encourage more research in the future.

By contrast, Rogaine and Propecia have already been tested in multiple high-quality studies and have been shown to stop hair loss in 80% to 90% of patients, Avram says.

Uncertainty aside, the LaserComb has clearly captured the public’s imagination. Patients ask about it “all the time,” says Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, a dermatologist with the Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center and a member of the North American Hair Research Society. Mirmirani says the device could potentially stimulate hair growth. “But I don’t have any evidence. If patients want to spend $500 on this device, it’s their choice. But I wouldn’t recommend it. They should save it for something that we know actually works.”

Last May, the FDA issued a warning letter against Lexington International for illegally marketing the device to women when it had been officially cleared only for men. The HairMax website now says that the device is intended for men only, but recorded messages for callers on hold to customer service still say that it “works equally well on both men and women” and that “anyone of any age, male or female, can benefit.”

Michaels says the company has asked the FDA for approval to market the device to women and expects a decision soon.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

FDA APPROVES FINASTERIDE TO TREAT MALE PATTERN HAIR LOSS IN MEN

FDA has approved Propecia for hair loss, making it the first such treatment for men in pill form. The following can be used to answer questions:

The active ingredient in Propecia is finasteride. Finasteride was approved initially in 1992 as Proscar, a treatment for prostate enlargement. There is 1 mg of finasteride in Propecia and 5 mg in Proscar. It was observed that some patients being treated for prostate enlargement had some regrowth of hair in areas of male pattern hair loss.

The sponsor studied 1 mg of finasteride and demonstrated hair growth in male pattern hair loss. The number of hairs increased in the anterior midscalp and vertex. Patient self-assessment of hair growth was also superior to placebo. Side effects were infrequent and were related to sexual function.

The drug will not be marketed for women because it causes birth defects, and the safety and efficacy have not been established in women.

Recently, FDA’s Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee discussed Propecia. The committee offered labeling suggestions in the context of an overall generally favorable discussion. Merck & Co. of West Point, Pa.,manufactures both Proscar and Propecia.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00842.html

FDA Talk Papers are prepared by the Press Office to guide FDA personnel in responding with consistency and accuracy to questions from the public on subjects of current interest. Talk Papers are subject to change as more information becomes available.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

How PROPECIA Works

Reduces DHT^a, a key cause of hair loss

PROPECIA significantly reduces DHT, a key cause of hair loss, by inhibiting the formation of DHT in your scalp.

Lowering DHT appears to inhibit the further shrinking of affected hair follicles.

DHT is a substance in the body that can shrink the hair follicle until it no longer produces visible hair. Scientists believe DHT and family history are key factors in hair loss. Learn more about the causes of male pattern hair loss.

^aDHT=dihydrotesterone.

PROPECIA blocks the formation of DHT and, in this way, appears to interrupt the development of male pattern hair loss.

PROPECIA helps reduce further hair loss and regrow visible hair.

PROPECIA is the first and only FDA-approved pill proven to treat male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior mid-scalp area (middle front of head) in men.

Know the facts. PROPECIA is available by prescription only, so the best thing to do is talk with your doctor.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

HELP! I'm Losing My Hair. What Can I Do?

The first thing to do is not to panic, as there are many reasons for hair loss and not all are permanent. In fact the vast majority are temporary and some do not even require any treatment whatsoever.

So how do I know if I have a real problem?

How bad is it going to get?

What do I do?

Who do I see?

STOP NOW!

Before you make the situation worse by adding stress and anxiety to your list.

Simply pick up the phone and call 0207 976 6868 and speak to one of our experts: a Westminster Trichologists .

A Westminster Trichologist will be able to advise you over the phone and calm your worst fears.

So why not call 0207 976 6868 and speak to one of our Westminster Trichologists today. They will be more than happy to help and advise you.

Should you need to take it further and see one of our Westminster Trichologists just remember your first 1 hour initial consultation and assessment is absolutely free and without obligation.

So why not take advantage of our expertise and get the facts so that you can make an informed decision on what is best for the future of your hair today.

Take control of your hair loss today so that it does not control the rest of your life.

However, not all cases are treatable. But with early diagnosis and treatment you will give yourself and us the best possible chance to help you.

REMEMBER: It is vital that your choice is correct in the first instance as a year wasted at the wrong CENTRE/CLINIC or on the wrong TREATMENTS can be the difference between success and failure and a regret that is with you for life.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help