Although Westminster Clinic is well known for hair transplants, our Dr Rogers, Dr Stevenson and Dr Dhunna cosmetic professionals, we have also previously offered cosmetic injectables for wrinkles, sagging jowls, hyperhidrosis etc.
Now we have our new premises with two lovely, light and airy theatres, consultation rooms and our own private floor, we have decided to partner with other surgical and non surgical practitioners to offer these and other cosmetic tweakments.
Patients will have a choice of practitioner of their preference, each available with their own speciality procedures, including referral for cosmetic surgery
The art of balding: a brief history of hairless men is an interesting point of view from over the centuries.
Like all cultural changes, time has an affect of perception, language, stigma and association. Previously, baldness had an association with wisdom and wasn’t seen negatively as now.
Jimmy Carr hairline discussion – good result or not? On one hand, it does look like a well performed hair transplant but was it the right decision?
This is an important question every patient should ask and it’s often better to “sneak up” to the result you think that you want. It’s easy to get lost in counting numbers, getting obsessed about densities and generally becoming an armchair expert – without even ever having a transplant.
You don’t need to look like a teenager again, or resemble Action Man or GI Joe. Most patients want to still look like themselves, just “better.”
In the case of Jimmy, the problem is that he no longer has the appearance of “Jimmy Carr – the brand.” He now looks like any old middle-aged man and his distinctive “Count Dracula” visage is lost. Perhaps a bit less, would have been “more.”….
In a recent Daily Mail article, another Tik Tok trend has been highlighted – advancing a female hairline via scalp lifting. Although useful in certain cases, it is definitely not the best choice for most people as hair transplants are more natural looking. In fact, most people who have hairline advancement, will still need hair transplants to soften the harsh appearance caused by the scarring.
It is a technique often used in transgender women to cover large areas of recession, in association with hair transplantation
Hair transplants mend scars it seems, as detailed in a study at Imperial College London
Dr Rogers and other experienced hair transplant doctors already knew this from their observations over the years. Dr Rogers saw that placing hair follicules into previous strip or FUT scars, not only helped camouflaged the hairless scar, it seemed to help the scar soften and lose some of its’ “shiny reflection” compared to normal skin.
What is it, do you really want it, does it look natural? We are often asked during consultations with our hair loss doctors, to draw on example hairlines to demonstrate how the patient might look. Frequently, patients wish for a perfectly symmetrical hairline, even if they have never had a perfect hairline before!
Which, almost certainly, they didn’t have. Dr Rogers performed a study some years ago, published in the ISHRS hair forum journal (Asymmetrical hairlines), that showed that approximately three quarters of men had greater hair loss on the right temple (and therefore one quarter of men the hair loss was greater on the left temple).
And this ties in with the fact people are not symmetrical – eyes, ears, noses etc are different heights or have bends or lumps). And in the study link below, perfect symmetry is not necessarily better or desirable. Indeed, we definitely advise against the “Action man or GI Joe” hairline.
“What happens if we make the Mona Lisa more symmetrical?”
Causing us much merriment, the BA hair transplant advert takes a wry look at the trend for cut price cosmetic surgery abroad. We’re not going to debate the rights or wrongs of this here but undoubtedly it has become a cultural phenomenon. And is certainly good for the airline business.
We’ve all seen the memes of bald men in bandages going for hair transplants in Turkey.
As reported in the medical press, vitamin appears to be a lot more important than once thought for hair health. It’s well known that iron deficiency, B12, protein and calories are vital for good hair growth but this studies also demonstrates that vitamin D is too.
Dr Rogers has often been asked to talk about hair transplants during his long medical and hair transplantation surgery career.
Going right back to Bravo TV, Radio 4, The Chris Evans Breakfast show and Simon Mayo Drivetime show, Dr Rogers is a go to expert for hair loss matters.
In print, he’s appeared in The Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Hair Forum Journal, many lifestyle magazines like Men’s Health. article
As a guest speaker at many conferences, he explains clearly the important points of up to date hair restoration.
As a leading UK hair transplant doctor, Dr Rogers was a top choice for the Guardian newspaper to interview, regarding hair transplantation in 2021.
Topics touched upon include Turkish clinics, poor surgery, PRP, unprofessional behaviour and also how much hair loss can affect confidence and depression. But that a hair transplant can help with that, if the patient understands the technique and chooses wisely – not just based on the cheapest price.
