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IT’S CHRISTMAS – Keep your hair on!

Image of a woman with a Christmas hat on

Everyone likes to look their best for Christmas, so like me you might have treated yourself to a lovely new hair system.

But how do you keep the hair in your lovely new hair system from falling out and keep it looking it’s best for longer?

Friction and bacteria are a dangerous combination that can wreak havoc on your hair system as together or on their own, they can cause physical trauma to your hair. The good news is you can fight back against this dangerous twosome and by limiting the trauma will help prevent the hair in your system falling out and looking good for longer.

Cut down on Friction: Hair replacement systems are vulnerable to friction because they lack a substance called sebum which is a natural oil secreted by the follicles of your growing hair to lubricate and protect the hair shaft against friction and static.

A major cause of friction comes from sleeping with a pillowcase made from coarse materials. The constant contact with linen leads to hair breakage. Most times, simply using a satin pillowcase will dramatically reduce the level of friction and extend the life of your hair system.

Avoid wearing hats (Christmas or otherwise) or helmets for extended periods of time. This will also help to lengthen the time bonding adhesives stay effective.

Friction is also caused by excess combing and brushing. Using a moisturising product like Nearly Natural Moisture Mist will help reduce friction while youre in front of the mirror styling your hair.

Keep Out Bacteria: Bacteria build up will destroy hair structure and cause it to weaken and break. The knots where the hair is tied into the system are most vulnerable as they tend to hold and retain moisture.

It is better not to use rinse type conditioners that contain hydrolysed proteins like panthenol (pro-vitamin B5). Instead spray on leave in conditioner such as Walker Tape Leave in Conditioner may be a better alternative as it will not collect in the knots of hairs that have been tied in to a hair system base.

However, using a shampoo that contains these hydrolysed proteins is recommended. This is because the hair in your hair system will absorb the proteins during the cleaning process and the excess is more likely to be rinsed away.

Use a Knot Sealer: Everyone knows that styling products are a great way to keep your system looking great, but did you know these products can also weaken the knots in your base over time? Stuff like shaping creams and hair sprays seep into the knot, loosen them and cause the hair to fall out. Using Walker Tape Knot Sealer can slow or even stop hair loss by locking the hair knots to your base with a thin, silicone-based layer of protection. With regular use, a knot sealer could virtually eliminate hair loss in your unit.

You can find all the products you need to keep your hair system looking amazing in our online shop.

Have a peaceful Christmas and we hope to hear from you soon. Were here throughout the festive season and will be dispatching products every day except on official Bank Holidays, so whatever you need to keep your hair system looking and feeling fantastic this Christmas – were here for you!

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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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Hair loss Trick or Treat

Picture of a pumpkin bandaged up

Halloween is upon us again, the traditional time for children to trick or treat. Soon your relaxing evening in front of the TV will be rudely interrupted by a swarm of ghouls, witches and goblins demanding sweets and treats with menaces… Halloween is traditionally a time when we remember all things scary and for some of us nothing is scarier than the thought of how to deal with hair loss. 

If you find yourself facing hair loss, what do you do?

Many will try every trick in the book to try to disguise hair loss, and certainly there is a myriad of options available on the market. Undoubtedly these solutions can prove to be very helpful. Millions of hair loss sufferers are currently using a variety of internal and external hair loss treatments such as Propecia and Minoxidil. Other solutions such as topical anti-androgens and hair thickening sprays also prove to be beneficial. Trying one or some or a combination of these products can feel very reassuring, giving you a feeling that you are doing everything possible to try to disguise your hair loss. Some find that having tried any or all of the applications, nothing helps. What do you do then? The ultimate trick is to cover up hair loss by wearing a hair system, and unquestionably the quality of many wigs and systems currently available prove to be a godsend to many balding beauties out there.

What then if you want to treat the baldness instead? Sadly there is no ‘over the counter’ treatment that is going to regrow hair once it is gone. If there were, no-one would be bald. Although topical treatments can slow down hair loss, they will not cure baldness. Hair restoration treatments such as transplanting or grafting have proven to be extremely effective and can restore a full head of hair in many cases. Consulting a trichologist can assist in diagnosing what type of hair loss you have and to find the best possible treatment for you.

Whether you decide to trick or treat, the most important thing to remember is that hair loss is not the scariest thing that can happen in your life. Some find it both mentally and physically uplifting just to bare all and live happily with their hair loss. However you decide to deal with your hair loss, make sure you make the choice that is best for you; after all those that matter, don’t mind and those that mind, don’t matter.

Get in touch – Holistique can help.