9th NOVEMBER 2000

DEAR DOCTOR - I have suffered from alopecia for several years. Neither my doctor nor several dermatologists have been able to help and I am terrified the bald patch is going to spread even further. Can any natural treatments help?

Alopecia areata is a non-scarring, inflammatory condition in which the hair follicles switch off and lie dormant. The cause is not known, although an imbalance of enzymes responsible for the production of hair fibre and an abnormal T-lymphocyte immune response are implicated.

Nutrient deficiencies - especially of iron - can play a role and several supplements designed to help hairloss are now available in Health food shops and Chemists.

Elias Bouras, a Herbalist, has spent 10 years developing a topical cream, Calosol 4H, whose plant-based constituents can stimulate hair regrowth in both adults and children.

It has proved effective in treating alopecia areata, totalis and universalis and is believed to work by suppressing the localised abnormal immune response.