http://www.trichology.uk.com/ en-gb Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:52:51 GMT http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/June-2008/Important-News-about-Toxins.aspx http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/June-2008/Important-News-about-Toxins.aspx Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:13:49 GMT Recent research by academics at the school of medicine at Queen Mary University of London and published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (Volume 128, May 2008) has linked pollution as a contributing factor to hair loss. They have found that toxins in polluted air can be absorbed into the blood stream and then into the hair follicle and could restrict hair growing by blocking mechanisms that produce the protein from which hair is made. Over 20 years ago Peter realised that in many patients something appeared to be restricting or interfering with hair growth and felt it could be toxins from alcohol, food colouring, flavouring, preservatives, tobacco, medication or air pollution. He then spent two years researching and experimenting with different combinations of oils, various dilutions and different quantities of treatments. As a result he developed a unique method of detoxifying the scalp by applying essential oils from plants and flowers to acupuncture points on the scalp, a combination of aromatherapy and acupressure. Most approaches such as homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal, nutrition and allergy specialists etc will often detoxify the body before healing can commence. Peter found a way of detoxifying the scalp to allow the healing, self-righting powers to function again. By removing the impurities, the hair could grow unhindered and subsequent treatments could penetrate more easily and therefore be more effective. http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/April-2008/Embarrassing-Illnesses--Channel-4-programme.aspx http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/April-2008/Embarrassing-Illnesses--Channel-4-programme.aspx Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:47:22 GMT Peter J. Bannister M.I.B. Trichologist Peter Bannister has acquired an enviable reputation in the natural treatment world for his pioneering work with patients suffering with debilitating hair and skin disorders. Initially a hairdresser by trade, Peter recognised the frustration of many of his clients who struggled to find effective treatment for their conditions. Now Peter is taking his treatments to the wider public with his appearances on the Channel 4 programme Embarrassing Bodies at 9pm on Thursday 1st May. On Thursday’s programme, Peter takes one of the four balding patients, Rob, who suffers from Androgenetic Male Pattern baldness. Male relations on both sides of Rob’s family lost their hair so the prognosis was not good. However, even after only a short period of treatment with Peter, Rob’s hair loss has reduced and the short, weak hair that was dying appears to be recovering and growing stronger. Microscopic examination under polarised light on the initial consultation and again three months later confirmed that there has been a 50% improvement. Peter's treatment of hair and skin is based on a natural approach called La Biosthetique ® (Biosthetics®) in which particular essential oils are applied to acupressure points to alleviate and control the underlying causes of the disorder and allow systems within the scalp to function normally. Peter has over twenty years experience helping patients to lead more comfortable lives, many of whom had been told that nothing could be done to improve their condition. Peter practises at:- The Hale Clinic 7 Park Crescent London W1B 1PF 01277 824295 The Brentwood Clinic of Complementary Medicine 31 Shenfield Road Brentwood Essex CM15 8AG 01277 824295 http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/February-2008/Embarrassing-Illnesss--Channel-Four.aspx http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/February-2008/Embarrassing-Illnesss--Channel-Four.aspx Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:21:45 GMT Peter is taking part in the Channel Four programme ‘Embarrassing Bodies’. The idea of the programme is to take the embarrassment out of certain conditions by inviting men to seek treatment, thus removing the often self-perceived stigma of their problem and helping fellow sufferers by raising awareness of the help available. In Peter’s episode there are four balding guys having different treatment for hair loss, one is having a transplant, one laser treatment, one medication for hair loss and one having Peter’s natural treatment called Biosthetics. His patient, Rob, has Androgenetic Male Pattern baldness, the men on both his mother and father’s side of the family lost their hair so the prognosis was not good. However, after a short period of treatment the hair loss has reduced and short, weak hair that was dying appears to be recovering and growing stronger. It is still early days but Peter feels he has slowed the deterioration and stabilised his condition. He is therefore confident that he can keep Rob’s hair for longer. We will be updating progress at regular intervals. http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/April-2008/The-Times--Body-and-Soul-Hair-gone-today-back-tomorrow.aspx http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/April-2008/The-Times--Body-and-Soul-Hair-gone-today-back-tomorrow.aspx Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:11:03 GMT IT WORKS FOR ME BIOSTHETIC AROMATHERAPY In search for a cure for Baldness, one City boy discovered ‘biosthetics’. It performed miracles, he tells Emma Mahony Working in the City, Tim Price’s preferred hairstyle at the