Just a brief post on Nickel, as I was in the shop a day or so ago.

Nickel is a bright, modern men’s day spa and men’s cosmetics shop. They are located in London’s Covent Garden, convenient for those of us who work in central London. In fact Nickel are both a spa company and a French men’s cosmetics brand. The upper part of the store comprises the Spa reception and the shops and the Spa treatment rooms are downstairs.

Nickel men

The Spa rooms are well-designed, cutting-edge modern, very quiet and well-equipped. The Spa has a wonderful calm atmosphere and once you are there, it is hard to believe that the bustle of Covent Garden is a just outside. Nickel had a wide range of treatments and I can personally vouch for their facial, (and Nickel’s therapists), which is superb for restoring a tired complexion. If you want to see the full treatment list you can pick it up from the website, details below.

Nickel also sell their own brand cosmetics. Nickel is actually a French company and their skincare, shave and hair products are much better known across the channel and more widely used. I find their products, especially the cleansers and moisturisers, easy to apply and effective. I like the fact that they provide products for both light and dark skin types, a welcome recognition that men come in all shades.

However for me the killer product is their silicon valley anti-aging crème (picture below). This is the best stuff, one application of this will take ten years off your face. It takes the edges off wrinkles, smoothes out your rough skin, scales down the redness of that razor tear you got when you were shaving hung-over.

Nickel silicon valley anti-aging cream

Nickel also sell colognes from a number of top-end brands, including Canali and Loewe. All in all, worth a visit.

Remember this is a popular Spa, with a lot of loyal regular customers. They are open seven days a week but if you want an appointment you really need to book. Marie Campbell runs reception and she is a simply wonderful gal, she can get it sorted for you.

Details:

Nickel Spa London,
27 Shorts Gardens,
Covent Garden,
London WC2H 9AP

Tel +44 (0) 20 7240 4048

www.nickelspalondon.co.uk

I buy my moustache wax from Taylors of Old Bond Street, but even if I did not, I would still go buy something from them, just to shop there. I love the shop.

Taylors of Old Bond Street, Jermyn Street

When I step over the threshold I expect, and get, the most superb service and the best shaving products in the world. I have never left the shop without feeling like their most valued customer. Just knowing Taylors exists is enough to restore my faith in the world.

Taylors of Old Bond Street was founded in 1854, when Queen Victoria was England’s ruler, by Jeremiah Taylor. They are a combined English gentlemen’s cosmetics company (“Toiletries” in the old phrase) and gentleman’s barbers. They were making men’s cosmetics from natural and herbal products before the large cosmetics companies had ever heard the word “organic”.

The same Taylor family run Taylor’s today, the great, great grandson of Jeremiah being in charge. Despite their name, Taylors of Old Bond Street are actually in Jermyn Street, near their peers Trumpers, (and Truefitt and Hill are just the other side of the block).

Taylors sell razors and badger-bristle brushes in the old style (picture below). Their razor and brush kits are very highly esteemed and to my mind, a thoughtful gift if you want to give a gift with English character. Taylors have gift-sets in a manly packaging for those of us who want to do that.

Taylors of Old Bond Street, razors and shaving brushes

Taylors also sell those wonderful old-fashioned colognes, like Eau de Portugal. For me Eau De Portugal is the definitive scent of the traditional barber. The sharp citrus scent as the barber finishes your haircut and clears the tiny cut hairs with a wipe of Eau de Portugal is the fitting end to the ritual. I emerge cleansed and revitalised.

Taylors of Old Bond Street, Eau de Portugal

Taylors also sells the famous Bay Rum cologne, which was once beloved by military men everywhere.

Taylors of Old Bond Street, Bay Rum Cologne

In fact Taylors sell all manner of things a man needs, from shoe-horns to skincare, from travelling kits to toothbrushes (with their logo, of course). If you look on their website you will see all of this and more. Below is a photo of their luxury herbal skin moisturiser which I use extensively. It is easy to work in, has a slight fragrance and is very effective. It s also very competitively priced, at £12.95. A giveaway, as the English market traders like to say.

