In the UK, around eight million women currently experience hair loss. For women, hair loss can be terrifying, impacting confidence and your sense of identity.
This Alopecia Areata Awareness Month and every day at Beauty Club London, we want to encourage people experiencing hair loss to open up and talk to their hairdresser. They’ve likely had many clients going through similar experiences and can offer solutions you may not have considered.
With that in mind, here are a few stylist tips to help women cope with hair loss without sacrificing style…
Experiment with styles
If you’re suffering from hair loss, you might feel limited in what you can do with your hair day-to-day.
But while certain styles, such as scraped-back buns and ponytails, are a common cause of traction alopecia and should probably be avoided, that doesn’t mean you should avoid putting your hair up altogether.
For those days when you want to put your hair up, opt for looser, messier styles, like a messy bun, loose ponytail, or French twist, to avoid adding tension to your scalp.
And if you want it down, rather than letting it hang loose and flat, try adding texture and volume to your locks to create the illusion of thicker, fuller hair. Or, to mask any thinning at the crown of your head, adopt a messy or deep side parting.
Give hair extensions a try
For a long time, hair extensions were considered damaging to locks and, therefore, not a safe method for those looking to combat hair loss – but those days are behind us.
With several different hair extension techniques available, it’s about finding the best one to add length and volume to thinning locks without added strain.
Tape-in extensions are a great solution that disguise hair loss without the added pressure to the hair shaft. They are placed using an easily removable, non-damaging adhesive to ensure no additional hair loss and are ideal as they are gentle on the scalp and allow the natural hair to grow.
Plus, they can be a great way to add extra colour to your locks without introducing more hair dye.
Switch up tools and products
If you’re experiencing hair loss, it might be time to refresh the tools and products you’re using in your regular hair routine.
Swapping your regular hairbrush for a soft, natural bristle brush with bristles spaced further apart is a good place to start. This will be non-invasive and massage your scalp to promote blood flow to hair follicles and encourage hair growth.
Meanwhile, review the products you’re using. Products containing ingredients like sulphates, parabens and formaldehyde can damage your hair and stop healthy growth. Ditch these in favour of products like serums and shampoos with natural ingredients like rosemary oil and caffeine, to stimulate and promote hair growth.
And don’t forget to check the expiry date either. Expired products are bad news for hair loss as the ingredients can change over time, which can disrupt the scalp microbiome and lead to further hair loss.
Ask about new treatments
While Minoxidil has been one of the most common treatments for alopecia for years, new treatments are currently becoming available and are being researched.
For example, earlier this year, the NHS began recommending a new pill that helps fight inflammation and improve hair growth. Researchers also discovered a new treatment that uses a microneedle patch to directly target affected areas of skin which can reverse hair loss.
Cosmetic procedures that involve injecting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or polynucleotides into the scalp have also been used to combat hair loss and stimulate hair growth.
So, if you’re currently experiencing hair loss, talk to a medical professional or trichologist who can determine what is causing the hair loss, offer treatment options and advise on the best one for you.