We have some exciting news to share with you, our move from our Harley Street clinic is now well underway. Dr Rogers and the team have been exceptionally busy ensuring that our new larger premises is ready to reopen next month and we will be inviting you to our grand opening event very soon.
Dr Rogers has been in Harley St since 1996 and our Westminster Clinic has been well-established in London since 2007, so the move has been a significant but exciting process for everyone involved. We are delighted to inform you that our new building is only a mere 100 meters from our previous clinic and is still set within the heart of the distinguished Harley Street district. Therefore, we look forward to inviting back our existing clients and welcoming newcomers to our new premises too.
As of January 2023, Westminster Clinic can be found at the following address: 21 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8GG. Once we’ve finished our refurbishments, we will be able to welcome you for consultations, treatments and hair transplants again.
If you are seeking advice or support with hair loss, please contact us to book an online consultation with Dr Rogers. You are also welcome to telephone our Stratford-Upon-Avon clinic on 01789 414203 or email info@westminsterclinic.co.uk if you have any enquiries and one of our dedicated team will get back to you as soon as possible.
The good news keeps coming. Not only are Westminster Clinic a long established Harley St hair clinic but we are moving to larger premises to remove long waits for more minor treatments, such as PRP, stem cell nanofat transplants and smaller FUE top up sessions. We’ll have two theatres and Dr Rogers will have his group of doctors and technicians to assist him.
We’ll be having an opening event very soon and so we look forward to seeing our patients, old and new.
Many people are reluctant to take tablets, such as Finasteride, Dutasteride or Minoxidil, because of their worries of side effects. Although side effects are uncommon and serious side effects very rare, it can still put patients off using these undeniably effective medicines.
One option recently available, is to use these medicines topically – rubbed into the skin once daily. If the correct formulation is used, they can be just as good as the tablets with less risk of side effects.
However, the correct formulation has not been widely used. Many clinics have jumped onto the “me too” bandwagon of simply dissolving the ingredients in alcohol and expecting it to work. But this was proven to be ineffective in studies done 20 years ago.
Fortunately, after much research, we have now found a supplier who can dispense an alcohol free, compound of Finasteride 0.25%, Dutasteride 0.25%, with or without Minoxidil. This is dissolved in a lipophilic, low allergen dilutent, proven liquid to penetrate the skin barrier to reach the hair follicle.
We can prescribe this for our patients as an option to tablets. Unfortunately, as a premium bespoke prescription, it is more expensive than tablets. However, for those patients who would prefer a topical solution or have a sensivity to alcohol/glycol, then the slight price cost, will be well worth it.
If you want the best hair transplant clinic, you will want to know that they have an excellent clinic rating by the Care Quality Commission. You will want to know that they show a great score for caring for patients. And you will want to know that the clinical leader has 25 years of experience to draw on.
Like Westminster Clinic has – rated as Good in all areas by the CQC
We will still strive for improvement – there is always more paperwork to find after all- but you can be reassured that we are achieving a Good standard in a hair transplant centre in Harley St. London.
Thank you to all the staff, “Team work makes the Dream work.”
There has been a huge increase in the number of beard transplants we’ve been performing in the past 5 years. The hipster look really caught on and many guys want the perfect beard hair transplant look.
However, there seems to be a new beard style on the horizon for 2021. Is it for real and have people had too much time on their hands during the 2020 lockdown??
With thanks to my colleague Dr Parsa Mohebi of California for bringing this to my attention:
“DHT inhibitors like finasteride and dutasteride can help with hair loss prevention. Scientists have found a relationship between these drugs and COVID-19. DHT blocker medications are also known as 5-alpha reductase drugs. The medication may alter the pathway that the virus uses to enter the target cells or it may work through other mechanisms. We know that patients who have used these medications have done better after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Can it be considered or used as a treatment option for this disease? To answer to this question, we will go in-depth about our current status with the pandemic and what the study really means (for those of you who love details about scientific studies).
COVID-19 Update
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is nearing what many hope will be a breakthrough in finding a cure for the disease. The possibility of a vaccine for COVID-19 has been discussed for months. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel is scheduled to vote this week on who will be the first people eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine. In addition, Moderna has requested emergency clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for its COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna applied for their emergency clearance after Pfizer applied for authorization back in November.
While the first doses of one of these vaccines are expected to be distributed before the end of 2020, a recent study shows 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors work to reduce the remission time of COVID-19. The results come from a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled interventional trial conducted on 130 SARS-CoV-2 positive men.
