Download What happens in Hair Clinics

What happens in Hair Clinics
Wondering what treatments are offered at hair clinics and what you get for their large bills? I have
questioned many patients about their experiences and sent two (male) mystery shoppers to be able to
compile this information for you.
Overall these clinics are quite expensive for the level of treatment and strength of effect that they offer.
They generally tend to offer a course of treatment, usually six to nine months. As you know, most hair
loss conditions are lifelong and treatment needs to be lifelong. So you will need to continue after the
nine months is up.
Offering a six or nine month treatment course at a set price is a good business model if your aim is to
maximise profit. It enables you to extract the maximum amount from that section of the population
who start off new projects with a bang but never follow through. This is the group who buy exercise
equipment and never use it or give up going to the gym after a month. All these clinics are Auckland
based but, if you wish to visit, some have branches outside Auckland.
Ashley and Martin
Described by my mystery shopper as the pushiest clinic. If you go be sure to haggle and wait a few
days before signing up as everyone tells me that they reduce their prices every time they contact you.
Ashley and Martin are an international franchise with New Zealand branches. They offer a level of
treatment that was near the state of the art around the turn of the century but, as you will see, I think
their regimen could be better and at least a third of the price.
I commonly hear that A&M are the pushiest clinic in NZ, you will see a sales consultant at first and
only see their doctor when you sign up for a course of treatment.
I also hear reports of varying costs and durations of treatment. Most commonly reported to me is
$3000 for six months or $4000 for nine months of treatment. Those that turn down the offer report a
series of texts and phone calls over the next few days, each one with the offer of cheaper treatment.
Their rock bottom price seems to be about $1900 for nine months which is $211 a month.
What do you get for your money?
Men receive
• generic finasteride 5mg and be advised to cut the pill into four pieces
• 7% minoxidil with 0.01% retinoic acid (vitamin A)
• A nice cosmetic shampoo and conditioner without any active ingredients
• Saw palmetto berry tablets (the cheapest and least potent form of Saw palmetto).
Women receive spironolactone (usually 100mg) instead of finasteride but the rest of the treatment
appears to be the same (it seems fewer women than men attend A&M so I have had fewer reports)
In addition to the above clients are offered fortnightly laser treatment (studies show ideal frequency is
every second day) and fortnightly “steam treatments” (can’t see how this would grow any hair and hot
steam can damage hair just the same as hot hair dryers or straighteners). They can refer you to a
transplant surgeon.
BOTTOM LINE Good standard of treatment delivered at around 4-10 times the cost it needs to be.
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Clive Hair Clinics
Clive Hair Clinic has been going for about 50 years. Based in Auckland they visit around the country.
They offer treatment which they purport to be drug free but, in fact, this is not always the case.
Patients report to me that they feel that the negatives of drug use are emphasised at Clive Clinic and
the potential of “non-drug” therapies portrayed positively. The staff are trichologists who undergo
training in hair and scalp conditions but are not doctors or nurses. As is common when you are trying
to minimise drug use and still get results you have to use a combination of a lot of different treatments
in the hope that the combined effect of at least some of them will be significant. So the Clive
programme is quite complicated and I will summarise as best I can.
The last report I had from a mystery shopper is that an eight month course of treatment will cost
$3200 although there was some discount for prepaying. As a male he was offered the following
treatment which seems pretty standard:
Treatment Part One – Hygiene Kit
•
•
•
•
“Pre shampoo” containing sulphur (hair keratin contains a lot of sulphur)
Coconut oil based shampoo (avoids sodium laureate sulphate which can irritate the scalp)
A rinse containing “enzyme blockers” (maybe Saw palmetto)
Kankho stimulant containing takanal, azelaic acid, zinc, sulphur and vitamin B6.
Regarding Kankho and its ingredients I have a few opinions.
Takanal is an ingredient introduced in 1968 by Kaminomoto Corporation in Japan. Clive mention that
it seemed to block DHT production in a laboratory cell culture in the 1980s when used in combination
with vitamin B6. I would have thought that if there had been significant results when it was tried on
people we would have heard about it by now. I go to hair research conferences worldwide and some
of them have a Japanese contribution. You really have to admire the hard work and solid research the
Japanese invest in hair loss therapy and, when you meet them, they are very personable and friendly.
While I am not an expert on the Japanese non pharmaceutical hair loss treatment industry I have not
seen any evidence that Kaminomoto Corp is a major player or that Takanal is the state of the art.
Azelaic acid is a drug. It is used in cream form to treat acne, another DHT dependent condition. NZ
pharmaceutical regulations list it as a pharmacy only medicine. Clive Clinic will therefore have a
pharmacist involved in their clinic in order to comply with NZ law.
