Category: Hair Loss

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My hair is thinning, what can I do?

My Hair is Thinning, What Should I Do?

We all want amazing hair that’s full and healthy, but it can seem like an unattainable goal if your hair has started to thin. It can start to feel like a bit of a helpless situation, but just know that you’re not alone and you have so many options for treatment, as well as alternative hair.

By Walker Tape Co

Possible causes of hair loss

Before diving into a few different replacement options, we’re going to talk about why your hair may be thinning. There can be lots of different factors that can influence this, from your family history to stressful events.

Just like an eye color that’s handed down through family, heredity can be a major reason why your hair may be thinning. Unfortunately, it’s pretty unavoidable. You do have other options that we’ll touch on a bit later though.

Hormonal changes and medical conditions can also be another reason why bio hair starts to thin. This can be due to alopecia, medications, supplements, or medical treatments such as radiation therapy. You can also begin to lose hair after a very stressful time in your life and certain hairstyles/treatments can cause your hair to start thinning.

Prevention of hair loss

A few easy ways to prevent additional hair loss are to stop wearing tightly gathered hairstyles and avoid twisting your hair strands if it’s a nervous habit. Also if you smoke, consider stopping because it can really affect the health of your hair.

Along with these tips, try not to damage your existing hair. This means no excessive hair dying, brushing, overwashing, or skipping conditioner. Another thing to think about are the side effects from any medications that you might be taking because some medications can cause hair loss.

Another great way to prevent hair loss is to eat a healthy diet and make sure you’re eating enough protein. Not only is this just good for your health in general, but the hair is also primarily made of protein. We recommend talking to your doctor to see how much protein you should be eating based on your body’s needs.

Talk to your doctor, or schedule a visit with a Trichologist (a specialist in the hair and scalp), to talk about your experience, as well as taking a few supplements/vitamins. Multivitamins containing iron, vitamin C, vitamin B12, vitamin D, niacin, and biotin can all be great options for encouraging hair growth.

Alternatives to hair transplants

There are so many options to consider if you’re not happy with the current state of your hair. Although, it’s important to know that you’re great just the way you are. Self love is something that you can really dive into during this time and discover all of the reasons that you’re amazing, with or without hair.

However, if you’re interested in other options, you have several to choose from. You can try alternative hair systems or you can choose to investigate hair transplants.

Hair transplants or hair grafts (as seen on BBC3 Plastic Surgery Undressed: Hair Transplant) can be a painful expensive option, and can mean travelling abroad for surgery, so make sure it’s right for you and do your research before deciding on it.

Alternative hair systems, or wigs, can be great options for thinning hair. You can choose a full system that covers your whole head, or a partial unit that covers just the area of hair that’s thinning. Make sure you consult your experienced stylist to find the best option for you.

Hair systems can be much less commitment than a hair transplant, and you don’t need to go through a surgical procedure to get an amazing end result. Check out @WalkerTapeCo on Instagram to see how amazing a properly applied unit can look.

If you do choose to go with a hair system, make sure you find a skilled hair system stylist who is comfortable applying them.

For Stylists

If your clients are experiencing hair loss and you’re not sure what options are available to them, consider researching extensions, toppers, and full wigs. You can find out more about these different options, as well as the different ways units can be constructed in our Types of Wigs and Hair Systems post.

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Love me, love my hair – what better reason to treat yourself to a hair replacement system!

Image of a woman who loves her hair

February is the month of love, romance and Valentines Day but what actually attracts one person to another?

There can be many reasons, but the first initial attraction is often a physical one, we like the look of someone. Research shows that a person’s success often has a direct correlation to their physical attractiveness, but interestingly, if that same person also believes they are attractive, their success often increases. Self esteem is very often bound up in the way we look and hair comes high on the list of attractive features. No hope of love for baldies then? Not the case thankfully.

Although there are many beautiful and bald men and women out there, most of us feel more attractive with a good head of hair – so thank goodness for the many reputable companies providing top quality hair replacement systems for both men and women to help those who are follicley challenged! Wearing a good hair system can really boost self-esteem and make you look and feel more attractive.

