There are few things that are more devastating for a woman than losing her hair. Right now, we are facing a worldwide epidemic of female hair loss, with millions of documented cases from Dermatologists and Trichologists. And millions more that are undocumented or have yet to see a doctor or specialist. But one person many women do see, often on a regular basis, is their hairstylist.
So, what should a hairstylist understand in order to help their clients, detect it in its early stages and potentially interrupt greater hair loss? Well, one of the first things to consider is why a woman may lose her hair (which can be very different from a man). As a former hairstylist, the majority of women would blame their thinning hair on the fact that they are getting older. Unless they are in their 70’s, when natural thinning can start to occur, it’s probably not connected to their age. If a woman is in her 40’s or 50’s (or earlier) and is noticing significant thinning, it’s more than likely a sign that there is something out of balance within her body, or with her health.
Hair is often a first indicator of changes in health. You see, we all understand that hair grows from the scalp, but the part we often don’t consider is that hair is really dead matter. It doesn’t have nerves or veins or anything. It is only nourished by blood flow. So, if something causes the blood flow to be less than ideal, in its infinite wisdom, the body will direct the blood flow, and the nutrients it provides, to your vital organs: the heart, liver, kidney or brain, in an effort to keep you alive. So, thank God for that! But, what about our hair in the meantime?
Just briefly, from my research, there are up to seven different causes of hair loss in women. And there can be combinations of those seven. So, while hairstylists aren’t licensed to diagnose disease, they are trained to identify what a healthy scalp looks like and what the average density of hair looks like. If they see anything outside of that, it may be time to refer the client to a medical professional, Dermatologist and/or a Trichologist, who is specializes in understanding hair and scalp disorders.
On the Beauty SuperStars Talk podcast, I will spend the month of April taking a deep dive into hair loss and hair replacement with four experts that I will interview on Tuesdays at 7pm ET. I will kick off the month with world renowned Non Surgical Hair Replacement Specialist, Gigi Ford, who will tell us ‘What We Don’t Know About Hair Replacement’. Next is Trichologist and Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Donyelle McBride, who will talk to us about the hair and body connection, with ‘The Body NEVER Lies’.
Week 3, we will have Cosmetologist turned Trichologist and Natural Hair Care Expert, Jacqueline Tarrant. She is a Cool Light Laser Specialist and will share with us ‘Hair Trauma Solutions’. The last week of the month @YourHairLossAdvocate Trichologist, Ky Smith, who herself battled with hair loss, will share what we, as hairstylists, need to know beyond treatments, essential oils and stimulation techniques to help our clients restore healthy hair, or at the very least to stem the rate of loss. Consumers are invited to all of these interviews, as we will share what they need to look for in a service provider and provide tips to maintain their best hair.
In short, many forms of hair loss are preventable or treatable with lifestyle changes, special medical therapies or therapeutic treatment. Some forms of hair loss are permanent, and we would need to consider the healthiest, most natural options for hair replacement. If you or your clients are under 70 years of age and are experiencing hair loss or thinning, please consider consulting a Dermatologist, Trichologist and/or another medical professional to make sure that there is not an internal cause.
Most healthy women should maintain a full or near full head of hair for most, if not all, of their lives. If you’re experiencing hair loss, there is hope, because in most cases, hair loss is not inevitable. Please join us for these exciting and informative interviews on Tuesdays at 7pm ET at youtube.com/mikiwright.
