HAIR loss can be a distressing experience at any age but in the self-conscious adolescent years it is far worse.

For the teenage Andy McCarthy, losing patches of hair as a result of alopecia areata was an enormous shock, difficult to understand and even harder to explain to peers.

Though it affects around one in 100 people in the UK, including television presenter Gail Porter, alopecia is still not fully understood by the medical profession. And it was understood less still when Andy experienced the alopecia areata that left him with small patches of scalp exposed. 

Now 36 years old and a father-of-four, Andy has turned his teenage experience into a career and labour-of-love, bringing a revolutionary non-surgical treatment from the USA to enable alopecia sufferers to have replacement hair, without the discomfort of wearing a wig.

For those with alopecia, like Jade Finn (see video), the treatment can offer increased confidence, especially for important events like the school prom.

Here we call on Andy to explain the myths of alopecia, as well as the non-surgical hair replacement system, that is giving sufferers back their confidence...

How did you become interested in alopecia treatments?
I suffered alopecia areata when I was 13 or 14 years old. From there it was a natural progression and obsession to help others suffering from alopecia.
 
What was it like?
Being at school was with alopecia was very strange as the other children didn't understand what it was and, of course, there was no internet back then so my parents and I didn't understand it and doctors don't study hair loss/alopecia so they couldn't help either.
 
How did you deal with it?
My parents researched and found a non-surgical hair replacement method in the States, I was lucky they were as passionate about it then as I am now.
 
How does alopecia affect people?
Alopecia can have an adverse effect on one's behaviour, like avoiding parties, swimming, bright lights and generally going out when the weather is bad. Alopecia sufferers can become withdrawn and lose their self-esteem. A comment I receive is that some people become a shadow of their former selves.
 
What types of alopecia are there?
There are many, however the main culprits are alopecia areata, totalis, universalis and androgenic (male or female pattern hair loss).
 
What treatment do you offer at your clinic?
At the clinic we offer non-surgical hair replacement, Laser threapy treatment, volumisers for ladies and a trichological treatment plan.
 
How does it work?
Non-surgical hair replacement works by attaching single hair strands to a lace base and this is then attached to the scalp be means of a surgical gel. The hair is human and any hair style is achievable, be it long or short hair you aspire to.

Laser therapy treatment is a two part program whereby a six month course would give you 13 treatments under the laser for 25 minutes. This would stimulate the hair follicle transforming laser energy into cellular energy. Laser light increases the energy available to cells so they take in nutrients faster and get rid of waste products. Not surprisingly, many scientists and physicians have been using low-level laser over the past 30 years to speed wound healing and produce new tissue.

A volumiser increases the hair volume in the thinning area.
 
How long does it last?
Non surgical hair replacement lasts approximately 2-3 years depending on one's lifestyle and this is the same for the volumiser method. Laser therapy treatment is a course of six months and you can then do another six months if we believe it will benefit the client.
 
Can you treat all types of alopecia?
We can help treat all types of hair loss as we are lucky in the fact that we offer a non-surgical method.
 
Who usually gets alopecia?
There isn't a certain type of person. However, people of any age sex or race who suffer with stress from work, family and so on are susceptible to alopecia.
 
Is there any way that people can prevent it?
You can look after your whole lifestyle ie: diet, exercise and take time out for you. Watch out for the small changes, like feeling low, get regular blood tests for iron and element counts and women should ask their doctor for thyroid checks.
 
Does stress or trauma affect alopecia?
Yes very much, these are the two main factors of alopecia.
 
Do you have any advice for alopecia sufferers on how to cope with it?
It’s always a massive shock, but there are treatments if you catch it early my best advice is to seek a consultation as soon as possible, prevention is better than cure.
 

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