baldness prevention

I am balding and I need help!

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I Am Balding

Looks fine, right?

No, look again. I’m balding at the top and have heaps of dandruff to boot! I’m 35 years of age. I didn’t expect time to creep up on me so quickly. I honestly thought that my (past) uninhibited and hedonistic lifestyle will kill me before I hit 30 and I’ve said so many times on this very blog. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. I’m still alive.

Dad

Unfortunately, that means I have to deal with certain things about aging. Like balding, for instance. I have male pattern baldness and it’s hereditary. My dad is almost bald and most of my uncles are sporting a shiny pate. I’ll be like that too, if genetics have a thing or two to say about it.

Svensons MV

However, genetics doesn’t mean that you just have to sit back and take what’s coming to you. You can actually thwart genes (like Angelina Jolie famously did) and to a less extreme extent, I have done the same too.

Svensons

I went for a hair loss prevention session at Svenson in Mid Valley during 2011 and that has helped arrest my condition to a large extent. I have seen a lot of good things happen to my scalp and hair during the 10 weeks of my treatment and now I’m back for more!

OxyDH Treatment

I’m on a more intensive treatment this time, involving lots more stuff so I’ll be writing about it as I go along.

My Scalp

This is the latest look at my scalp (2015)

I had a YouTube video of the same process during 2011 and things are getting better but during the ensuing years, I have not maintained optimal hair treatment discipline and things are not looking as good as they should be.

Svenson Mary

Mary is back as my consultant! I’m really glad to have her on board, she’s been giving me great advice about my hair and I love how she’s straight with me – there are no miracles in hair loss treatment, anyone doing that is probably fraudulent, but there are many things you can do to prevent hair loss.

I have gone through a few sessions and it’s nice to meet the same people I have gotten acquainted with four years ago. I’ll share with you the treatments that I’m getting and we’ll see how it all works out at the end. I’m going twice a week and I started with the Oxy DH Therapy.

Svenson Jet Treatment

Oxy DH Therapy delivers 95% pure oxygen to the deepest layer of hair root to enhance blood circulation and assist in the penetration and absorption of their proprietary DH Hair Concentrate Serum – it’s applied to my scalp with 3 miniature jets at supersonic speeds.

OxyDH Jet

This basically peels off the outer layer of your skin at the scalp and removes excess sebum (which causes hair loss).

Svenson Corrective Fluid

There are are 30 vials of Corrective Liquid which is applied after that. You can actually bring home and apply yourself if you’re very busy. This serum is the stuff that encourages hair growth and is the bedrock of all treatments here. However, it’s advisable for the good people at Svenson to do it, for one simple reason:

Svenson Green Serum

You can’t see the back of your head. 🙂 Seriously, they can do it much better than you can at home. Also, in conjunction of Svenson celebration of their 59th Years of Crowning Glory; in the month of June, you can enjoy the Hair & Scalp Rescue Therapy at only RM 59 and you’ll also get a Laser Treatment for free!

Svenson Serum

It’s been great for me so far. You can head over to the Svenson website or the Svenson Facebook page if you want to know more about their treatments. Otherwise, you can also call Svenson’s helpline @ 1800 22 833 for information and make your appointment to enjoy their awesome treatment!

Svensons Treatment

It’s for both males and females. I’ve seen both during my time there and they run the gamut from young to old. I’ll talk more about the advanced Micro Transdermal Therapy I was talking about soon and we’ll see what I look like at the end of all this.

It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure!

The aftermath

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I’ve always washed my hair like this:

wrong

I believe kung fu experts call this the Tiger Claw stance. smirk

It doesn’t do much in the way of getting your scalp clean. It’s just that I’ve tutored under a false master (namely, me) and no one ever bothered to tell me that it’s the wrong way to shampoo your hair. You’re basically using your fingernails to quickly rake through your hair, making as much foam as possible before moving on.

correct

I am now using the correct method – employing only the very tips of my fingers (kinda like playing a guitar) to methodically cover the entire scalp.

