COVER STORY - ANNE FERGUSON DISCUSSES HAIR LOSS

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Anne Ferguson is a director of celebrity stylist Taylor Ferguson Hairdressing. In this column she focuses on the sensitive topic of hair-fall and some new solutions which could help.

IT’S PERSONAL I know from personal experience just how devastating hair-fall and hair loss can be. It can leave you feeling stressed, sad, worried, embarrassed.

Throw in the fact I’m married to a very well-known hairdresser and am based every day in a hair salon and the feelings worsen. My own experience literally happened over a matter of weeks. I’m unaware of a specific trigger point – but the loss kicked in and it’s been a struggle. Maybe it just came with age and my hormones changing – it happens.

With my living with the situation now for several years I’ve sort of gotten used to it. Doesn’t make it any easier but I do all I can to mitigate further loss. I’ve been using a Hairmax band which passes laser signals to stimulate the follicles and boost growth. It’s worked but it’s a daily ritual and often easy to overlook so it needs a lot of commitment. Because my loss was so significant I opted to boost the hair I have with extensions – just a half head full – but it means I can restore my confidence and my selfesteem and still be able to have good hair days – at least in my outward appearance. So when I’m writing this and if you’re experiencing similar, trust me - I feel your pain.

DON’T BE ASHAMED TO TALK ABOUT IT I know how hard it was to even mention to friends and colleagues but it was trickier for me to hide as my workplace team – a hair salon - would be washing and drying my hair and the evidence was there to see – or not to see! Opening up about it will help you address some of the issues involved. I know how much better I felt by not only talking about

it to my team but also going ‘public’ about it – even discussing it on TV when the topic became hotter because some celebrity chose to air her views on her own experience. My advice would be – talk and share. It’s an old but true adage – a problem shared is a problem halved.

LIFE TRIGGERS HAIR-FALL Experts identify two types of hair-fall. The first is from fibre breakage which can occur from the daily stress from mechanical and external factors. That can be from brushing to excess, exposure to hear (hair straighteners have a lot to answer for, believe me) and from pollution. Our hair is sensitive – expose to any or all of the above and you could experience hair-fall.

MY LITTLE HELPER: I use Hairmax laser therapy to boost my hair’d condition.

The second type is when it’s weakened from the root and the impact comes via biological factors. These can include stress (who doesn’t have some level of stress in our busy lives?), hormonal changes – and yes we’ve touched on the aging process and consequences and diet. A lack of iron in our bodies can often lead to hair-fall as a side-effect. At the end of the day it all comes down to just how well – and healthily we can live our lives. Mess up on any or all of the above factors and hair-fail may result.

IT’S A BIG FOCUS The experts and hair product gurus have worked hard over the year to fine-tune products that they believe can help. I’ve been very excited to see a new range from Kerastase, a long established supplier to my salon. They’ve identified what they see is a ‘potent complex’ to challenge hair-fall. They’ve used ginger root which stimulates microcirculation to generate healthy resilient hair and thereby preserve a healthy scalp. They’ve also thrown in aminexil which preserves healthier circulation to boost the hair ‘bulb’, thereby reducing the risk of hair-fall. The final ingredient is edelweiss native cells which are capable of resisting extreme conditions, shielding and hydrating our hair to prevent degradation and reduce breakage risk. Kerastase call their range Genesis which is their first dual anti-fall action collection of products with no less than ten to choose from. I always road-test any new products we introduce – and so far, I’ve been impressed.

CURE AND PREVENTION Whether you’re looking to cure or prevent hair-fall there will be a solution out there. Your stylist – if experienced in the subject – should be able to not only identify your hair type but also recommend a professional solution. I’ve long been an advocate of prevention and choosing your correct products comes under that umbrella.

Whatever life throws at us can result in hair-fall come what may but there are steps we can take to at least mitigate the impact. We always recommend less is more…

Don’t wash your hair every day if you can avoid. Don’t over expose your hair to heat – and especially hair straighteners. I can’t tell you how many people we’ve seen over the years who when they confess to multiple use of straighteners every day then realise the resultant damage. And the final piece of advice is consult the experts on which hair products to use. Millions of pounds go into product development over the years. There’s a reason for that as the big hair companies chase the holy grail of hair problem solutions. There will be help out there…don’t be afraid to ask.

REACH OUT: select the best products to combat hairfall such as the Kerastase Genesis range.