Topical zinc will reduce DHT levels. Studies using zinc pyrithione shampoo (eg Head and Shoulders)
have shown some improvement in male pattern hair loss.
The usual B vitamins thought to help hair are biotin, pantothenic acid and niacin but vitamin B6
(pyridoxine) may help a little.
That’s my opinion about Kankho. It contains a drug (azelaic acid), some zinc, vitamins and sulphur
and a Japanese ingredient called Takanal. You would expect some people to respond to this
combination and, from patient reports, women tend to respond a little more than men. Still it is not a
very powerful treatment and the price is high.
Treatment Part Two – Hair mineral analysis
I have seen dozens of these and I have never seen one that has actually picked up a significant
mineral toxicity or deficiency. The problem with hair analysis testing is that there is no standardised
method of hair sample collection or lab testing. As every clinic and lab does things differently it is
difficult to rank everyone’s results let alone be sure that they truly do have a deficiency or excess.
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The second difficulty is you cannot be sure how much any result is due to internal mineral levels and
how much is due to shampoo, hair product, water supply or air pollution.
This is why doctor’s do not use hair analysis. Anecdotally some practitioners have reported that they
have improved people’s hair or other aspects of people’s health using hair analysis as part of the
assessment. There is no specific reported medical evidence to support this.
Treatment Part Three – Supplements
Clive Hair Clinic provide a supplement called Pro-Anagen containing zinc, Saw palmetto, vitamin B6
and some other ingredients. There is some evidence to support their use.
Treatment Part Four – In clinic scalp treatments
Fortnightly clinic treatments involving the application of Kankho at increasing concentrations which is
then “electronically massaged” into the scalp. Electronic massage may involve iontophoresis where a
mild electric current is applied to the skin in order to boost the absorption of topical treatments.
Treatment Part Five – Home care
A topical hair growth formula to be used at home which my mystery shopper tells me was described
as containing a “secret blend of 100% natural ingredients.”
Treatment Part Six – Eucapil
Contains fluridil, a drug from the Czech Republic. Fluridil blocks the DHT receptor and small studies
suggest it may be an alternative to oral and topical finasteride. It is registered as a cosmetic in the EU
but awaiting FDA approval as a drug in the USA.
I consider it a drug but it may be that the staff at Clive Hair Clinic consider it a natural therapy. This
process of promoting chemicals as cosmetics rather than drugs is becoming more common.
L’Oreal is probably the company that does the most of this with the minoxidil analogue Aminexil and
also Stemoxydine in their Densifique product. Companies bypass expensive drug trials and get
products to market faster and at a cheaper price.
Here is a link to the clinical trial of fluridil: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12174057
The cost of eight months treatment at Clive Clinic when last checked was $3200. If at the end of eight
months there was no result then $1400 is refunded. Your quoted price may vary.
Advanced Hair Studio
The clinic that gave you Strand by Strand, the hairpiece reportedly worn by Martin Crowe and Shane
Warne.
These hairpieces have a base composed of a fine mesh through which your own hair is pulled
through. They need adjusting about once a month and you usually buy two, so that one is being
cleaned while you wear the other. Hairpieces and hair systems can be a good option for those who
are in the public eye. Brendan Fraser and John Travolta are reported to use this sort of device
although I do not have definite evidence of this. The Daily Mail reports that Shane Warne and Martin
Crowe use them.
www.hairdoctor.co.nz
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The prices at AHS, however, are on the hefty side. If you are male and decide to go down the
hairpiece road I recommend Jo Muru at www.kiwihair.co.nz. Jo used to work at one of the hair clinics
but now works for herself. She offers exceptional service without the hefty Hair Clinic prices.
AHS ’s Auckland premises are in Benedict’s Street, near to SRS Clinic. The Hair Solutions Clinic
moved in upstair’s from my office. It seems that we hair loss clinics like to bunch up together.
My mystery shopper was not considered ready for Strand by Strand and was offered the following
programme instead:
• Laser treatment twice weekly for a month, weekly for two months then monthly for three
months
• 5% minoxidil twice daily
• Saw palmetto dry fruit (berries again) capsules
• Shampoo and thickening serum containing Saw palmetto, panthenol and wheat amino acids
• Antioxidant tablets
The cost quoted was $3250 for six months or $541.66 a month. If after six months you want to
convert to the hairpiece it will only cost you $3250 rather than the usual cost of $6500. AHS also refer
to hair transplant surgeons in Australia.
SRS Hair Clinic
SRS is a family run clinic originally based in Christchurch, now in Auckland, which manufactures hair
treatments from Indian Ayurvedic herbs.