I think the switch from using soap to proper shampoo on my hair did a world of good too. 😉

It’s strange how quickly one can break a bad habit and adopt new methods.

It is done.

svenson review

I have gone through all 10 sessions, showing up every Tuesday and Thursday at Svenson for hair loss prevention treatments.

I have used their shampoo and conditioner twice a day with correct washing techniques.

It’s now time to evaluate how the Svenson treatments go.

scan

You might remember this photo from the first time I went to Svenson to get my scalp checked.

final-magnifying

This is what I look like now. I’m told it’s the real color of my scalp – pink. I’ve finally gotten through the gunk from years of abuse and the pores have started to open up again.

final steaming

The best part is that I can wear black clothing without having to consciously brush away annoying dandruff from my shoulders (and completely missing my back) every hour or so. Heh! My dandruff is gone and my oily scalp is under control. It only takes one brushing hand through my hair to realize that – it no longer comes off greasy and smelling of a weird odor but clean, as it should be.

final massage

I’ll be completely honest, I sometimes forget to shampoo and I STILL have a clean scalp when the magnifier is used. I’m sometimes half tempted to apologize first before going under the magnifier but I decided to let it go and see what it shows. It’s quite amazing, the Svenson treatments is pretty forgiving of lapses like this – the disciplined treatment schedule ensures that my scalp remains clean. 😀

treatments done

It really works. Despite my initial skepticism over such treatments, I kept going for the treatment sessions and I come to proclaim that Svenson delivers on its promises. Naturally, the dead zones (where my pores have closed completely) is still hairless, but the bits they could save is regenerating healthy hair – not the thin, sickly hair of before but strong, thick strands of hair follicle.

hairstyle

I would seriously recommend it to people who are balding or exhibiting the signs of balding – itchy scalp, oily scalp, dandruff and the sort. I’m a happy customer and Svenson has outlets throughout Malaysia so you might want to seek help or at least an initial assessment if you’re having the same problems.

dna

I also noticed a banner at their MidValley outlet one day and asked about it. It is of interest to me since I have genetic male pattern baldness too – both my grandparents (maternal and paternal), uncles and father started balding early. Svenson launched their new DNA Genetic Hair Loss Test recently and you can still get the introductory price of RM 120 if you’re curious as to whether you have a predisposition towards baldness.

mousse

You know the old adage. Prevention is better than cure. This is very true when it comes to hair coz as I said, the part where the hair follicles have completely closed up cannot be salvaged. Svenson can do wonders even if you have genetic factors towards baldness so perhaps you’ll want to drop by one of their outlets to take it.

…and there’s always the chance to win a hair treatment package if you’re too attached to your wallet to part with any of the notes. 😉 You can get a FREE hair assessment just by participating so there’s a good reason to participate in the Save My Hair contest.

thanks

Trust me, you won’t regret it. I’m would like to thank Chiou Mei and all of the Svenson MidValley team (Mary, Mun, Connie, Michelle, May and the rest – sorry if I left anyone out) for the great service and for putting up with me. It’s a really nice place where you can read the latest magazines while chilling out and getting your hair treatments and you never feel pressured to leave after that.

may

They’ll even help you style your hair if you want too – a very convenient offer that I took advantage of when I schedule my appointments before an event. Truly, service with a smile (and more). 🙂

chillax

You can read my initial contact here and join the Save My Hair contest where every participant will win at least one hair assessment here.

I am balding!

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balding me

I have come to expect it but I never realized the extent of the damage until I was shown the crater sized bald patch on the dome of my head. I can’t exactly see the top of my skull myself so I’ve always assumed it was of little significance, until I started getting more and more comments about it. -_-

steamer

This is compounded by the fact that I’m a typical male – using soap for everything. Yes, I use soap to wash my hair too. I don’t have shampoo or other hair care products coz I’m lazy to go through the laborious steps in the shower.

direct

I had all the signs – dandruff, oily scalp and visible balding. I am balding from the top and front so I figured there’s nothing much I can do anyway. In fact, I think I’ve come to accept that I’m balding and would go for hair implants when it shows too much.