beginning of 2002 was a slicked-back Gordon Gekko look. At 27 years old, he had no reason to fear losing his hair earlier than the average male, over half of whom are affected by hair loss after 40, even if there was male pattern baldness on both sides of the family. But when a flatmate tactfully pointed out ‘Oi mate, you’re going bald’, he started to worry. ‘It was distressing, I found myself looking at my mates’ heads to see if they were losing hair too’ says Price. The bald patch on his head grew bigger. One day, in 2003, he found himself counting 48 hairs going down the drain. Price typed the words ‘hair loss’ into Google and was hit by a bewildering array of products and treatments. As with the common cold, a cure for baldness is the holy grail for many pharmaceutical companies and new products appear annually in the shops. He was concerned that his hair loss might get worse with some of the chemical treatments on offer and was ‘too scared to consider electrical currants or transplants’. He could find little in the way of natural alternatives until one day he heard a radio advert for hair loss at The Hale Clinic, in Central London. He reached for the phone. The treatment on offer was called ‘biosthetic aromatherapy’ and was developed by a French biologist, Marcel Contier, in the 1940s. It involves the application of essential oils to acupressure points on the scalp to correct and control the underlying cause of hair loss and to encourage self-healing. There are about 3,000 practitioners in Europe. At Price’s first consultation with Peter Bannister, a master Biosthetician, at The Hale Clinic, strands of his hair were examined under a microscope to see the effect of hormones and lack of vitamins and minerals on the hair bulb. Then from a range of 18 shampoos in the Biosthetic range, Bannister, who started out as a hairdresser 30 years earlier, selected the most appropriate to treat Price’s condition. ‘I was at my lowest point when I met Peter Bannister’, says Price. ‘By then my scalp was looking red, and although I washed my hair every day with baby shampoo, within hours it would be greasy again. My hair was changing; in some places it was course, in others flyaway’. Bannister said that Price was suffering from increased sensitivity of certain hair follicles to dihydrotesterone, the hormone known to cause male-pattern baldness. We are all born with between 90,000 and 120,000 hair follicles on our heads, about 1,000 hairs per square inch (6.5sq cm). The length of time each hair lasts is between six months and five years. Alcohol, food additives, tobacco, medication, toxins from pollution are all secreted through the scalp, as well as stress hormones, and if the scalp loses the ability to rid itself of these toxins, they can get back into the hair and attack it,’ claims Bannister. His methods involve detoxifying the scalp to create a healthier environment for the hair to grow. Biosthetic aromatherapy treatment usually involves seven weekly sessions. At every session Bannister would massage oils, which included camomile, bergamot, thyme and witch hazel, into the acupressure points of Price’s scalp, ending each of the sessions with a neck massage, which Bannister claims helps to eliminate toxins. Price was then sent home with special shampoos to use four times a week, which he would massage into his dry hair and leave for several minutes to deep-cleanse before rinsing out. ‘Within months, I noticed that my scalp didn’t itch so much,’ says Price. ‘It no longer felt hot or tight.’ Most importantly, his hair began to grow back. ‘It would start with a small red spot, followed by a downy hair, which would fall out and be replaced by thicker hair.’ Now, two years later, Price claims his hair is back to normal and he feels more confident. However, not everyone is convinced by this method. Marilyn Sherlock, the chairwoman of the Institute of Trichologists, says: There is no clinical evidence to prove the things that Biostheticians claim.’ She is not sure that Price’s case really was male-pattern baldness; it might perhaps have been some other scalp disorder. ‘If there is a scalp disorder that clears, then that can enable hair regrowth to come out but not for male-pattern baldness,’ she says. Although Price says progress has been slow and gradual, he is ‘happy not to see my hair going down the plughole’. And the Gordon Gekko look? I’m looking forward to trying that again’. The bald truth What is it? Biosthetic aromatherapy is a natural method developed by the French biologist Marcel Contier, which involves the application of essential oils (natural plant oils obtained by distillation) to acupressure points on the scalp to correct and control the underlying cause of hair loss and encourage self-healing, before any feeding or stimulation of the hair. Suitable for men, women and children with psoriasis of the scalp, eczema, alopecia, sensitive skin, thinning hair, dandruff, dermatitis and male-pattern baldness. Cost As treatment is personalised, costs vary between £450 and £750 over a six month period. In most cases a combination of home and clinical treatments is recommended. An initial one-hour consultation is £70. Contact Peter Bannister, the Hale Clinic, 7 Park Crescent, London, W1 (01277 824295; www.trichology.uk.com). For a list of Biostheticians, write to Regina Eaton, the secretary of the British Biosthetic Society, 21-22 Cross Street, Preston, Lancashire. Or e-mail her at michaelregina@eatons.fsbusiness.co.uk WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE? DR TOBY MURCOTT Can biosthetic aromatherapy halt male-pattern baldness? There is little published research. One study in 2003, on 93 patients at the University of Montpelier, France, suggests that aromatherapy oils might help. They