Hair loss is a common problem for many people; one would expect that lockdown has helped growing healthier hair; less wash, less dye, less damage. However, there’s been an increase in hair loss being reported as an issue across our UK salons, with clients telling their stylists that they see more hair left on their brushes than normal. We’ve gathered a team of experts including Mark Blake, Trichologist, Nathan Walker, International Technical Director at Trevor Sorbie and Jez Barnett, founder of KeraStraight, to get to the root of the issue and give the best advice on the problem!
The sciencey bit
Is hair loss happening to all hair types?
“Yes, I’ve seen a marked increase in hair shedding that started around June and is still carrying on,” says Mark Blake, Trichologist at Mark Blake. “Washing hair frequently is always advisable as it keeps the scalp clean and removes bacteria and yeast. Frequent hair washing can sometimes look like you are losing more hair. On average you lose around 100 hairs a day and washing your hair removes these. Therefore if you wash your hair every 2 days it may appear you have lost 200 hairs and if you wash your hair once a week you appear to lose 700 hairs which would be very worrying for anyone. But in reality you haven’t lost any more hairs than normal.”
But if we are seeing more hair loss than normal?
“The likely reason is stress, hair loss (telogen effluvium) may be related to the current situation, worrying about your job, money, marriage or even if you are going to get Covid-19. I usually find hair loss happens around 3 months after a stressful event or period of time and this can carry on until well after the causative factor is taken away. obviously if a client has actually had Covid-19 he or she will almost certainly have hair loss (post febrile telogen effluvium) around 6 weeks after catching the virus. The best way to help your hair is to make sure you are feeding your hair from within by eating a healthy balanced diet with lots of protein and vitamin C as iron needs vitamin C to help it absorb into the body.
You grow on average 0.3mm – 0.5mm of hair a day which doesn’t sound a lot. But on average you have 100,000 – 150,000 hairs on your scalp. So if you multiply all those 0.3mm & 0.5mm bits of hair up by 100,000/150,000 that means you will grow 36 metres of hair today if you put these bits end to end in a line. Your hair is the 2nd most prolific cell producer in the body after bone marrow. You can only grow hair from what you actually eat or the nutrients you retain in the body to grow this much good quality hair.
As a trichologist I have developed Trichology Tablets that support and maintain hair health, they are first aid for hair containing essential amino acids and nutrients that are essential for healthy hair.”
The technical bit
What can we do to help? Any particular products?
“If you’re still looking to do something at home rather than the salon, contact your salon to get an Intense Boost sent to you. This will strengthen and hydrate the hair, literally adding the moisture holding proteins into the inner hair. Resulting in an immediate rejuvenating effect,” says Nathan Walker, International Technical Director at Trevor Sorbie.
OK, so we thought we were rejuvenating – but it sounds like we now need to rebuild?
“When hair is lacking in density and strength we recommend a bodybuilding program for your hair, to restore strength and fullness, this uses the Ultimate Treatment solution to add proteins that give strength to weakened hair, and allows greater hydration of the hair fibre also these proteins add to the body and substance of the hair giving a thicker and fuller feel. This is also maintained at home using an Intense Boost, coupled with Volume Enhance Shampoo and Conditioner, which maintains the life and vitality of the Ultimate Treatment. For clients experiencing an extended period (2 months +) of hair shedding we strongly recommend consulting a Trichologist.”
The final tips
“No matter the cause, Ultimate Treatment works wonders to rebuild hair suffering from weakness and shedding due to its unique blend of low pH proteins and hydration balance. Hair should be mostly keratin, but in many circumstances can be missing this vital protein within its structure. Ensuring a healthy moisture balance and using a range of different size protein molecules we are able to infuse all hair types with strength, softness and health. Last year my eldest daughter’s hair was really suffering from her unbalanced diet, one Ultimate Treatment completely transformed her hair and brought it back to life. It will do the same for anyone suffering post covid-19,” adds Jez Barnett, KeraStraight Founder.
Good news then! That’s definitely put our minds (and scalps) at ease. Tell your clients it’s time to revive, rejuvenate…and rebuild.
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