Dubai: If you’re losing hair and have run out of ideas on what you should do, a new clinic from Denmark could just be the place for you.
Launched in October, 2012, the Hårklinikken clinic on Jumeirah Beach Road claims it has already helped over 300 residents with its founder Lars Skjøth having assessed around 65,000 patients in the last 21 years.
“Hair loss and thinning of hair are more extensive in the Middle East and in the UAE because people have a poorer diet which may influence general health and hormone imbalances. The water can also have an impact on hair quality,” said Skjøth, adding that the social and personal importance of hair is far greater in the Middle East than in the West.
According to him, the unique Hårklinikken treatment is either product-based or entails transplantation. In the first case, a customised liquid extract is used which contains specific combinations of plant proteins and complexes of amino acids, minerals and fatty acids.
Feel at home
“Treatment takes place at home and needs to be maintained for some time once desired results are achieved. The extract is applied every night and rinsed out with special shampoos and conditioners in the morning. Then we have follow-up consultations,” said Skjøth.
He added: “Over the last 10 years, Hårklinikken has also developed unique hair transplantation techniques using the principles of Follicular Unit Extraction carried out by Dr George Zontos (chief surgeon at Hårklinikken Copenhagen) who has done more than 2,700 procedures. They allow for each hair follicle (up to 7,000) to be removed from the donor site and transplanted one by one with minimally invasive instruments. Skin heals very rapidly and results are seen after six-eight months.”
Hårklinikken has developed a more specialised LHFUE or Long Hair Follicular Unit Extraction procedure where long hairs are extracted from the donor site and placed in between existing long hairs.
“This is an attractive option for those who wish to avoid trimming of the hair. Although LHFUE is an extremely advanced and complex procedure, we are able to extract and place as many as 4,000 hair in one seven-eight hour session.”
While the charges for product-based treatment begin at Dh500, transplant costs could be around Dh30,000. The initial consultation is free.
Skjøth said approximately 70 per cent of his patients are women although both men and women experience hair thinning. The male pattern is more visible because it is faster and is concentrated in specific areas like the temples and crown, whereas women lose hair all over the head at the same time and often do not notice it until 20-50 per cent of their hair has been lost.
Skjøth said the causes of hair loss do not differ between races. Genetics, hormones and environmental factors along with lifestyle and hairstyling habits play a role.
“There are a high number of genetic hair loss cases in Caucasians, but hair loss from pulling is prevalent among Afro-Caribbeans due to braiding and straightening of the hair. While Asians tend to be less susceptible to hair loss, it is becoming more common as their lifestyles become more westernised and Asian women are more likely to notice thinning compared to their Caucasian and Afro-Caribbean counterparts,” he added.