However, I was galvanized into action when I heard the balding process CAN be reversible, if treated early.

massage hand

I have to admit, I have my doubts about baldness prevention treatments due to the plethora of offerings out there claiming to be able to give you a robust mane of hair – the fountain of youth for follicles, if you will.

svenson

I was introduced to Svenson (which started out in London) and decided to give their hair treatments a go, to see how well it performs. I reckon I didn’t have anything to lose anyway (no pun intended) so I made an appointment and headed over to their center opposite Boulevard Hotel in MidValley.

magnify

Mary was the consultant that I encountered during my first visit there. I was impressed that she gave me all the facts and made no extravagant claims or promises. She did a scan of my scalp using this magnifier which enlarges everything to 200x magnification.

My scalp really looks horrible – it’s clogged with sediments and the new hair follicles are getting thinner and thinner – a sure sign of unhealthy hair and impending baldness.

before
Before

She was very straight with me – she told me the treatments can save the hair that’s still alive and healthy but they’re not miracle workers.

balding

The bits where the follicles have totally closed off is un-salvagable. I really appreciate the honesty of Svenson – they don’t make ridiculous promises they can’t keep, unlike other hair treatments I’ve heard about.

svenson products

The first session involved an intensive therapy to get my hair back in order.

shampoo

The nice lady attending to me first shampooed me twice before applying conditioner.

steaming

My head was put under a steamer to open up the hair follicles.

pen

I was then treated with cooling saline solution – this was done via a pen like contraption ejecting a fine stream of mist.

This procedure is to wash away and clean the gunk off my scalp.

serum

Svenson then applied their serum using the OxyDH machine after all the washing for better absorption. The precision of the pen allows them to go through my hair and scalp inch by inch.

corrective fluid

Corrective fluid was then applied using a brush without washing off the serum…

…and massaged into the open and inviting hair follicles.

massage

A machine vibrator (get your mind out of the gutter) is then used to massage in all the goods. You’re supposed to leave the treatment in for 8 hours before washing.

shampoo conditioner

I was given shampoo and conditioner by Svenson (which costs RM 80 each) to use in an effort to salvage what’s left of my hair and return it to it’s former crowning glory. 😀

after
After

There was a post-treatment scan and the difference, as they say, is crystal clear. You can’t even see my scalp from the scan before the procedure and now you can see the natural pink scalp vividly like a raunchy cabaret show. 😉

svenson after

I am pretty impressed with what I’ve seen so far. I am scheduled for 10 treatment sessions and I’ll write a review about it when I’m done with it to see how it goes in the end. It’s all about constant maintenance though, as Mary reminds me, so I’ll have to do my part in shampooing twice a day and applying conditioner properly as well.

oxydh

The treatment sessions takes an hour each and there’s consultation before that so it doesn’t take up a lot of time but it’ll require commitment. I’m going twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ll be honest with you guys – I am worried about going bald despite the stanch don’t-give-a-shit attitude that I exude.

I think it does subconsciously affect my self confidence since I’ve long thought about hair implants when I started balding started during my university days. I’m glad to report that there is a way to stop baldness but you’ll have to go before it’s too late.

treatment

…and with that, I have a bit of good news to share. Svenson is having a Save My Hair contest on their Facebook page – drop by and see if you can if can win the full hair care treatment prize. There are 10 to be given out and if you’re ever curious about the state of your hair, just join their Facebook page and vote for one of the contestants to get a complimentary hair and scalp analysis.

I’ve always distrusted “Before” and “After” photos coz they tend to be Photoshopped and/or taken with bad angles/lighting/dressing. However, considering the fact that you all know my Photoshop skillz is practically nonexistent – I present to you:

before-after

Word.

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