I wish to outline a recent experience I had with the well-known Hair Clinic in New Zealand and Australia called “Clives Clinics.†http://www.cliveclinics.com
I wish to do so in such a way that I do not slander them, nor caricature them unnecessarily, but to highlight some of my concerns with this clinic.
These clinics advertise their trichology treatments extensively in this part of the world, with lots of expensive advertising. They recently celebrated their 50th anniversary. For these reasons, I believed they would be my best option for exploring hair loss treatment plans.
I visited the Auckland City clinic in May 204, after becoming concerned with general thinning and a receding hair line. I am a 35 year old male and felt too young to be going bald.
During my consultation, I was told that the clinic could help with my hair loss and were my best answer since they were drug-free and only used natural products. For their standard eight month treatment plan, they quoted me $2520 NZD, or $2150 NZD if I paid the total amount upfront. I was told that on completion, and to maintain the benefits, I would be required to continue with a general maintenance programme. Feeling desperate about my falling hair, I borrowed the money from my parents and commenced the treatment. I was a poor student at the time
After signing up, they promptly took a hair analysis to check for various deficiencies and possible reasons for the hair loss (this was sent to Chicago for extensive tests). I told them at the time that I believed my hair loss was mainly due to stress and genes, but the trichologist said the loss was most likely due to toxic build-ups and mineral deficiencies since he said I was experiencing diffuse hair loss. He said the analysis would reveal these problems and would enable him to correctly combat them with the right products. However, the analysis, as I suspected, showed my hair loss was not to be caused by these factors. My hair condition showed my hair to be in generally good health.
Meanwhile, I had started the rest of the rigorous treatment regime they gave me which required that I:
-Use their scalp cleanser 5-7 times per week to cleanse the scalp while showering
-Use their mild shampoo 5-7 times per week after the scalp cleanser
-Finish the shampoo process with their special conditioner 5-7 times per week to condition the hair and block the DHT enzyme
-As well, twice a week, I was required to massage a variety of nutrient solutions into the scalp for around 10 minutes to strengthen and nourish the follicles
-Daily, I was prescribed copious quantities of ‘Clives’ vitamins to make in order to make the treatment more effective (these were supplied by the clinic at extra expense)
I was also required to:
-Administer a daily scalp massage to myself of around 2 minute’s duration morning and night
-Spray the areas of thinning twice daily with their ‘Tanko’ spray which they claimed would promote hair growth and further block any DHT
-Visit their clinic weekly for a scalp massage and for them to clean the scalp and massage Tanko solutions into the scalp
This treatment required a lot of work, time, and energy, but I didn’t grumble too much as I believed I would achieve the desired results since I was doing so much for my hair (and spending so much money!) I also was relieved to know that they offered a full money back guarantee for the nutrient solutions if the hair worsened after the treatment (around $1200 NZD value).
However, after three months into the treatment, I left New Zealand to take up an overseas post in South-East Asia. I kept up my entire regime faithfully, though started getting very concerned when I continued to see how much hair I was still losing each day. From the outset, I was told that my hair loss would stop shortly into the treatment. At this stage, I emailed the clinic about this, and was informed by them that by the end of the 4th month, my hair should stop shedding. However, into the fifth month, my hair was getting even thinner and it dawned on me that this treatment was not working for me so I needed to explore other options or risk losing a lot more hair.
I negotiated with the clinic to return the unused products (3 months worth) and asked for a part refund (around 40%) for these which they gave. I told them I was disappointed with their products and by the fact that my hair loss had not improved since resuming treatment, and in fact, had worsened. My hair had become wispy and my scalp was showing a lot more skin. In fact, if I had been in New Zealand, I probably would have had a good case for pushing for a full refund, but knew this would be difficult for me to do while living overseas. As well, I did not want the agro.
I wish to make several negative points regarding my experience with Clive’s Clinic.
First, when you sign up, the trichologists at Clive’s give a very negative review of drug-based products such as Propecia (finesteride) and minoxidil for hair loss. For an interesting article see: http://www.asa.co.nz/decisions/FULL/D02392
I was told that, “these products will make you like a drug addict…you will have to keep taking them or your hair will fall out…†(of course, in a sense this is true). I was then told that Propecia and minoxidil (Rogaine) would cost me $176 NZD a month to take ($2112 NZD per year), which made their products much more competitive. It seemed reasonable to go with Clive’s products (of course in hindsight, the cost of finesteride and minoxidil can be much cheaper if bought online than the price many pharmacies charge).
