Hair loss treatment is the cornerstone of what Ashley and Martin provides to our patients, here’s another case study demonstrating its effectiveness. For the last year and a half 23 year old student Kasran* had been noticing his hair become steadily thinner all over.  Kasran had watched the men in his family, including his father, uncles and grandfather, lose their hair; with this family history of hair loss in mind a close relative urged  Kasran to seek hair loss treatment before it was too late.  After considering the idea of getting treatment for his hair loss for four months a friend who was already receiving treatment with Ashley and Martin referred him to our services.

The consultant trichologist Kasran came to see took a medical and family history and examined his hair loss.  At this early stage the diagnosis was Male Pattern Hair Loss, Norwood II; without hair loss treatment Kasran would undoubtedly progress further through the hair loss stages.  Never having used any other hair loss treatments Kasran listened as his consultant explained to him why his hair loss was occurring and how the multifaceted approach to treatment that Ashley and Martin offered would produce the most effective results for him.

The loss of hair density Kasran was experiencing had not yet reached an advanced stage and his consultant recommended a RealGROWTH^® medications hair loss treatment  program with regular laser treatments to stabilise his hair loss and regrow his lost hair.

Kasran went away and thought about the information he had been given.  After deciding to go ahead with hair loss treatment he made an appointment to come back and see his consultant two weeks later.

When Kasran came for his first progress check-up he was surprised and very happy with the early results of his RealGROWTH^® program.   His diffuse hair had increased in density beyond what he had expected and although he had watched as his hair regrew it wasn’t until he saw his comparison photographs side by side that he truly realised the overwhelming success of his treatment.

*name changed to protect privacy

Darren* was constantly worried about his hair loss when he went outside and wanted a hair loss cure.  Not only was he self conscious of others seeing his hair loss, but his thinning hair was exposing his scalp to the elements.  Over the last decade Darren’s hair had shed steadily, his once thick hair was losing density in the crown and each year he noticed his temples recede a little further.

It had taken 2 years, but after a lot of thought and research into a hair loss cure the 41 year old footy fanatic went to Ashley and Martin’s website to submit an internet enquiry.

The consultant who looked after him at his free consultation asked Darren about his medical history and family history of hair loss.  Darren’s grandfather had gone bald and to try and avoid this himself Darren had tried using over the counter remedies with no success.  The consultant looked at his pattern of hair loss and together with the family history diagnosed him with Male Pattern Hair Loss, Norwood III vertex.

A week after his initial appointment Darren came back to the clinic to enrol on a RealGROWTH^® program.  Darren’s life choices involved being fit and eating well and with no dietary factors impacting his hair loss or contraindications to commencing a RealGROWTH^® program, the doctor prescribed his topical solution and anti-androgen tablets.

Darren continued to come to the clinic regularly for Low Level Laser Therapy to get the best results from his medications program.  Sixteen weeks in to his program Darren was amazed he had found his hair loss cure.  He could not believe how much thicker his hair was all over and the amount of new growth in his temples.  Even other people had noticed the difference in his hair.  A friend had noticed his new hair was growing through making his hair look darker and his wife had noticed it was looking thicker.  The self esteem issues Darren had been experiencing had left him and he no longer thought about his hair when leaving the house.

Propolis is a mixture made from various tree buds, sap flows and botanical sources from honey bees. Used by bees as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the beehive, Propolis has been tried for medicinal purposes dating back to 350 B.C – the Greeks for abscesses; Assyrians for healing wounds and tumours; and Egyptians have used Propolis for mummification. Even now, it still has many uses for medicinal purposes – including when treating hair loss.

How it was discovered

It was a study first conducted in Japan that found the properties in Propolis could be used to aid hair growth and treat hair loss effectively. In 2014, scientists from Hokkaido University in Japan led by Dr. Ken Kobayashi tested the sealant on mice. Results then concluded those mice that were given Propolis grew back their fur faster than those that did not receive the application. The scientists also noticed that after the treatment of Propolis on the mice, “the number of special cells involved in the process of growing hair increased”.

