Hair Loss

Misinformation can prevent you from treating hair loss effectively, so let’s establish the facts surrounding the condition.

Hair loss is a common condition. In fact, it’s a natural part of life, as both men and women lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, and 80% of this is due to washing or brushing the hair. However, for some people hair loss can occur at a highly increased rate. This can cause both distress and a lack of confidence.

You should know that you do not suffer alone. Around 40% of men will experience significant hair loss by the age of 35, and around half of women over 65 experience balding. But despite how common the condition is, there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding hair loss.

To combat that, we are going to take 5 common statements regarding hair loss and put them under the microscope.

“You will definitely lose your hair if your parents did”

It is generally considered factual that if hair loss is common in your family, you will be more likely to deal with it at some point in your life. This is true, but it is not the only factor which plays a part in the balding process.

There is no single ‘hair loss gene’ which is passed down through family members. Hair loss is a polygenetic condition, which means it is determined by an assortment of genes from your immediate and extended family. Therefore, your father losing his hair does not guarantee that you will lose yours.

“Hair thinning only occurs with age”

Many people believe that you only start to lose your hair after a certain age, but the harsh reality is that you’re never too young to start losing your hair. The age at which your hair loss begins is largely due to genetics, though the condition does become more common as you get older.

However, the good news is that the reverse is also true: hair loss in old age isn’t a guarantee, and you could end up keeping a full head of hair well into old age.

“Only men can suffer genetic hair loss”

While it is true that hair loss is much more common in men (as 80% of men will experience male pattern baldness by the age of 80), this doesn’t mean that it is impossible for women to suffer with hair loss. On the contrary, up to 40% of women have visible hair loss by the age of 40. However, women are also much more likely to seek medical advice regarding their hair loss (53% compared to 26% of men).

“Wearing a hat will encourage baldness”

Some people blame hat wearing for their hair loss, claiming that a hat stops their scalp from ‘breathing’. However, your hair follicles actually receive their oxygen supply from the blood stream, so blocking off outside air will not make any difference to your chances of experiencing hair loss. Dirty hats however can lead to scalp infections, which may accelerate hair loss.

“Shampooing your hair frequently will make it fall out”

As we mentioned earlier, we lose around 50-100 hairs a day, and many of these are due to washing. However, washing your hair less is not the key to beating hair loss. This level of hair loss is perfectly normal, and the average adult will grow more hairs than they lose. By delaying your shampooing session, you’re only delaying the loss of these hairs until your next wash.

You may think that hair loss is an inevitable condition, but there is effective treatment available. Finasteride and Propecia are both available from Express Pharmacy. Get in touch today by calling 0208 123 07 03 or using our discreet online Live Chat service.

British men are the most likely in Europe to become anxious about balding, but the least likely to do anything about it. In fact, 60% of hair loss sufferers say they would rather have more hair than money or friends.

For many men, hair loss can affect their confidence and their overall happiness. It can leave you feeling powerless and unable to do anything about it. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. There are certain measures and treatments you can take to reduce your symptoms and even encourage regrowth.

Explore prescription medications

75% of men believe their hair loss cannot be prevented, and 87% do not know that there are scientifically proven and medically approved hair loss treatments. Once the discovery is made, it can really add a sense of hope to men struggling with male pattern baldness.

Finasteride is a clinically proven hair loss medication. It works by inhibiting the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes the hair follicles to shrink and fall out. This allows Finasteride to not only slow the loss of hair, but to actually encourage regrowth too.

Try a laser comb

Aside from medication like Finasteride, the only hair loss treatment to receive FDA approval is the laser comb. Although the exact way the comb works has not yet been fully understood, it is believed that it uses low power lasers to create an antioxidant effect on hair follicles. In one study of over one hundred men, 26 weeks of using the laser comb three times a week resulted in significant hair growth and strength in participants.

Switch your shampoo

The main culprit of hair loss is DHT, so you may see some positive results by switching to an anti-DHT shampoo. These are becoming more and more common, so it shouldn’t be difficult to track down. Seek out products which contain 1-2% ketoconazole — a drug which blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT in a similar way to Finasteride.

Change your hair products

There is some evidence relating hair products with hair loss, though this link hasn’t been proven causal so take it with a pinch of salt. However, using hair care products such as tough gels with lots of chemicals can make the products difficult to remove completely from the scalp. This may lead to the products becoming trapped in the follicles, making it more difficult for hair to come through to the surface. Try swapping out your hair products for more natural alternatives.

Try to avoid overly hot showers

Although there is no evidence to directly link hot showers with hair loss, it is true that overly hot showers can strip the scalp of its essential oils, causing dryness, flakiness and irritation. Some experts believe that this irritation can cause the hair follicles to shrink, leading to thinning hair.