I was also told at this time that minoxidil would not work for my front hairline receding but that their Tanko spray was more effective and that this had been presented in a journal study as extremely effective for hair loss and promoting healthy growth. Problem was, I could never locate this study or the journal it was written up in. Their suggestion for keeping one’s hair at the end of the eight month treatment, and to prevent the front hair receding was to use their Tanko spray twice a day (needed to be sprayed onto scalp and massaged into it) for the rest of the persons life (I am baffled how they see this as any different to the person who needs to continue to take minoxidil as long as they wish to retain any hair that has been gained or to prevent further loss).
Secondly, a client would also need to take 2 capsules a day of a potent form of Saw Palmetto which also included other extracts etc). The Tanko spray costs $195 NZD for two months supply ($1170 NZD per year) and the capsules, $90 NZD for three months supply ($360 NZD per year). This equates to $1530 NZD for a years supply of their maintenance products. This excludes any of the other vitamins/minerals they advise you to keep taking which can cost many hundreds of dollars each year. As you can see, just as the person who takes finesteride and minoxidil, the person is locked into their products to keep the benefits or risk losing their hair again. Of course, $1530 NZD, plus extra for vitamins would be quite a reasonable amount to spend on hair upkeep if they really worked. But do they?
It would not be fair for me to bag everything Clive’s Clinic does, but it certainly did not work for me. Moreover, what surprised me was that after being around for fifty years, I failed to see much evidence of their successes. There were very few photos they could show to support their claims considering their length of time in business. What they do seem best at treating, is hair loss caused by mineral deficiencies and toxic build up. After all, this is the where trichology is most effective. But if your hair loss is genetic, then chances are that Clive’s will not adequately prevent hair loss, let alone grow back any lost hair.
Additional factors can be mentioned. The eight month treatment becomes almost obsessive as one becomes so bogged down with all the things they must do to get the maximum benefit from the products. Constant cleaning, massaging, remembering to take vitamins etc became a real chore for me, and caused additional problems when their products leaked in my bags when I travelled overseas. Shampoo spilling all over the place made a real mess of my luggage.
Also, the trips into Auckland city became monotonous for the massage treatments and the fact that they are located on Queen Street (the centre of Auckland City) made this a real hassle. I had a car accident one day while going in for an appointment.
My advice, avoid this clinic if your hair loss is genetic. Their aversion to chemical treatments such as Propecia/Rogaine shows symptoms that they are living in the past. While these treatments are not ideal, generally, their side effects are not widely experienced and are still a viable options for hair loss sufferers.
So what have I done about my own hair loss? Several things as outlined below:
1) I bought a HairMax Laser comb from the internet (around $1000 NZD). I know it is expensive, but this product is worth it and will last around 10 years, so is not too expensive. I noticed after a couple of months into the treatment, tiny black hairs all around my hair line growing. I am thankful that by using the comb three times a week for fifteen minutes, I seem to be getting more life into my hair and some regrowth. I have been using the product for 5 months now and can endorse it. Clives’ clinic told me not to waste my money on it when I mentioned it to them but they seem unable to recognise a good product when they see one. Or maybe it is too threatening to them
View the site for this comb at:
http://www.lasercomb.net
2) I commenced using Kirklands Minoxidil Extra Strength 5% Generic Rogaine. This is helping to solidify the benefits of the lasercomb and is growing more hair on the frontal hairline. I believe in time it will fill in some of the gaps and prevent further receding of the frontal hair line. I ordered this product from the net for $85 USD + Postage = $118 USD (Total $175 NZD) for one years supply.
This is very cheap minoxidil, but I can recommend this product as being very effective, despite being told by Clive’s clinic it would probably be useless for me.
This can be ordered from:
http://www.Onlyhairloss.com
3) I commenced taking 1 mg Finesteride daily (this is the active ingredient in Propecia) I buy Proscar which contains 5 mg of finesteride (a drug for prostrate problems), and cut the tablets into fifths (a little tricky but getting easier with practice). This has exactly the same benefits as taking Propecia, but at a fraction of the cost. It works out at around $175.00 USD including postage ($278.00 NZD for three boxes – 90 tablets). If cut into fifths (pill cutters are available at most Pharmacies), then this will give you 450 days supply of finesteride. Proscar can be bought online without a prescription at a reasonable price from:
http://www.MedicaPharma.com
Alternatively, it can be bought over the counter in Thailand (and other Asian and developing countries) for around $40 USD for a box of 30. Also, many doctors can prescribe it though, in most developed countries, it would be hard to find it cheaper than it can be bought online from the above site.