The Background Behind the Study
The entry of SARS-CoV-2 into type II pneumocytes depends on the proteolytic enzyme known as TMPRSS2. The promoter of this enzyme in humans is an androgen response element which means androgen sensitivity could be a possible risk factor for COVID-19.
There was a previous report, about a retrospective cohort analysis, that showed the protective effects of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors in COVID-19. It was also shown that men using 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors were less likely to have to be admitted to an intensive care unit than men not taking 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Plus, men that were shown to use 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors had a greatly reduced frequency of symptoms than men shown to not use 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors as outpatients.
Given the above information, the study was conducted to determine if 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors can be considered to be a beneficial treatment if they are given to a patient after a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
How the Study was Performed
The study was conducted as a double-blinded, prospective, investigative study of dutasteride, which was also randomized, for the treatment of COVID-19. The subjects in the study were people confirmed as being positive for SARS-CoV-2 and treated in an outpatient setting.
The study had a number of endpoints, revolving around the remission times, for a set of symptoms predetermined for the study. The predetermined set of symptoms included:
Having a fever or a feverish feeling
Sore throat
Cough
Body pain or muscle ache and pain
Shortness of breath
Headache
Nasal congestion
Fatigue
Runny nose or nasal discharge
Diarrhea
Vomiting or nausea
Loss of appetite
Loss of smell or taste
Study Results
A total number of 130 SARS-CoV-2 positive men were included by the research team in the study. There were 64 test subjects included in the dutasteride arm as well as 66 test subjects included in the placebo-controlled group.
The study results showed that the difference in the average remission times for fatigue or ageusia (which is the loss or impairment of the sense of taste) or anosmia (which is the loss or impairment of the sense of smell) was statistically different between the two groups. The results showed, for the dutasteride group and the placebo group respectively, 5.8 days vs. 10.1 days for fatigue and 7.3 days vs. 13.4 days for either ageusia or anosmia.
The study results also showed that the total amount of remission time was greatly reduced for the men in the study that were give dutasteride. Their remission time was 9.0 days as opposed to the 15.6 days of remission time seen in the placebo group. When the loss of smell and taste are excluded from the results, the average time for total remission was 7.3 days for the dutasteride group as opposed to the 11.7 days seen in the placebo group.
Overall, the study results showed that the total remission time for men that used 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors was greatly reduced compared to men that were not taking the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors.
The Study and how it Relates to Hair Loss
Patients that are suffering from hair loss might be curious to learn how the above study relates to the loss of hair on the scalp.
Dutasteride and finasteride are the two most frequently used 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. These medications are used to inhibit the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone which is the androgen that causes male pattern baldness. Finasteride has been FDA approved for treatment of male patterned baldness. Even though dutasteride is approved as a male pattern baldness treatment in some countries, it has not yet received the approval of the FDA for use as a hair loss drug in the United Kingdom. Instead, it is approved by the FDA as a drug to combat prostate enlargement. It can only be prescribed as an off-label treatment option for hair loss.”
Patients interested in learning more about dutasteride, as well as other hair loss prevention methods, are invited to to schedule a consultation with Dr Rogers.
Covid lockdown opening during the next 4 weeks of November.
We will still be open during this time as a medical clinic, specifically excluded from the government restrictions at the moment. We will continue to monitor the situation of course and close if necessary.
Although we are prepared to close, we also understand that many patients have booked procedures in the expectation of treatment and the required recovery time booked off from work. Cancelling your appointment may be very disruptive to your schedule and in recent months, many patients have taken the opportunity to recover whilst working from home.
On our part, we have a Covid policy, screens, PPE, QR code for the Track and Trace app etc and feel we have a safe environment, probably more so than “popping to the shops” as we only have one patient per day as a safety policy.
Nanofat stem cell treatment, known as Stemvita (c), is where stem cells from abdominal adipose fat, is filtered and concentrated then re-injected into the scalp to promote improved hair growth.
As seen in a recent Mail on Sunday article, stem cells taken from the fat around the tummy button, are easily obtained and are the best, most numerous stem cells to use. These have been proven in many trials, to promote better hair growth in patients with hair loss.
There are differences between techniques though – the Kerastem technique uses enzymes and greater filtration and concentration of stem cells to purify the fat. However, more recent trials suggest that this is “throwing the baby out with the bath water” as there are constituents of the fat which seem to have benefit too. Therefore Stemvita doesn’t use enzymes and is a more “natural” product although still filtering and concentrating the fat into a creamy injection.
The ongoing 
Having a fever or a feverish feeling