hair

International Hair Restoration Specialist Calls For More Regulation

November 13, 2014 by Laura Casewell

By Salvar Bjornsson, CEO at Vinci Hair Clinic

Scalp Micro Pigmentation (SMP) is a sophisticated tattooing technique, using pigment to replicate hair. It’s used to create the effect of more density in thinning hair, hide scarring or to create the look of a shaved head of hair. This is a procedure that is increasingly becoming more popular and accessible, which is good news for potential patients.

Like with the cosmetic surgery industry, there is not enough regulation around SMP and the clinics that offer it. Due to the increase in demand, this procedure is now readily available on the high street through tattoo studios, beauty salons and even online through discount sites like Groupon.

Choosing to undergo any cosmetic procedure is a big decision and it’s crucial that patients do not base their decision solely on price. Hair restoration is not exempt from this, and potential patients must ensure they select a reputable practitioner.

At Vinci Hair Clinic, we are the only medical clinic specialising in all types of hair restoration including hair transplant surgery, medical treatments for hair loss and SMP. Our surgeons and doctors oversee all treatments and a qualified technician who has been certified by our medical board, carries out all SMP procedures. Patients all have the chance to speak to a doctor, who will check their scalp condition, take a blood test to check any underlying health issues and administer local anesthetic, if necessary. Unfortunately though, this is not common practice throughout the industry.

Although it’s great for the patient that this technique is more accessible than ever, many non-medical clinics do not have enough understanding of progressive hair loss and often place pigment in the wrong areas.

Sadly, more recently we have seen a rise in patients coming to us for corrective procedures following botched treatment in a tattoo studio or beauty salon; pigment is made too dark and dense, hairlines are created in an un-natural way (sometimes making them appear like they are wearing a helmet!) and practitioners often apply pigment to the scalp with terrible results.

It can be hard to repair these cases as we have to first treat the scalp, removing the pigment by laser before starting the treatment again to create a more natural look. Not only is this more expensive than the original treatment, but it can take time. We see many patients who are so distressed that they are not comfortable resuming normal life until the treatment is complete.

It’s time for this to change. It’s time for the industry to be better regulated to protect patients from these ‘SMP cowboys’. There has been much awareness recently about better regulating the cosmetic surgery industry, with recommendations made in the Keogh report and horror stories frequently being reported in the national media.

The same awareness needs to be created for potential patients looking into SMP and other hair restoration treatments. Enough is enough.

www.vincihairclinic.com

Syneron-Candella Introduce New Generation Of Hair Removal

April 14, 2014 by Laura Casewell

Syneron Candela now offer three gentle laser hair removal systems that allow everyone to treat their unwanted hair.

These revolutionary hair removal devices use high-energy laser light which passes through the skin to the hair follicle, where it is absorbed and transformed into heat. The heat disables the follicle while leaving the surrounding skin unchanged.

Gentle lasers provide a safe wavelength for protecting all skin types at the surface whilst effectively damaging the hairs below.

Option one, the GentleYAG Pro is the ‘mother’ of laser hair removal as it has been developed to treat most hair and skin colours, including red hair, fine facial hair and darker skin tones including Asian and Afro Caribbean. The energy is directed to the root of the hair rather than on the skin’s surface using less damaging heat through a long wavelength. Long pulse lasers are generally good for darker skin tones as this removes the risk of burning the skin, which in the past, has been one of the major concerns when it comes to laser hair removal.

Additionally, Afro Caribbean hair can be quite strong and often curly making it resistant to traditional laser treatments. The latest generation of laser in the GentleYAG Pro does not care if the hair follicles are straight or curly. Ingrowing hairs are also easily treated.

GentleLASE Pro, option two, is designed to treat a broad range of skin types. By cooling the skin with the patented DCD cooling the Gentle laser can be used at a higher setting on lighter, finer hairs maintaining safety of the skin but enabling gentle laser to use a more melanin absorptive laser on lighter skins and softer, finer hair types.

Lastyly, option three the GentleMAX Pro harnesses laser technology to deliver an intense yet gentle burst of energy onto targeted areas of the skin, whilst delivering a controlled amount of therapeutic heat to the area safely and effectively. GentleMAX Pro harnesses Radio Frequency to boost the laser light energy, making the treatment highly effective, extremely fast and very comfortable compared to traditional laser hair removal.

For more information call 0845 521 0698 or visit www.gentlelaserhairremoval.co.uk

Females hair transplant surgery up 82%

December 18, 2013 by Laura Casewell

Women have previously suffered with hair loss in silence, but it seems more are now aware of the possible solutions available to them and are opting to invest in a cosmetic procedure to rectify problems.

One London clinic has witnessed an 82% increase in the number of women undergoing hair transplants this year. The Private Clinic in London claims that not only are male patient numbers rising, but the number of women choosing to undergo hair transplants is on the rise too – with 39 the average age for treatment

Hair transplant surgeon Dr Raghu Reddy puts this down, in part, to a better awareness of the problem of hair loss and the possible remedies.

“I think women are more knowledgeable today than they were a few years ago about the viable solutions to hair loss,” says Dr Reddy.

“While high-profile male celebrities who have undergone hair transplants have undoubtedly helped make more men in the UK open to the possibility of a hair transplant, this has actually also encouraged more women to consider the option of investing in a transplant. Now, women are more informed and better placed to address the problem.”

Contrary to popular belief, the same hair transplant procedure can be delivered to women as it can to men; this is known as an FUE transplant (Follicular Unit Extraction).

The procedure is delivered under local anaesthetic and involves removing hairs from an area where the hair is plentiful and transplanting these into the areas on the woman’s head where the volume has been lost.

According to Dr Reddy there are a number of reasons why more and more women are seeking advice about hair loss. He said:

“Many of the women I see have worn extensions for many years, which have put a lot of traction on the existing hair, while in some cases glue applied to the roots to join extensions has also starved the hair of its own vital nutrients.”

“Over time this causes the hair to thin and if this is not addressed it can turn into a more concerning condition known as traction alopecia, something which means the hair will not grow back.”

“The same can occur with over-styling – the prolonged use of hair straighteners or heated curlers can weaken the hair and gradually cause bald patches to form.”

Keith Hobbs, Clinical Director of the Institute of Trichologists, added:

“Traction alopecia caused by extensions can cause temporary patchy hair loss. Long term use of extensions can in some cases cause permanent hair loss so using a product like Nioxin DiaBoost helps strengthen hair.”