Try a scalp massage

One Japanese study by researchers Koyama et al found that a scalp massage has the potential to improve blood circulation to the follicles, and in turn increase hair density. Massages are also an effective way of reducing stress levels, which is another factor relating to hair loss.

Have a transplant

Hair transplants are one of the more extreme hair loss treatment options, but may be the right course of action if your hair loss is significant and you want fast results. Men are more likely than women to look into hair restoration surgery (20% vs. 12%), but be sure to research around the subject fully so you know exactly what to expect.

Safe and effective medication for hair loss, such as Finasteride and Propecia, is available from Express Pharmacy. Get in touch today for further information by calling 0208 123 07 03 or by using our discreet online live chat service.

With around 40% of men experiencing hair loss before the age of 35, here are the warning signs you need to look out for

Men are highly unlikely to go through their whole lives without experiencing some level of hair loss. By the age of 60, around 65% of men will have noticeable hair loss, and this number jumps to 80% by the age of 80.

But despite male pattern baldness being an extremely common condition, many men are still self conscious about it. Thankfully, there are effective treatments available (more on that below) but spotting the signs early will give you a greater chance of delaying, preventing and even reversing hair loss with the right treatment in place. With that in mind, here are 7 early warning signs of male pattern baldness to look out for.

You can see the difference in photos

When changes happen over the course of months or years, it can be difficult to see them. Comparing your current hair thickness to old photographs will give you a clearer idea of whether hair loss is becoming an issue.

You wake up to hairs on your pillow

A small amount of hair shedding is perfectly normal, but if your pillow is particularly hairy first thing in the morning it can be a sign that male pattern baldness is underway. The same is also true of finding hairs on your shirt shoulders, or on your desk at work.

You notice a change in your hairline

Male pattern baldness usually starts at the hairline, so this is likely to be where the first signs occur. You may notice your hairline forming an ‘M’ shape which overtime recedes further to a ‘U’ shape. Keep an eye on your reflection to see if you spot any changes.

You spot thinning hair on your crown

After the hairline, the crown is the most common area for male pattern baldness to develop. Hair loss will spread outwards from the top of your head, which can be trickier to spot so you may need a handheld mirror.

You find a lot of hair in your comb

If every time you comb your hair you pull away a significant clump of strays, this is a clear sign that hair loss is on the cards. This simple action could be making your hair loss worse by causing unnecessary friction, so be sure to comb gently and avoid tugging on tangles.

The texture of your hair has changed

If styling your hair has become more difficult and it feels different to run your fingers through it, there’s a good chance that it’s thinning. It may appear wispier with more flyaways.

Your family members are balding

Male pattern baldness is a genetic condition, so if you notice other male relatives going bald then you need to keep a close eye on your own head of hair. Finding out when exactly older relatives started to lose their hair can give you an idea of what kind of timescale to expect.

What can you do about it?

If you notice any of these early signs of male pattern baldness, it’s important that you seek treatment as soon as possible. Propecia and Finasteride (Propecia’s unbranded medical equivalent) are two safe treatment options available from Express Pharmacy, both of which have been proven in their effectiveness at treating male pattern baldness.

In both medications, 99% of men had visible results after two years of treatment — 66% experienced hair regrowth and a further 33% had no further hair loss. When using either of these medications, you should start to see results within three to six months.

Find further information and support for a variety of health concerns by contacting the Express Pharmacy team. You can call us on 0208 123 07 03 or use our discreet Live Chat service.

Hair loss and unwanted facial hair are both problems that can leave you feeling self-conscious and suffer a loss of confidence. Yet these common problems should not be a cause for embarrassment. At Express Pharmacy we offer a number of treatments that can help you deal with hair-raising problems and find a light at the end of the tunnel.

Both hair loss and unwanted facial hair are medical conditions that often leave sufferers feeling upset and embarrassed. But you should know that you aren’t alone. In fact, both afflictions are extremely common and by trying to ignore the issue you are actually missing out on the opportunity to take the problem in hand.

Hair loss

Hair loss is particularly prevalent in men – with 40% of males experiencing noticeable hair loss by the time they are 35 years old. As men progress into their 40s, 50s and 60s this hair loss often becomes what many would consider to be “baldness”. While stress, a poor diet, poor hair care, illness or medical treatments can all contribute to hair loss, genetics is by far the most significant factor.

Male pattern baldness refers to the loss of hair in men, usually starting at the crown or the temples – and often includes a general thinning of the hair all over the scalp.

It tends to take 15-25 years for male pattern baldness to take full effect, though in some cases hair loss spreads within just 5 years. Hair loss in men is the result of your body becoming increasingly sensitive to male hormones called androgens. The extent to which this affects you is hereditary, and other factors such as stress can speed up the process in some cases.

Unwanted facial hair

All women have body hair and experience regular growth from puberty onwards. However, some women also find themselves growing excess hair in areas more typically found on men such as the face and lower abdomen. This condition is known as hirsutism and is thought to affect between 5-10% of all women.