Taylors of Old Bond Street - luxury herbal skin moisturiser

Also, here is the aforementioned moustache wax, again, highly recommended. It holds form well, is non-greasy and not visible.

Taylors of Old Bond Street, moustache wax

But men’s products are only half the magic of this store. If you walk through the store to the back, where the sales point is, there is Taylor’s barbershop, the “Gentlemen’s Court”.

This is like entering Narnia, going from one world to another. From the main floorspace of the shop the barbershop is not visible. But go to the back, take a slight half-turn and you enter a world of calm manliness, where experienced traditional barbers tend to your every need.

It goes without saying that Taylors shop has class, but the barbershop also has that air of masculine ease which permeates a good barbers. Here you can get a haircut, traditional wet shave and services such as facials, all in the comfort of a traditional leather-upholstered barber’s chair. Nothing is too much trouble and skill and manly competence rule. This is dark wood, barbers in white jackets and of course the smell of Eau de Portugal. Go here, you deserve it. But book in advance, it is a busy shop.

A great shop and an icon of the best of British.

If you cannot get to Taylors, they sell their products by mail order and across the Internet. My last picture is of the front page of Taylors catalogue. Most fittingly it emphasises their service.

Taylors of Old Bond Street - Catalogue

Details:

Taylors of Old Bond Street
74 Jermyn Street,
St James,
London, SW1Y 6NP
England

Tel +44 (0) 20 7930 5544 / 5321

Email: sales@tayloroldbondst.co.uk

www.tayloroldbondst.co.uk

Chinese medicine provides a comprehensive theory and practice, through herbal medicine and acupuncture, to treat many illnesses including specifically male related diseases.  In my Swansea practice I have treated men for many different health problems.

(In this article, Chinese medicine refers to traditional Chinese herbs and acupuncture)     

The treatment of specific men’s diseases in Chinese medicine is known as andrology – this refers to specialised knowledge that describes the physiology of men, as well as the prevention, pathology and treatment of men’s diseases.

Modern Chinese andrology has its roots in ancient literature.  It did not truly emerge in China as a recognisable clinical speciality, with its own professional and systematic literature, until about 30 years ago.  Since its establishment, however, it has continued to develop.  Today there are a number of specialists and researchers of Chinese language sources on andrology.

Andrology as a specialist discipline is usually practised by modern Chinese doctors who practise integrated Chinese-Western medicine, seeking to blend the best of both medicines while striving to maintain the conceptual integrity of each.

The conceptual seeds of andrology in Chinese medicine sprouted over 2000 years ago and many of its ancient root theories still inform the daily clinical practice of modern Chinese andrologists. The principles that are used in practice today in both the East and West have been refined and distilled through use, trial and error, extensive research and development handed down and recorded from generation to generation.

It is interesting to note that the publication of texts on Chinese gynaecology and obstetrics (female reproductive health) in the English language has been happening for many years now.  Yet, apart from one out of print book on urology and male sexual dysfunction, there has not been until now a single English language book on male disorders and men’s health.  This is probably due to the fact that men are more reluctant patients and therefore practitioners have less opportunity to become experts on men’s diseases.

 Men and Treatment

In my practice, very often it is wives or partners that initiate men coming for treatment. Once here, they often commit to a longer-term course of treatment.  However it is arguably true that a general reluctance to talk about and address health issues exists among men.  The possible reasons for this reluctance provoke an interesting discussion and probably in themselves merit a specific paper.

Recently research has been proven showing the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in the treatment of female infertility and in supporting IVF.  This has led to an influx of both woman and men into our practice for infertility treatment. (perhaps

Having practised Chinese medicine for 20 years I have treated a lot of men for a variety of diseases including high blood pressure, neurological diseases such as Parkinsons, MS and MND, asthma, stress, IBS, anxiety insomnia, skin diseases, digestive disorders, prostate problems (benign and malignant) and erectile dysfunction.  I have found Chinese medicine offers practical and effective help for all these problems.