4) I have also started washing my hair with Nizoral Shampoo twice a week. This shampoo can be bought in most Pharmacies in 1% strength, or with a prescription in a 2% strength (can be bought over the counter in many countries in 2% strength). I recommend the 2% one as it will help with your hair loss regime and is thought to fight DHT which causes hair loss in the higher strength. It certainly clears scalp problems and dandruff. It is quite reasonable to buy and is used sparingly so is not a big expense. Check the net as well if you want to buy online in the higher strength. See:
http://www.antiaging-systems.com
The cost is around $25 USD per bottle plus postage. Two bottles each year should be sufficient.
Well, this is my regime which actually, may seem a lot, but involves very little. The minoxidil is easy to put on each day and taking a pill each morning is not hard to do. The lasercomb allows me to read while I do and I don’t mind the 45 minutes each week it takes since it is benefiting me. The approach is multi-layered and is attacking the hair loss problem from various angles. It is proving effective for me, though like anything, is not a miracle cure. Patience is also needed, though I feel my hair is not falling out nearly as much. I feel optimistic about my hair and know that I am treating my hair loss in several ways and with scientifically proven methods.
I would like to recommend my regime to you if you are suffering hair loss and want to be proactive in keeping your hair.
This whole cost of this regime is as follows:
$220 NZD for the Proscar (could be cheaper if bought in South-East Asia etc)
$175 NZD for the Kirkland Minoxidil
$50 NZD for the Nizoral Shampoo
$445 NZD per year (less than $9 NZD per week – not counting the cost of the lasercomb)
Or
$310 USD per year (just over $6 USD per week)
As you can see, it is not a great deal of money to part with each year to keep your hair and hopefully, grow some that you have lost. Of course, this is not a natural way to keep hair, and may not be suitable for those not willing to take a drug/chemical for their hair loss. For these ones, consider the lasercomb and be content with that.
I hope this review has helped someone and got potential Clive’s customers to think twice about parting with their hard-earned money. Do some more homework, then make an informed decision.
Take care and God Bless,
Jeremy
I wish to do so in such a way that I do not slander them, nor caricature them unnecessarily, but to highlight some of my concerns with this clinic.
These clinics advertise their trichology treatments extensively in this part of the world, with lots of expensive advertising. They recently celebrated their 50th anniversary. For these reasons, I believed they would be my best option for exploring hair loss treatment plans.
I visited the Auckland City clinic in May 204, after becoming concerned with general thinning and a receding hair line. I am a 35 year old male and felt too young to be going bald.
During my consultation, I was told that the clinic could help with my hair loss and were my best answer since they were drug-free and only used natural products. For their standard eight month treatment plan, they quoted me $2520 NZD, or $2150 NZD if I paid the total amount upfront. I was told that on completion, and to maintain the benefits, I would be required to continue with a general maintenance programme. Feeling desperate about my falling hair, I borrowed the money from my parents and commenced the treatment. I was a poor student at the time
After signing up, they promptly took a hair analysis to check for various deficiencies and possible reasons for the hair loss (this was sent to Chicago for extensive tests). I told them at the time that I believed my hair loss was mainly due to stress and genes, but the trichologist said the loss was most likely due to toxic build-ups and mineral deficiencies since he said I was experiencing diffuse hair loss. He said the analysis would reveal these problems and would enable him to correctly combat them with the right products. However, the analysis, as I suspected, showed my hair loss was not to be caused by these factors. My hair condition showed my hair to be in generally good health.
Meanwhile, I had started the rest of the rigorous treatment regime they gave me which required that I:
-Use their scalp cleanser 5-7 times per week to cleanse the scalp while showering
-Use their mild shampoo 5-7 times per week after the scalp cleanser
-Finish the shampoo process with their special conditioner 5-7 times per week to condition the hair and block the DHT enzyme
-As well, twice a week, I was required to massage a variety of nutrient solutions into the scalp for around 10 minutes to strengthen and nourish the follicles
-Daily, I was prescribed copious quantities of ‘Clives’ vitamins to make in order to make the treatment more effective (these were supplied by the clinic at extra expense)
I was also required to:
-Administer a daily scalp massage to myself of around 2 minute’s duration morning and night
-Spray the areas of thinning twice daily with their ‘Tanko’ spray which they claimed would promote hair growth and further block any DHT
-Visit their clinic weekly for a scalp massage and for them to clean the scalp and massage Tanko solutions into the scalp
This treatment required a lot of work, time, and energy, but I didn’t grumble too much as I believed I would achieve the desired results since I was doing so much for my hair (and spending so much money!) I also was relieved to know that they offered a full money back guarantee for the nutrient solutions if the hair worsened after the treatment (around $1200 NZD value).