had regular massages with essential oils followed by low intensity electro-magnetic pulses. This combined approach appeared to work better than placebo. It is, though, different from Price’s treatment. Could it help other hair loss conditions? There is research that suggests that conventional aromatherapy may be effective for alopecia areata, a disease which attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. A 1998 trial of 86 patients, at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, found that massage with aromatherapy oils produced an improvement in 44 per cent of the patients, compared with 6 per cent receiving a dummy treatment. Is it the essential oils? Essential oils contain hundreds of plant chemicals so even if, say, thyme used in both the above trials on Price, was the active ingredient, it’s impossible to say which chemical made the difference without further research. Dr Toby Murcott is a former BBC science correspondent. This article was first published by the Times Newspaper. http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/March-2008/Extracted-from-Choice-magazine.aspx http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/March-2008/Extracted-from-Choice-magazine.aspx Sun, 11 Mar 2007 11:35:54 GMT Hair is a very tricky subject. If it is thinning, then falls out and leaves bald patches, it's not only very worrying but can make you embarrassed to seek help. Perhaps it appears where you do or don't need it. These are all too common problems for men and women at any age, but over 50 it can seem much worse, especially if you think it is related to ageing. In one way, it is - but it doesn't mean you can't do something to change it. People (GPs included) don't talk easily about the subject, or even take it as seriously as a sufferer does, which is why for this special section of Choice we investigated different approaches you could consider. Peter James Bannister was a hairdresser who learned early on in his career how sensitive an area the head is. He also realised how little information there was about scalp problems (such as hair loss, bald patches and dandruff) and saw how it affected people emotionally. He is now a skin specialist and trichologist and a leading practitioner of a French method of natural treatment for hair, scalp and skin disorders. He has achieved some amazing results. The method is called La Biosthetique, an overall hair, scalp and skin programme developed over 50 years ago by Marcel Contier. His Visaromes which correct and control skin and scalp abnormalities are a 'synergy of essential oils ... which, uniquely, are water soluble'. The methods of application - ZAP for the scalp and ZAPELS for the face - 'send messages via the superficial nervous system to calm, stimulate or soothe'. Peter Bannister had already found the acupuncture points and meridians of the head in trying to help people who came to his salon and was massaging in essential oils. Biosthetic Aromatherapy took him on into greater understanding, following the principles of correcting underlying causes to encourage self healing. "I had always thought hair or skin problems came from the inside, which they do to a certain extent, but I discovered they could be helped from the outside" he explained. "The scalp is one of the areas through which the body emits waste - but the toxins can't get out if the follicles are blocked and congested. I don't try and just make the surface better. I get into the follicles with the right essential oils for the person. It is very personalised and there is no one oil for all." After the follicles are clear, the nurturing begins, with lotions that supply vitamins and minerals and a non-aggressive way of shampooing with the chosen shampoo. "I give you the best chance of stopping deterioration," he said, "and improvements will be gradual." http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/March-2008/Independant-on-Sunday-Body-Tressed-out.aspx http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/March-2008/Independant-on-Sunday-Body-Tressed-out.aspx Sun, 05 Dec 2004 11:38:19 GMT Nicola Curtis had always been proud of her long, thick, shiny, chocolate-brown hair. So, when she was just 29, she was horrified to find it coming out in handfuls. Distraught, she consulted a doctor who arranged various medical tests, but nothing showed up. Her GP put it down to stress and told her to relax. Over the next few months, Curtis's hair continued to thin badly. It affected her confidence and eventually she could no longer leave the house without a hat. Now, a year on, her hair is growing back thick and strong again. And the cure? Biosthetic aromatherapy - a new, natural way to treat hair loss. To read the full story please click on the link below: http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/March-2008/Eczema-of-the-Scalp-and-Skin-by-Peter-Bannister.aspx http://www.trichology.uk.com/News/March-2008/Eczema-of-the-Scalp-and-Skin-by-Peter-Bannister.aspx Thu, 02 Jan 2003 11:36:59 GMT As a hairdresser and owner of a hairdressing salon, clients often asked me if I could help with their hair and scalp disorders. Unfortunately, I did not know the answers, but I did become aware of just how distressing some of these disorders could be. I decided to test a range of natural hair, scalp and skin products called Biosthetics, produced by eminent French biologist Marcel Contier, which are based on essential oils, amino acids and minerals etc. During the following years of study and research, my treatments became increasingly helpful to my clients. I knew I was on the right course with a natural treatment for psoriasis and Eczema without side-effects, but where could I go from here? For the full story please click on the link below: