We all went into lockdown with good intentions, didn’t we? Less make-up (if any); no more gel nails (maybe not by choice); heck, you even reduced the amount you washed and brushed your hair – it was, and in parts still is, time to revive and rejuvenate.
But imagine the scene when, on hair wash day, you notice more and more hairs clogging up the plughole. That when you brush your hair even more hairs are left on the brush than normal. Your mind starts to go into overtime; am I losing my hair? Why am I losing my hair? Is Cousin Itt from the Addams Family stockpiling my luscious locks?
Instead of panicking (and adding to the stress that you are probably already feeling – did someone say global pandemic?) we have spoken to a few hair experts, including a trichologist (an expert in the study of the hair and scalp) to put your mind (and scalp) at rest…
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.
Surely our good intentions of less hair washing was the cause? Less is more, right?
“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.”
So, less worrying then?
“If you do experience an extended period (2 months +) of hair shedding we strongly recommend consulting a Trichologist.”
The final tips…
There’s hope!
“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 vegan 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
That’s definitely put our minds (and scalps) at ease, thank you to our experts, Mark Blake, Nathan Walker and our very own Jez Barnett.
Now, we guess it’s time to revive, rejuvenate…and rebuild.