Dr Martin Galy
For balancing your bodily chemicals, the Trinidadian doctor is one of the most sought-after in the country; and the candid confidence that he has in his field is a real boost for nervous first-timers. ‘The studies show that women on HRT generally live longer, happier, healthier lives,’ says the hormones expert. ‘Far more than those who choose to grin and bear it.’ Galy’s embrace of progress is refreshing, too. Takehis approach to consultations: ‘Face-to-face appointments are being replaced by virtual ones, because people have become accustomed to a doctor on their doorstep – at least digitally.’ Meanwhile, the 23MD clinic’s co-founder has started a new phlebotomy service, run through convenient pharmacies, which makes having the requisite blood tests so much easier. Patients range from younger women, looking to manage premenstrual symptoms, to mature clients in menopause seeking improved energy, sleep- quality, libido and long-term health. Some might also benefit from the latest addition to his medicine-box: the recently-licensed Saxenda, which can aid weight loss. This is a game-changer for patients with conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), menopause or other chronic weight-gain syndromes associated with insulin resistance. ‘The weight-gain associated with PCOS can be distressing for young women,’ he says. ‘However, this drug minimises it, through its effect on the appetite-controlling hormone gastrin as well as by reducing insulin resistance.’ Daily injections from the delivery pen see patients losing two to three kilos a month; and Galy still manages the weight in the long-term with hormones. Better still: ‘When the patient comes off Saxenda after six months, the HRT has been ticking away nicely in the background – so the effects last and last.’
Initial consultation for BHRT/Saxenda, £380 (23MD.co.uk).
Alex Cayley
Dr Sohère Roked
‘When I started in hormones, 10 years or so ago, they weren’t a “thing”,’ says Roked. Calm and wonderfully grounded, her passion is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT); however, where she differs from others is in her approach, which deep-dives into a patient’s underlying health. In her eyes, digestive health is huge. (‘Eighty per cent of people have some symptom of gut imbalance and simply live with it, from irregular bowels to bloating and heartburn.’) Sleep, too: ‘The half-life of caffeine is still in your system 12 hours later – so I encourage patients to stop drinking coffee by 10am.’ But what primarily brings patients to her clinic at Omniya is the peri-menopause. ‘The run-up to losing your period can be the most trying years, and the symptoms are difficult because they are inconsistent,’ she explains. ‘These women have previously been told that there is nothing that can be done until their periods have stopped, but that’s not true.’ Her carefully prescribed creams and lozenges can bring hormones back into balance – and not being averse to recommending herbal remedies, she will happily walk you around the Omniya pharmacy to help you decide. New to her repertoire is her Skin-Depth Hormone Review service, which delivers an in-depth pre-procedural analysis for patients seeking optimal results from their aesthetic treatments.
Consultation, £300; Skin-Depth Hormone Review from £995 (drsohereroked.co.uk).