A hair replacement system is not a wig

There are similarities – they both conceal hair loss and create the illusion of a head of healthy hair but a hair replacement system is considerably more sophisticated and advanced in their construction and appearance. This pain free and surgery free method of hair enhancement is suitable for anyone, at any stage of their hair loss journey.

So you now have a wonderful head of hair and look and feel fabulous, but let’s not forget that beauty is not by itself what attracts us. There is something more vibrant and meaningful that brings two people together, an almost innate primitive attraction that one person sees in another that goes beyond the surface. The sexiest person in the room is not necessarily the one who is the most physically attractive; it is the person who projects self-confidence and happiness.

Love is a many splendoured thing, the greatest of which is ‘self love’. Love yourself and the rest will follow.

Treat yourself to some of our Hair Care Products

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Choosing the right hair system – Let’s Keep It Real

Image of a woman who didn't choose the right hair system

Whether you are a seasoned hair replacement wearer, a newbie, or just contemplating getting on board with hair replacement, the most important thing to remember when choosing the right hair system is to ensure that it looks real, natural and age appropriate.

Nothing screams ‘wig’ more than the density of the hair. The aim is to achieve a realistic head of hair and for the hair to look age appropriate. As much as we would all love to be in our twenties again, wearing hair as thick as rope may draw attention: you don’t want to look like you have a sleeping cat on your head! It is preferable to select the density to match any existing hair on the sides and back. Be aware too, that you will be used to styling your hair in a certain way and so when choosing a new hair system, make sure the direction of the hair suits your desired hairstyle. Options range from freestyle (where the hair can be brushed and styled in any direction) to set partings, crown positions and breaks in the hairline. If in doubt, just repeat the mantra “less is more”.

It is vitally important to choose the correct hair colour for your age, complexion and existing hair. Be sensitive to any greying hair you may have and to choose a blend of colours that compliment rather than contrast your overall appearance. Looking like Morticia Addams at a Halloween party may be fine, but taking that look into your day-to-day life may result in a few unwanted sideways glances! Many reputable hair suppliers will be happy to custom match your existing hair to make sure you have a natural look and avoid any mismatched colour nightmares.

Getting the right hair type is imperative. Whether you choose synthetic hair or human Indian hair, Indian Remy hair, Chinese hair or European hair will be largely dependent on your lifestyle and budget. Most hair system wearers go for the human hair option as this gives the most natural and realistic look, but synthetic hair will never fade and lasts much longer. Consider carefully why you are wearing a hair replacement system before making this important choice.

Finally, and in a way the most important of all, is to get your hair system cut-in properly by an experienced stylist. Never forget that a haircut disaster on a hair system CANNOT be rectified as this hair will never grow back and you may end up with a very costly mistake. Research your hair stylist carefully before the first snip is made!

So there you have it, a few basic tips on how to achieve a realistic hair system that even your nearest and dearest will have difficulty detecting.

Keep an eye on our blog posts for more useful tips and hints on how to keep your hair system looking good all year round. You will find all the products you need too in our online shop.

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Pattern baldness: Myth Busting not Ghost Busting

Image of lady with bag on her head because of female pattern baldness

Halloween is here again. Getting up and down to answer the door to tiny tots dressed as witches, ghouls, ghosts and devils may not be your idea of fun, but don’t let the stress levels get you tearing your hair out.

Talking of hair, let’s get a few facts out into the open and bust a few myths about pattern baldness:

There are NO pills, creams, tablets, vitamins, sprays, tonics, oils or any other bizarre concoctions that can cure hair loss. There is NO CURE for male/female pattern baldness. If there was, baldness wouldn’t exist. These so-called ‘remedies’ exist for one reason only, and that is to convince you to part with your cash. Sadly there are lot of unscrupulous companies out there pushing bogus lotions and potions and convincing an already vulnerable group of people that they need to spend thousands to have their hair grow back.

Nothing will cure your male or female pattern baldness. Nothing. You have the option to undergo surgery for a hair transplant/laser therapy, choose a wig or customise a hair replacement system. Each option can provide you with a new head of hair that hasn’t magically grown back following a 21-day course of eye of newt and toe of frog tablets.

But what about vitamins and the various assertions that they can assist with hair growth? With so many studies, surveys and reports, surely there must be some hair related benefits to taking supplements?