However, after three months into the treatment, I left New Zealand to take up an overseas post in South-East Asia. I kept up my entire regime faithfully, though started getting very concerned when I continued to see how much hair I was still losing each day. From the outset, I was told that my hair loss would stop shortly into the treatment. At this stage, I emailed the clinic about this, and was informed by them that by the end of the 4th month, my hair should stop shedding. However, into the fifth month, my hair was getting even thinner and it dawned on me that this treatment was not working for me so I needed to explore other options or risk losing a lot more hair.
I negotiated with the clinic to return the unused products (3 months worth) and asked for a part refund (around 40%) for these which they gave. I told them I was disappointed with their products and by the fact that my hair loss had not improved since resuming treatment, and in fact, had worsened. My hair had become wispy and my scalp was showing a lot more skin. In fact, if I had been in New Zealand, I probably would have had a good case for pushing for a full refund, but knew this would be difficult for me to do while living overseas. As well, I did not want the agro.
I wish to make several negative points regarding my experience with Clive’s Clinic.
First, when you sign up, the trichologists at Clive’s give a very negative review of drug-based products such as Propecia (finesteride) and minoxidil for hair loss. For an interesting article see: http://www.asa.co.nz/decisions/FULL/D02392
I was told that, “these products will make you like a drug addict…you will have to keep taking them or your hair will fall out…†(of course, in a sense this is true). I was then told that Propecia and minoxidil (Rogaine) would cost me $176 NZD a month to take ($2112 NZD per year), which made their products much more competitive. It seemed reasonable to go with Clive’s products (of course in hindsight, the cost of finesteride and minoxidil can be much cheaper if bought online than the price many pharmacies charge).
I was also told at this time that minoxidil would not work for my front hairline receding but that their Tanko spray was more effective and that this had been presented in a journal study as extremely effective for hair loss and promoting healthy growth. Problem was, I could never locate this study or the journal it was written up in. Their suggestion for keeping one’s hair at the end of the eight month treatment, and to prevent the front hair receding was to use their Tanko spray twice a day (needed to be sprayed onto scalp and massaged into it) for the rest of the persons life (I am baffled how they see this as any different to the person who needs to continue to take minoxidil as long as they wish to retain any hair that has been gained or to prevent further loss).
Secondly, a client would also need to take 2 capsules a day of a potent form of Saw Palmetto which also included other extracts etc). The Tanko spray costs $195 NZD for two months supply ($1170 NZD per year) and the capsules, $90 NZD for three months supply ($360 NZD per year). This equates to $1530 NZD for a years supply of their maintenance products. This excludes any of the other vitamins/minerals they advise you to keep taking which can cost many hundreds of dollars each year. As you can see, just as the person who takes finesteride and minoxidil, the person is locked into their products to keep the benefits or risk losing their hair again. Of course, $1530 NZD, plus extra for vitamins would be quite a reasonable amount to spend on hair upkeep if they really worked. But do they?
It would not be fair for me to bag everything Clive’s Clinic does, but it certainly did not work for me. Moreover, what surprised me was that after being around for fifty years, I failed to see much evidence of their successes. There were very few photos they could show to support their claims considering their length of time in business. What they do seem best at treating, is hair loss caused by mineral deficiencies and toxic build up. After all, this is the where trichology is most effective. But if your hair loss is genetic, then chances are that Clive’s will not adequately prevent hair loss, let alone grow back any lost hair.
Additional factors can be mentioned. The eight month treatment becomes almost obsessive as one becomes so bogged down with all the things they must do to get the maximum benefit from the products. Constant cleaning, massaging, remembering to take vitamins etc became a real chore for me, and caused additional problems when their products leaked in my bags when I travelled overseas. Shampoo spilling all over the place made a real mess of my luggage.
Also, the trips into Auckland city became monotonous for the massage treatments and the fact that they are located on Queen Street (the centre of Auckland City) made this a real hassle. I had a car accident one day while going in for an appointment.