How Propolis works in treating hair loss

As observed by the scientists, growth occurred without any detectable abnormalities in the shape of the follicles. Propolis works in treating hair loss through stimulating growth by inducing hair keratinocyte proliferation. The application increased the keratinocyte production and migration into the hair shaft – Keratinocytes are cells that are a major component in hair shaft and follicle production. Propolis also includes anti-inflammatory properties, which can be used to combat the inflammatory component that is linked to hair loss.

Questions of Efficacy

The research and experimental process of Propolis is fairly new. Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos, a board certified dermatologist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology has spoken about her doubts on the mixture, stating it might not do as much as the experiment results show. “The reason people start to go bald is because…the testosterone that is released in puberty shuts down some of the hair follicles on the top of the scalp,” she told Fox News. “It has nothing to do with the inflammatory properties. Though inflammation does cause hair loss in some cases, they only occur in specific medical conditions and are not common. Those conditions are diseases like alopecia areata. Dr. Draelos also commented that the most effective thing to treat pattern hair loss right now is not Propolis but other supplements.

Whether or not Propolis is effective against conditions induced by inflammation remains to be seen once scientists carry out more research – Dr Kobayashi and his team are currently in the process of studying the effect of Propolis on human hair follicles in vitro. However, he does have hopes that Propolis can eventually be placed as a topical treatment alongside minoxidil, the main ingredient used in hair growth medication, stating that a combination of both products may prove to be very effective.

Ashley and Martin currently do not advocate the use of Propolis, however our doctors constantly stay in touch and monitor the latest research and developments in hair loss treatment.

Ever since wearing a hat came into fashion, people have wondered whether or not it was healthy for their hair, and indeed whether or not it actually made you lose your hair. People who undergo hair loss treatment programs often blame their hats for their hair loss. In fact, hats can cause hair loss but not in the way that you would expect. People will have to look very closely at their hat wearing habits, and then they might see that there might be a connection. Let’s take a look at the facts.

A Clean Hat, a Healthy Scalp

Anyone that’s investigated any sort of hair loss treatment has seen pictures of people wearing hats, but in reality, they’re hiding the baldness that already exists. The hat didn’t actually make them bald unless certain conditions already existed. The main thing about people who wear hats is actually the cleanliness of the hat… and the head that’s wearing it. Many people have that “lucky hat” that they wear day after day, and they even think that washing it would somehow ruin their luck. This is actually what makes their head unhealthy and could potentially contribute to hair loss in the future.29

Dermatologist Gary Hitzig, who also happens to be the author of “Help and Hope for Hair Loss”, attended many studies and pursued further knowledge about these myths and facts and concluded that dirty hats and infections were the cause of hair loss much more than any hat or helmet the person might have worn. He concluded that 2 out of 3 men would experience hair loss or thinning by the age of 60, but hats had very little to do with it.

Be Gentle with Your Hair, Gents

Another key factor is that a lot of the men who take their hat off and on many times throughout the day might be contributing to their hair loss simply due to the fact that many hats can have rough edges, and this in turn catches their hair and pulls it out. This can result in the thinning of their hair, but rarely does it actually make them go bald since hair grows back very rapidly. Once again, the hat had very little to do with the hair falling out. It was the habits of the wearer.

As a side note: Another myth that Hitzig investigated was whether or not stress or past trauma could potentially cause hair loss, and he found it to be true. But he also concluded that the stress and hats would only cause the hair to shed, and if the people who lost the hair were genetically predisposed to be bald, it would stay that way. If the person’s genetics were in favour of the people who were to have full heads of hair, it would grow back.

Hats Not the Culprit

In conclusion, there are many factors that will make men run for hair loss treatment centres across the world, but hats will not cause any baldness that wasn’t already genetically going to happen. Keeping your hats clean and rotating them frequently will give the wearer the best shot at not being affected with infections or hair loss. Myths about baldness and hats will always surface but facts will eventually prevail. With baldness being something that the public is spending millions of dollars on yearly, science is sure to come up with more answers as the years go by.

Book in a Free Consultation to discuss what hair loss treatments are suitable for you.