Baldness remedies

People have always been gullible where their hair is concerned. Queen Victoria drank silver birch wine made from sap because she believed it would cure her baldness. And despite icons such as David Beckham shaving off their locks, hair loss is refusing to become fashionable.

Dr Andrew Messenger, a consultant dermatologist at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, told NetDoctor: 'Although the great majority of men learn to live with it, I think everybody would prefer not to be bald. For a very small number of men, it becomes a big issue.'

He says it is more often younger men who visit their doctor to ask what can be done about hair thinning.

Medical attitudes to thinning hair

Most doctors believe men should think deeply before using any remedies for hair loss because the treatment options are so limited.

Baldness isn't a life-threatening condition, and it is easy to spend a lot of money trying to restore a full head of hair.

While it's all very well being told how you ought to feel about the loss of your hair, if it starts to dint your self-esteem, it's probably worth seeking treatment.

But Dr Messenger is clear about the limitations of medicine in this area: 'There are only two ways to deal with baldness currently available in the UK that the evidence shows work to at least some extent.' Neither of the medicines listed below is available on the NHS.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is sold over the counter as a topical solution (liquid) under the brand name Regaine.

How does it work?

We don't know how minoxidil works. It was first used on patients with heart disease who reported an increased growth in their hair.

It may increase blood supply to the hair follicles.

How is it used?

It's applied twice a day, and it can take up to four months for the results to be noticeable.

Buyer beware

Elizabeth Steel founded the support group Hairline International for both men and women after she lost her own hair.

'We hear of so many unsatisfactory transplants that we no longer recommend them,' she says.

'We advise our members to stay away from private clinics to avoid losing their money as well as their hair. It is just money down the drain.

'Some men have told me they knew the exotic and expensive remedies they were given weren't going to work, but they just wanted to enjoy the temporary light at the end of the tunnel.'

Her organisation has given impartial advice to more than 30,000 men worried about their hair falling out. Elizabeth says thinning hair can leave men very vulnerable: in one case, a successful 40-year-old father of two took his own life after a hair transplant went wrong.

Where can I get help?

• Your GP: consult your doctor before you hand over your money to anyone offering a cure for baldness.
• For general advice on hair loss, write to Hairline International, Lyons Court, 1668 High Street, Knowle, West Midlands B93 0LY. Enclose an A4-sized self-addressed envelope.

Last updated 05.06.2007