My advice, avoid this clinic if your hair loss is genetic. Their aversion to chemical treatments such as Propecia/Rogaine shows symptoms that they are living in the past. While these treatments are not ideal, generally, their side effects are not widely experienced and are still a viable options for hair loss sufferers.
So what have I done about my own hair loss? Several things as outlined below:
1) I bought a HairMax Laser comb from the internet (around $1000 NZD). I know it is expensive, but this product is worth it and will last around 10 years, so is not too expensive. I noticed after a couple of months into the treatment, tiny black hairs all around my hair line growing. I am thankful that by using the comb three times a week for fifteen minutes, I seem to be getting more life into my hair and some regrowth. I have been using the product for 5 months now and can endorse it. Clives’ clinic told me not to waste my money on it when I mentioned it to them but they seem unable to recognise a good product when they see one. Or maybe it is too threatening to them
View the site for this comb at:
http://www.lasercomb.net
2) I commenced using Kirklands Minoxidil Extra Strength 5% Generic Rogaine. This is helping to solidify the benefits of the lasercomb and is growing more hair on the frontal hairline. I believe in time it will fill in some of the gaps and prevent further receding of the frontal hair line. I ordered this product from the net for $85 USD + Postage = $118 USD (Total $175 NZD) for one years supply.
This is very cheap minoxidil, but I can recommend this product as being very effective, despite being told by Clive’s clinic it would probably be useless for me.
This can be ordered from:
http://www.Onlyhairloss.com
3) I commenced taking 1 mg Finesteride daily (this is the active ingredient in Propecia) I buy Proscar which contains 5 mg of finesteride (a drug for prostrate problems), and cut the tablets into fifths (a little tricky but getting easier with practice). This has exactly the same benefits as taking Propecia, but at a fraction of the cost. It works out at around $175.00 USD including postage ($278.00 NZD for three boxes – 90 tablets). If cut into fifths (pill cutters are available at most Pharmacies), then this will give you 450 days supply of finesteride. Proscar can be bought online without a prescription at a reasonable price from:
http://www.MedicaPharma.com
Alternatively, it can be bought over the counter in Thailand (and other Asian and developing countries) for around $40 USD for a box of 30. Also, many doctors can prescribe it though, in most developed countries, it would be hard to find it cheaper than it can be bought online from the above site.
4) I have also started washing my hair with Nizoral Shampoo twice a week. This shampoo can be bought in most Pharmacies in 1% strength, or with a prescription in a 2% strength (can be bought over the counter in many countries in 2% strength). I recommend the 2% one as it will help with your hair loss regime and is thought to fight DHT which causes hair loss in the higher strength. It certainly clears scalp problems and dandruff. It is quite reasonable to buy and is used sparingly so is not a big expense. Check the net as well if you want to buy online in the higher strength. See:
http://www.antiaging-systems.com
The cost is around $25 USD per bottle plus postage. Two bottles each year should be sufficient.
Well, this is my regime which actually, may seem a lot, but involves very little. The minoxidil is easy to put on each day and taking a pill each morning is not hard to do. The lasercomb allows me to read while I do and I don’t mind the 45 minutes each week it takes since it is benefiting me. The approach is multi-layered and is attacking the hair loss problem from various angles. It is proving effective for me, though like anything, is not a miracle cure. Patience is also needed, though I feel my hair is not falling out nearly as much. I feel optimistic about my hair and know that I am treating my hair loss in several ways and with scientifically proven methods.
I would like to recommend my regime to you if you are suffering hair loss and want to be proactive in keeping your hair.
This whole cost of this regime is as follows:
$220 NZD for the Proscar (could be cheaper if bought in South-East Asia etc)
$175 NZD for the Kirkland Minoxidil
$50 NZD for the Nizoral Shampoo
$445 NZD per year (less than $9 NZD per week – not counting the cost of the lasercomb)
Or
$310 USD per year (just over $6 USD per week)
As you can see, it is not a great deal of money to part with each year to keep your hair and hopefully, grow some that you have lost. Of course, this is not a natural way to keep hair, and may not be suitable for those not willing to take a drug/chemical for their hair loss. For these ones, consider the lasercomb and be content with that.
I hope this review has helped someone and got potential Clive’s customers to think twice about parting with their hard-earned money. Do some more homework, then make an informed decision.
Take care and God Bless,
Jeremy
