QUESTIONS FOR A TRICHO

MAYBE HAIR LOSS AND THINNING HAIR IS ON THE INCREASE, OR MAYBE WE’RE JUST TALKING MORE ABOUT WHAT USED TO BE A TABOO SUBJECT. BUT ARE YOU ARMED WITH THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO SPOT THE SIGNS OF HAIR LOSS, AND DO YOU KNOW THE BASICS WHEN IT COMES TO TRICHOLOGY? MARK BLAKE, (MIT WTS IAT), LEADING GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED TRICHOLOGIST AND NIOXIN AMBASSADOR OFFERS SOME BITE-SIZED PIECES OF ADVICE TO HELP IN EVERYDAY SALON LIFE.

What are the main reasons for hair loss?

Mark explained: “There are many types of hair loss, which can range from Alopecia Areata (random bald spots) through to Trichotillomania (self-inflicted hair loss from hair pulling), and of course the likes of chemotherapy and certain medication can result in hair loss. However, in my experience, when a client visits the salon and is experiencing hair loss unexpectedly, it is usually hormonal or nutritional reasons. Stress is also a major factor in thinning hair, so it’s a good idea to get your client to do a quick sense check. Are they stressed? Have they recently been affected by death, financial worries, exam pressure, relationship problems? These are all major contributors to hair loss.

Assuming the issue is hormonal, nutritional or stress, what’s the best advice to give? Mark said: “The good news is, it will pass. But your client needs to manage it. Did you know that hair is the second most prolific cell producer in our bodies, other than bone marrow? So, in order to grow good hair, we need to be putting good food into our bodies.

“Advise your client to cut back on processed food and salt, recommend a balanced rainbow diet full of brightly colored foods, with plenty of eggs and protein. A Mediterranean diet and particularly olive oil is really good for your hair. Our bodies get dehydrated, and this has a knock-on effect on the quality of our hair and scalp, so drinking two litres of water a day is essential for growing great hair and keeping a healthy scalp.

“If their hair loss is hormonal then I would recommend products to help manage this, such as Nioxin’s systems. There are six different kits designed for all hair types. It’s important to manage your clients expectations though. Often using products that are designed for hair loss will not magically replace the hair that your client has lost, but it will prevent it getting worse. I always say that if after using the products for six months your client says nothing has changed, then that is a big success. Hair loss left untreated gets worse, so the aim should be for the hair loss to not get any worse, as opposed to getting much better.”

We asked Mark what general advice you should give clients to maintain a healthy scalp and hair? He said: “Scalp health is directly linked to hair health. People with thinning hair tend to wash less and gently because they worry about it falling out, however they should be exfoliating their scalp and washing their hair frequently. Most women will shed around 100-150 hairs a day. That amount depends on if you wash your hair every day. It’s advisable to wash your hair every one to two days. We see more