The increasing availability of texts on Chinese andrology in the English language coupled with an increase in men coming for treatment opens up an exiting new area in men’s health.  This is excellent news since the above disorders are extremely common.  Benign prostatic hyperplasia, for example, will give rise to distressing symptoms in half of men in their fifties and up to ninety percent in their eighties. Also, male sub-fertility can be a factor in half of all couple infertility.  In the USA MDs are advised to ask all men over the age of 25 about their erectile health, since erectile dysfunction is often the first, and for a while the only, sign of cardiovascular and other major diseases.

Men’s diseases that Chinese medicine can help with:

Prostatitis

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Prostate cancer

Erectile dysfunction

Premature ejaculation

Priapism (persistent abnormal and painful erections)

Hematospermia (presence of blood in the ejaculate)

Male infertility

Andropause

The theory of Chinese medicine is expansionist and inclusive and recognises connections and networks within the body called meridians or channels.  With Acupuncture the main intervention is with very fine needles into points on these channels.  Point selection, frequency of treatment and prognosis all depend on the nature of the problem and how long it has been there as well as the overall health and constitution of the patient and how the patient lives.  Stress, diet and lifestyle etc. all play a part.

The actual disease, be it prostatitis or low sperm motility, will define to some extent the treatment received (the points used or the herbs prescribed).  However the overall health and medical history of the patient is taken into account as it is impossible to separate the disease from the person.  Conversely, it is inadvisable to only treat constitutionally and ignore the disease and this is where the new material from China makes an important contribution.  Diseases are categorised (as above) and treatment strategies are outlined; this provides a valuable framework (based on clinical experience) for treating men’s diseases.

In order to illustrate how Chinese medicine can help with the above problems, I will explore two areas in more detail; Male Infertility and Andropause (male Menopause).

Male Infertility                              

Because many cases of male infertility stem from unknown causes and therefore mainstream medical treatment is often unsuccessful, many researchers are looking to alternative and complementary medicine for new ideas about causation and for new treatments.

In Chinese andrology, male infertility is suspected when a couple have been having unprotected intercourse for two or more years and there is no known female factor at play.

In Chinese medicine there are several physiological factors that must come together to allow a man to be fertile. In other words, to the practitioner there may be something in terms of Chinese medicine that is contributing to infertility, which is not being detected in Western medicine.  This then opens up another avenue for treatment.

A typical course of treatment would involve an initial consultation followed by weekly sessions of Acupuncture and Chinese herbs.  The goal of treatment would be to improve the strength and flow of vital energy (Qi) within the body and particularly the reproductive system. Certain herbs and acupuncture points are specifically effective for this.

The effectiveness of the treatment is gauged by how the patient feels after and in between treatments, changes in the pulse and tongue (specific to Chinese medicine) and also from biomedical tests such as sperm motility and sperm count.

Because Chinese medicine addresses symptoms within the context of the person and their life, advice is given on lifestyle and diet etc. where necessary.  The advice, where given specifically, dovetails with the Chinese medicine diagnosis.  For example, for some people dairy products are contraindicated because of their tendency to increase the production of mucus in the body.  Therefore where someone already has too much mucus in their system, Chinese medicine will focus on resolving this and the advice will be to support the treatment by reducing the intake or finding an alternative to dairy products.

Treatment works best when patient and practitioner work together rather than as a passive receiving of treatment.  This approach has always been at the heart of Chinese medicine.

As an example, as well as herbs and acupuncture the following is recommended:

Diet:  Eat a balanced, light and clear diet. This should consist of fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, small amounts of lean meats and seafood.  Avoid eating excessive amounts of fats, sweets and spicy -hot foods. A light diet encourages the flow of Qi and blood in the reproductive system.

Avoid exposing the testes to excessive heat. Normal spermatogenesis requires a slightly cooler temperature than one’s core temperature; natural selection has guaranteed that the testes hang in the scrotum in which the temperature is half a degree lower. Therefore it is advisable for men with infertility to avoid exposing the testes to excessive heat such as hot baths and sitting in the Jacuzzi and also to treat any febrile disease promptly and completely.

