As the great Bette Davis once said, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies”. William Gadsby Peet meets the male testosterone expert offering Herodotus’ fountain of youth at the Light Touch Clinic in Weybridge
I am not currently suffering from erectile dysfunction, swollen breasts, fatigue, irritability or height loss (now there’s an opening sentence you don’t get to write every day). However, being the only male member of the editorial team at Sheengate towers, I was conscripted by our Health Editor, Fiona Adams, to attend a consultation at the Light Touch Clinic’s new Men’s Wellness Centre to discuss testosterone deficiency and its effect on men’s health.
After a quick blood test and medical check up with the wonderfully named Dr Cherry Armstrong (I was unsurprised to find out that I drink too much), I sat down with resident testosterone expert Carlos Santos and we proceeded to run through a detailed list of questions concerning my mental state and sex life. Fortunately I don’t display any of the symptoms of testosterone deficiency, but then again, at 26, it would be a nasty surprise if I did.
However, Carlos is seeing an increasing number of patients seeking help for dipping hormones in middle age.
“Most men’s testosterone production peaks around the age of 30 and after that their levels will decline by 1-2% each year,” explains Carlos in the clipped tones of his native South Africa. “That doesn’t sound like much, but by the time you get to 40 or 50, boy can it add up!
“A lot of people think that hormone replacement therapy is solely a female issue but the male version of the menopause is just as real and just as devastating. We have the medicine to alleviate a lot of these symptoms and if you can go back to having the energy and libido of your 30-year-old self, why wouldn’t you?”
The treatment involves a “360 degree approach,” as Carlos puts it, with weekly injections of testosterone carefully moderated and assessed over a series of months to boost hormone levels and restore wellbeing complemented by nutrition, exercise and mind-set regimes.
Of course it is worth mentioning that not everyone shares his enthusiasm for testosterone treatment. There’s been plenty of negative press over the years and some have argued it has links to cardiovascular problems. Carlos is adamant that these studies are erroneous and the case against testosterone is based on bad science and malpractice.
“When it comes to truly peer reviewed papers you’ll find over 21,000 studies of testosterone on Google Scholar,” he explains. “Of those 21,000 I have only ever found four negative papers and all those have been roundly criticised for what amounts to scientific misconduct.
“The other problem is the bad reputation testosterone gets from some muppet in a gym injecting himself with a dose equivalent to 100 times the level in a healthy male. Like anything, it’s the dose that makes the poison and that’s why our method takes place gradually over a period of weeks, until we find the biting point for a healthy and maintainable balance. Everything we do here with our doctors is clinical, medical, physiological and responsible, and I can’t tell you how often I have patients tell me this treatment has changed their life.”
Like I said, I don’t currently suffer from erectile dysfunction. But if in 20 years’ time I do, I’m glad I have Carlos’ number.
- To book an appointment, visit: lighttouchclinic.co.uk or call (01932) 849 552
Check out our Health/Beauty Section for more fab local health stories
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on our latest articles
Sign up to our Weekly Newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and stories
Looking to advertise your business in Surrey or SW London? Check out our 11 different lifestyle magazines with a combined monthly distribution of over 210,000