Hair loss or pattern baldness has many causes, but the primary culprit is genetics, which can obviously not be avoided; you can’t cheat your genes. Changes in hormone levels; thyroid conditions, auto-immune disorders, stress and severe malnutrition are also responsible for pattern baldness but cannot be simply fixed with a vitamin B supplement. If you are seriously vitamin deficient, to the extent you are losing hair, you will no doubt be very poorly also, and should therefore seek medical advice.

Unfortunately, despite all the claims, there is no conclusive evidence that supplementing with vitamins can thicken your hair, halt the shedding process or help hair to re-grow. There are a handful of studies claiming hair-regrowth success on mice, but as yet, no test has proven successful on a human head!

A healthy nutrient rich diet containing B vitamins, vitamin A, E, D and C, plus omega-3 and 6 could contribute to your overall well-being and probably improve the look of your hair, skin and nails, but such factors cannot change your genetics. However, if you suffer with male/female pattern baldness, improving your diet will probably make no difference to your hair loss.

This Halloween don’t get fooled by the snake oil salesmen plying their trade to the vulnerable: who you gonna call?

For help and advice on hair loss and pattern baldness contact us

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Proper Prior Preparation – removing and attaching your hair replacement system

Image of a beautiful blonde woman removing her hair replacement system

There is really only one rule to follow when it comes to removing and attaching your hair replacement system and that is proper prior preparation.

When removing and attaching your hair replacement system, first of all you need to remove your hair system for clean up and re-attachment. You may damage your hair system if you don’t take proper care at the removal stage. Firstly apply an adhesive remover such as Lace Release directly to the scalp where the hair system is attached starting from the back of the unit. Removing back to front is essential to protect the front hairline so peel up from the back and gradually lift forwards. Continue to peel forwards spraying or dabbing with your adhesive remover as you go. Once the hair system is removed you can start to clean your scalp and hair system separately.

Before attaching your hair system you will need to make sure you have completely removed any of the adhesive residue from the lace or poly on the base of your system. Use a good solvent such as C22, Ghost Buster or Ultra Safe by spraying directly onto the base of your hair system and leaving it to penetrate – depending on the level of residue this can be anything from 15 minutes to an hour or even overnight.

Once the solvent has penetrated, start to remove the residue with a paper towel, a microfibre towel, a nail brush or even a spoon, whichever you prefer. It is imperative that once all the adhesive residue has been removed, you remove any of the oily solvent from the base of the hair system. You can do this by using a grease cutting washing up liquid – original Fairy Liquid is a good option.

You are now ready to shampoo and condition your hair system using a properly formulated shampoo and conditioner such as Walker Tape Bond Breaker or Professional Hair Labs Pro Series, making sure you apply the shampoo and conditioner base side up to ensure you do not push the hair back through the system.

Your lifestyle and hair wearing habits will largely dictate which process you use to remove and attach your hair system, but whether you take your system off daily or after several weeks, the key to a successful and long lasting bond is scalp preparation.

Scalp Preparation:

ONE
Remove all adhesive residue: Use a good solvent such as C22, Ghost Buster, Ultra Safe or the S3 Sensitive Skin Solvent if you have sensitive skin to remove ALL traces of the adhesive residue. You can use a paper towel with the solvent and rub vigorously until your scalp is clear of any residue build up.

TWO
Wash the scalp thoroughly: Shower and wash your hair using an exfoliating Scalp Scrub with a good shampoo. Finish off using a good sulphate free shampoo. Repeat as often as necessary to remove ALL traces of residue.

THREE
Dry your head: Fully dry your head using a towel and and/or a hair dryer. This would be a good time to shave any hair or stubble from the bonding area. At this point you can also apply a medical grade alcohol to ensure the scalp area is pristine clean.

FOUR
Apply a water proof sealant: Use a scalp protector on the bonding area to protect your skin as well as encouraging adhesion, ensuring the sealant has fully dried before attaching your hair system.

Youll find more helpful advice and tips on which adhesives and tapes to use to attach your hair system here:
HAIR TAPES ADVICE
HAIR ADHESIVES ADVICE

The more care you take with your hair system, the longer it will last, the better it will look, and the greater you will feel!
You can buy any of the products you need for all of these procedures from our online hair care shop.