Talk: The old saying that it’s good to talk is also true in Chinese medicine; withholding and pent up frustration are both part of a stagnant Qi pattern and talking helps to free the flow of vital energy in the whole body.  This is particularly important when a couple is trying to conceive.  From my experience this is a very stressful time for both people, and couples counselling can be very helpful.

In our clinic we have had good results with increased sperm motility and volume after a course of treatment with herbs and acupuncture when accompanied by diet and lifestyle changes.

Andropause

This is an extremely interesting area of men’s health.  Most men experience a change around about midlife (45-50).  In very general terms there is a slowing down in metabolism – a lessening of physical energy, flexibility, recovery time from illness and in reflexes.  It can for some men also be a vulnerable time when the way they have identified themselves in the first part of their lives starts to change.  The ambition, vigour and high libido, all part of the yang energy of youth, begin to fade.  This is sometimes referred to as a ‘midlife crisis’. 

If the goal is to recapture the vitality of youth then that may not be possible.  If it is to find a satisfying way of being with oneself that incorporates the physiological and emotional changes that are happening, this may be possible.  It is interesting that many poets and artists do some of their most creative work in the second part of their lives.  In Chinese Medicine this stage of life is recognised as the start of wisdom.

In Chinese as well as Western medicine there is a physiological basis for these changes and therefore a link between a physiological change and experience.  Chinese medicine can directly support this change through treatment of the channel system which is a way of supporting and influencing the physiology.

In one of the major passages of the Su Wen (written 2000 years ago) it states “In the fortieth year, kidney yin energy is naturally depleted by half, being depleted by living. In the fiftieth year, the body becomes heavy, and the ears and eyes are no longer sharp. In the sixtieth year, there is yin wilt, Qi (energy) is greatly depleted, there is emptiness below and fullness above.”  From this passage we can see that at forty years old, yin is depleted by half simply as a result of the normal ageing process.

There is also an awareness of the progressive weakening of men’s bodies as they age; this perspective is very useful as it orientates treatment towards specific areas of the meridian and channel system.  As an example, I have noticed in my own practice that many men have lower back and knee problems over the age of forty-five.  Treatment is therefore often focussed on these two areas but also upon the kidney meridian as the underlying declining meridian.   This would be different to treating someone in their twenties with a back problem, where declining kidney energy is not necessarily an issue.

The kidney meridian, as well as being associated physiologically with the lower back, is also associated with willpower and ambition.  In mid life the will gives way to wisdom, so treating the kidneys during this phase of life can help this transition.

In a younger man at a different phase of his life, treatment on the kidneys can strengthen and firm the will and channel it into ambition.  It is therefore within the scope of Chinese medicine to provide a context and a treatment protocol to assist the so-called ‘midlife crisis’.

In mid life I do not see the changes as a failure of the body that needs to be corrected, rather as an evolutionary process with its gifts as well as its losses.  This perspective has important implications in the treatment of men and supports a move away from the predominantly negative stereotypes and clichés associated with ageing.

There is, however, a caveat to the above point that is worth mentioning; Andropause as a Western disease category refers to a collection of endocrinal somatic and psychic changes experienced by men in middle age and beyond.  Mostly it is accepted that these are the normal signs of ageing.  However in some people there are abnormally low levels of testosterone (hypergonadism, testicular failure), in these cases ART androgen replacement therapy is usually given.

Treating men has always been part of Chinese medicine.  Treating specific men’s diseases has until recently been background.  A growing interest in alternative health and fertility, together with more research and translation of Chinese source material has prompted more men to seek help from practitioners such as myself.  I hope I have shown that Chinese medicine offers a highly specialised and effective treatment for many men’s diseases.

Texts referenced:

Principles of Chinese Medical Andrology

Bob Damone

Blue Poppy Press, 2008

(Chinese medicine refers to traditional Chinese herbs and acupuncture)

Biography

Tim Davis practises acupuncture and Chinese herbs in Mumbles, West Glamorgan, South Wales, and has been qualified since 1988.  He has also been in an ongoing men’s group at Spectrum, a centre for humanistic psychology in London, for the last 15 years.

Tim Davies 

For more information visit http://www.acuherbsouthwales.com/ or email info@acuherbsouthwales.com