TV’s The Hair Loss Clinic
Episode 2
Episode 2 sees Hattie and Georgia visit Eva at her Trichology Clinic to get a diagnosis, advice and treatment for their hair and scalp conditions.
Hattie
Hattie was diagnosed with Trichotillomania.
Trichotillomania is a very difficult condition as it involves the compulsion to pull out your hair for a variety of different reasons. People who suffer from this condition are usually very good at hiding the signs and the evidence of the hair which often means a lot of trauma can have occurred without anyone noticing or being aware of it.
There are 2 key areas to address with this disorder, the Psychological aspects of the condition and the physical aspects.
Hattie had stopped her pulling, which is an amazing achievement, the urge to pull out the hair is usually more intense than the addiction to nicotine when smoking, and we are all aware of how difficult this habit is to kick, so stopping on your own is a very big achievement.
When I see a patient with this condition, if they are still pulling then I suggest a referral to Psychodermatology, the doctors all specialise in disorders of the hair skin and nails and offer far more than a counsellor or Psychologist.
Depending on how the hair has been traumatised really does dictate the outcome in terms of any recovery that we can achieve. There can be a variety of treatments and in Hattie’s case we used a combination of topical Minoxidil and PRP, sometimes we may also look at diet and supplementation, each case is very individual and requires a bespoke treatment plan.
Hattie showed good results at 7 months after starting the treatment.
I really hope that the bravery of Hattie to show this devastating condition will help others who are suffering in silence to seek help, as Trichologists we can often be your first port of call and we will support you on your journey in ensuring that you find the most appropriate support and treatment.
Georgia
Georgia developed psoriasis and in particular scalp psoriasis, having tried some different shampoos and steroid lotions she was not seeing any results, in fact the scalp was getting worse. In addition to the psoriasis the hair was also shedding a lot and thinning which Georgia was very concerned about.
Psoriasis is a condition that can run in families causes the layers of skin to reproduce 5 times more quickly than normal, causing a thickening of silvery scales to appear, (Psoriatic Plaque). The scalp will feel very tight and uncomfortable, it is often very itchy, can have bleeding points and causes flakes to sit within the hair and to fall. 2% of Caucasians suffer from this condition, with presentations commonly seen from th ages of 10 through to 30 and beyond.
Psoriasis has many triggers, stress is a major trigger as is illness, diet and infection, some medications can also trigger Psoriasis.
As Trichologists we don’t use steroids on the scalp to thin off the excess skin, we use a special ointment that will soften and gently lift the skin, leaving the scalp much clearer. I carried out 6 treatments with Georgia, using a steamer to help the ointment to penetrate and to further soften and lift the Psoriatic plaque. To maintain the improvement, we use a treatment shampoo, in this case I used Juniper Therapy shampoo and conditioner.
Georgia didn’t have a very good diet; her stored vitamin and mineral levels were very depleted causing the hair to shed excessively leading to a general thinning. I treated this with dietary advice and my hair supplement, Tricoextra to address the low vitamin and mineral levels to correct these returning the hair to a normal growing and shedding cycle.
Georgia achieved a really good result both with the scalp and the hair, the growth was better, the hair was thicker, and the scalp was really clear and calm. Psoriasis will always flare up, but now Georgia knows what to do at the first signs to keep things as well managed as possible.