These conditions can wreak havoc on our self-confidence, and many people feel too embarrassed to speak to a GP about their symptoms. Instead, many women simply learn to live with unwanted hair or attempt to tackle the problem by shaving – a solution which can cause the problem to worsen in the long-term.

Like male pattern baldness, hirsutism, tends to run in families among women as a result of a genetic predisposition to the condition. Hirsutism is characterised by high levels of androgens, including testosterone, which can result in male-pattern hair growth.

There are several medical conditions that can result in unwanted facial hair. Perhaps the most well-known is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (POS), which accounts for three out of four cases of hirsutism. This is when benign cysts on the ovaries lead to decreased fertility and irregular menstrual cycles.

Unwanted facial hair can also be the result of adrenal gland disorders, or certain medications such as minoxidil, testosterone and cyclosporine.

How can you treat these issues?

For hair loss in men, Express Pharmacy offers Propecia. This helps treat male baldness and hair loss in the vertex and anterior mid-scalp area. Propecia helps with symptoms such as receding hairline, balding at the crown or general thinning of the hair.

Express Pharmacy also offers Finasteride, which is the generic version of Propecia. Finasteride contains the same active ingredient as its branded counterpart and acts on the scalp in precisely the same way.

For unwanted facial hair in women, Express Pharmacy offers Vaniqa. This is designed forapplication directly onto the face, and results can be seen within 4-8 weeks when applied twice a day, 8 hours apart. Vaniqa helps slow the growth of facial hair by taking effect during the growth stage of the hair cycle and interfering with an enzyme in the follicle necessary for the hair to grow.

Express Pharmacy makes treatment simple and discreet. Our 3 step process ensures you get the treatment you need, quickly and discreetly without a visit to the GP. Order your prescription today and it could be with you tomorrow morning.

September is Alopecia Awareness Month. Despite the relatively common nature of the condition, many people are still not familiar with the facts about alopecia. September is therefore an opportune time to explain what alopecia is, who experiences it, how it can be treated and what can be done to support sufferers.

What is alopecia?

Alopecia is the medical term referring to hair loss, of which there are many types. The most common is male-pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, which is likely to affect half of all British men by the time they reach their fiftieth birthday. This is a hereditary condition that typically sees men’s hairlines begin to recede by their thirties, with the hair on the top of the head eventually thinning to leave a horseshoe shape of hair on the back and the sides of the head.

Alopecia areata (AA) is another type of alopecia, which results in patchy hair loss. This can advance into alopecia totalis (AT), where hair is lost from the scalp entirely, and alopecia universalis (AU), where hair is lost from the entire body. Some types of alopecia can be the result of other medical conditions or treatments. Scarring alopecia, where hair follicles are destroyed and replaced with scar tissue, can be the result of a form of lupus or severe rash.

There are also condition known as anagen effluvium, where hair loss is caused by chemicals, and traction alopecia caused by pulling or tension on the hair.

Who experiences alopecia?

Even though alopecia receives most prominence when it affects men, alopecia is actually a condition that is indiscriminate towards gender. Female-pattern baldness reportedly affects almost half of women who are over 65, and some studies suggest this is because hair thinning becomes more apparent after menopause.

Anagen effluvium, the type of alopecia caused by certain chemicals, most commonly effects people being treated for cancer with chemotherapy (and sometimes radiotherapy). Therefore, this type of alopecia can affect anyone of any age. Alopecia areata has been known to affect teenagers and young adults in particular, although the causes of this type of hair loss are not clear.

One form of alopecia where the causes are more salient is traction alopecia, which is most common in women who regularly choose to style their hair in tight braids.

How can it be treated?

As there are many types of alopecia, treating and living with the condition can vary from type to type. Where the cause of the hair loss is clear, the treatment can be very simple – when a sufferer of anagen effluvium ceases chemotherapy they find that their hair grows back, and braiding the hair more loosely or taking a break from braided extension can ease traction alopecia.

At Express Pharmacy, we offer effective treatments for male-pattern baldness such as Propecia and Generic Finasteride. These treatments are not, however, recommended for other forms of alopecia, however.

How can I help?

This September, charity Alopecia UK is offering support to those suffering from the condition and encouraging people to raise money to help with research and treatments for alopecia. This year’s activities include Fun Hat Fridays, where people wear a jazzy hat to work or school every Friday in September and share a photo of themselves on social media.

Participants can simply text HATS44 £3 to 70070, which will donate £3 to the charity. Some people also choose to cut off and donate their hair – sponsorship money can be donated to Alopecia UK, whilst the hair itself can be sent to the Little Princess Trust, which provides wigs for children who experience alopecia as a result of cancer treatment. Visit www.alopeciaonline.org.uk for more information.