There are a few studies which show increased hair growth from Ayurvedic herbs, in particular Cuscuta
reflexa, Citrullus colocynthis, and Eclipta alba. In the few small studies done on rats the magnitude of
the benefit of a combined regimen of these Ayurvedic herbs was about equal to 2% topical minoxidil
(see links at the bottom of the page.
When I attend hair research conferences there are always many reports of various herbal and algae
based treatments that give results similar to 2% minoxidil. The trouble is that this level of result is not
that powerful and is not usually enough to improve the hair of most people. Few make it to market
because few people are prepared to keep buying treatment with that level of effect.
I cannot say how powerful SRS treatments are as they do not report their ingredient list or the clinical
trial data they base their treatment regimen on. SRS clinic were able to inform my Mystery Shopper of
the risks of medical treatment but did not remind him that studies show that it is more effective than
Ayurvedic herbal treatment.
SRS clinic also do not warn about the risks and side effects of Ayurvedic herbal treatment. The main
risk is heavy metal toxicity of the herbal extracts. I have seen no evidence that SRS treatments have
high doses of heavy metals and I am sure that they take all necessary measures to ensure the safety
of their treatments. Nevertheless heavy metal exposure and toxicity from Ayurvedic medicines is
documented. If you visit their clinic you should check this point.
SRS clinic state that their treatments have no side effects. The NZ drug safety agency Medsafe has
documented a case of chemical burn of the scalp occurring as a result of hair loss treatment with
Ayurvedic herbs. Link: http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUArticles/Sept2013HairLoss.htm
The price? My mystery shopper was quoted a price of $1664 for 6 months of Healthy Hair Tonic and
shampoo. Other prices of $2530 for nine months and $3320 for 12 months were available at the time
of his visit.
My mystery shopper noted that the staff at SRS Clinic were all lovely people although some of their
hair looked a little on the thin side.
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On a final note I once took them up on the challenge listed on their website to any other hair clinic to a
“head to head” contest of treatments. At the time I contacted them they said that they had to
respectfully decline as they were dealing with the effects of the Christchurch earthquakes. We have
not been back in touch since although I will probably make contact again in 2015.
Links to Ayurvedic herb studies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17524127
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19481595
Hair Solutions Clinic
These are the guys on the next floor up from our office.
Hair Solutions used to be called Hair Choice. The information below relates to when they operated as
Hair Choice. They may have changed their offerings recently. This clinic, like ours, only operates in
Auckland.
Hair Choice offers:
• Medical treatment including laser treatment
• Hairpieces
• Referral for hair transplant
My mystery shopper was offered finasteride tablets and minoxidil liquid but was told he would have to
see a doctor for a prescription and buy them himself from a chemist. Hair Choice would then
reimburse him. If he chose not to use finasteride they would provide Nutra-Life Prostate Complete
Saw palmetto as an alternative at the same price. Like Ashley and Martin this product uses the weak
fruit (berry) form of Saw palmetto rather than the more effective extract. It also has some other herbal
ingredients, zinc and selenium.
They also supply American Crew Trichology Hair Recovery shampoo. This contains hop, rosemary
and chestnut extract plus biotin. These ingredients may help male and female pattern hair loss.
The last medical treatment provided by Hair Choice is laser therapy. This occurs in the clinic weekly
for three months then monthly for the rest of your year. As you probably know the ideal frequency of
laser therapy is at least very second day.
And the cost? My mystery shopper was quoted a price of $3200 for 12 months treatment. When he
expressed his view that he thought the cost a little on the high side it was reduced to $2500. My
mystery shopper described Hair Choice as the second pushiest clinic he visited (after Ashley and
Martin). They did offer a money back guarantee though.
The Hair Institute
Located in Mt Wellington in Auckland in a converted house. The Hair Instutue offers weekly laser
treatment. My Mystery Shopper understood that they offered him a serum containing the pharmacy
only medicine minoxidil and the prescription medicine finasteride. If this is indeed the case it would be
illegal without a doctor’s prescription. Free haircuts are included in the programme.
The cost? My Mystery Shopper was offered a price of $380 a month.
www.hairdoctor.co.nz
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Action Hair Clinic
This is your old school hair clinic.
This clinic offers home and in-clinic laser therapy, herbal and vitamin supplements. It is based in
Pakuranga in Auckland. Apart from laser therapy they offer shampoo, conditioner and hair serums
containing essential oils as well as Saw palmetto (the effective extract not the ineffective berries which
is a nice change). There is some evidence that essential oils help grow hair. Prices were thought to be
reasonable and they were not accused of being pushy by my mystery shopper. Summary
So there you have it, my opinion and my Mystery Shopper’s opinion of the various Hair Clinics. Please
let me know if you have information you can add to help others.
www.hairdoctor.co.nz
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