Hair loss (alopecia) affects about eight million women in the UK and is invariably distressing. One of the most common types, particularly in older women, is all-over thinning known as androgenic alopecia (female pattern baldness), which seldom improves on its own. A colleague of mine, now in her 50s, started suffering post-menopause. After trying various over-the-counter supplements and haircare products, she consulted trichologist Philip Kingsley’s London clinic. Here’s her report. ‘My curls used to be so thick that a man on the Tube once said, “Please get your hair out of my face”. It started to deflate after the menopause, then one day I noticed glimpses of pink scalp. Holding mirrors over my head revealed a general thinning. ‘For a while, I tried different pills and potions, which made virtually no difference.

Feeling desperate, I remembered that when my mother had some hair loss she found help from Philip Kingsley’s clinic, so I booked an appointment. First came a consultation with trichologist Carole Michaelides. We discussed my general health, diet and fitness (tick, tick, tick). Carole explained that in my case the problem was lower oestrogen levels and simply getting older.

Every client is sent for a blood test to reveal any imbalances or deficiencies. The key to Kingsley’s treatment is a nightly application of drops to prolong your hair’s growth phase; these are formulated depending on the results of the blood test.

Next, therapist Jenny Dye massaged in an Intensive Scalp Treatment mask, then smoothed on Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. She then instructed me to use these two products weekly to cleanse and stimulate the scalp. ‘I have followed this regime for seven months now, and my hair has started looking thicker. I can still see glimpses of scalp but it looks like my parting rather than anything more dramatic and people comment on how luxuriant my hair looks.’

Philip Kingsley Clinic/020-7629 4004/ www.philipkingsley.co.uk. Consultation/£275; salon treatment/£75; drops, from £55; Elasticizer, from £15, and Intensive Scalp Treatment, £21.

IN NEED OF A FIBRE FIX?

A reader who had chronic constipation despite consuming lots of water and vegetables recommends Complete Fiber Cleanse. ‘It works effectively without giving me a headache, unlike remedies from the chemist.’ Pharmacist Shabir Daya says it is safe to take long term. It costs £18.50 for 16 8g at www.victoriahealth.com - buy here.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK - www.crysiblinggrief.org

Every week in the UK, 12 young people die from an undiagnosed heart condition, often leaving siblings whose grief may be less noticed than the parents. Bereavement experts at CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young, www.c-r-y.org.uk) have produced a downloadable booklet Sibling Grief, which tells the stories of ten of these forgotten mourners.