as hair loss is already stressful by itself for the patient. White hair can exacerbate stress that can make hair loss worst. Perming and permanent straightening can also be done, but make sure it is done by a specialist as it can damage hair if not done properly, causing traction alopecia”. How does the humid climate or pollution in Hong Kong affect hair?
Wing Tang
At what point should women and men start considering professional help for thinning hair and hair loss? Aline says that “As soon as you realize excessive shedding or thinning you should look for a hair and scalp specialist. Hair is a nonessential tissue, and so is the first to get affected when something is not alright in the body. In the consultation, a certified trichologist can help patients to identify early signs of chronic diseases and then send them to their primary-care physician, endocrinologist or gynecologist”. Alice agrees “One day, if you complain of sudden excessive hair loss from all over the scalp, a bald patch that has gradually appeared, of having itching and excessive scaling of the scalp, excessive oiliness secretion, these are the symptoms of hair loss. This is the time for you to seek for a professional”. Women dealing with hair thinning and white hair: Does dyeing, perming and hair straightening cause thinning or hair loss? Wing says “Hair plays an integral and important part in every male and female individual’s self image and the way he or she is looked upon by society. Hair is like a fine fabric: It needs to be professionally cared for with the right products and treatments to maintain its shape and to maximize its appearance. Cosmetic procedures like colouring, straightening and perming can damage your hair and cause hair loss. The chemicals used in these processes contain strong substances that can irritate the scalp and may cause skin reactions”. Alice adds that “Frequent perming and hair straightening will cause hair shaft to weaken and become brittle due to the chemicals used and high temperature of heat applied. Dyeing also can cause severe hair loss due to the dye containing Para phenylenediamine (PPD). Some clients were diagnosed with contact dermatitis due to PPD”. Aline sees it in a different way “Professional Colouring is not a problem at all, in fact we will always recommend that colour is done,
“Hong Kong has many hot and high humidity months and on top of that we have bad pollution problems too. These two components affect our hair considerably” says Wing “Humidity makes our hair unmanageable, unruly and frizzy, causing it to lose its shine and smoothness. In a humid and polluted environment like Hong Kong, it is important that you wash and condition your hair regularly with a suitable shampoo and conditioner”. “Having healthy-hair habits at home, doing deep conditioning treatments after colouring and using products that seal the cuticles before blow-drying hair makes easy to handle the humidity” adds Aline “Pollution is present in two size particles.The smaller particles make hair oxidate, even more in clients with coloured hair, as peroxide can build up. Protecting hair using water-soluble silicones and blowdrying hair before going out is an easy way to be protected against pollution. Hairdressers can often feel the effects of hard water on a client’s hair even before they know that hard water is the culprit of their hair problems. Women are often unaware that their water is making their hair lifeless, brittle or dull looking”. According to Alice “An increase in pollution can lead to a higher rate of hair loss problem. Hair and scalp is the first barrier organ which responds to the environmental damages as they are exposed directly to the surrounding environment. The Air Pollution Index of Hong Kong always remains at high level; it fastens the effect of pollutants on hair and scalp. It causes skin irritation, redness, itching, epidermal scales, faster exfoliation of outer layers exposing sensitive inner layers causing more sensitivity, even leading to psoriasis”.
Trichologists are trained in the life sciences, they look at hair loss problems in a holistic way by evaluating clients on the basis of personal history, lifestyle, genetic factors and environmental conditions. 髮理專家都接受過生命科學的培訓，會從 整體醫學的角度來探究脫髮問題，按照客 人的個人歷史、生活方式、遺傳因素和身 處的環境作出評估。