Three Things You Can Do To Avoid ‘Fall’ This Autumn

by Ann-Louise Holland

You know you are starting to shed autumnal levels of hair when strays appear on items of clothing and your brush provides you with the beginnings of a new wig.  It doesn’t even have to be autumn for this kind of ‘fall’, but you know that extra hair loss and a smaller ponytail is imminent.

Hair shedding happens when the hair moves from its anagen, or growing phase, to catagen where it is now ‘resting’ like an actor with no work, except in this case, it isn’t coming back to work.  The bulb of the hair has detached from its nutrient source ie: the blood supply and it’s only a matter of time before it is left alone without support and sheds (telogen phase).

If you know your hair has a regular ‘fall’ season, there are a few things you can do to prevent too much extra shedding.

  1. Scalp massage is the best thing you can do for your hair at any time of year. The increased blood flow to the hair follicles makes a noticeable and almost immediate difference in shedding and I cannot recommend it enough.  A study by the University of Hong Kong massaged the scalps of participants every day for 20 minutes for nearly a year – what joy – and the results were outstanding.  It reduced hair loss in men aged over 66 from 86.2% in a hair bundle to 6.7% and from 74% to 5.1% in the 26-65 age group.  The results were similarly fantastic for women, going from 43.9% to 4.9% in the older age group and 36.7% to 4.3% in the younger.  In the 26-45 groups, hair loss was reduced to approximately 3.3%. We might not be able to get this daily treat, but can do this with your own hands – a good technique is to run your fingers through your hair and (without any pain), pull at bunches of hair, so you can feel the blood flow rushing to the scalp.  Check out a scalp massager like this one, to use in the shower which is quick and easy and helps move conditioner through your hair.Scalp massager
  1. Now that you have increased the blood flow to your scalp, upping your nutrient game is going to pay double dividends and I included key ingredients in Good Hair Nutrient Complex which I knew would help stop the shed and keep hair follicles fortified. For instance, the Niacin and Ginkgo Biloba increase blood flow to the scalp, MSM has been found to increase the length of the anagen, growth phase and there are tons of studies that link lower levels of Vitamin D, as well as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) with the hair loss that happens when the nights grow darker.  These nutrients and many more are included in this scientifically developed hair supplement program.
  2. I worked with scientists who always said “you won’t be able to grow good hair if your scalp is compromised” and it amazes me that hair companies do not produce more scalp treatments to nourish and care for the skin on the head. A scalp treatment will hydrate the skin supporting the hair follicles and revitalise the whole scalp, making it more resilient to damage and ageing, just like treating the soil that grows the flowers.  Light sprays that you apply by parting your hair without anyone being able to tell, are the easiest to work with and your scalp will thank you for trying out any of these: John Masters and Kerastase Initialiste Advanced Scalp & Hair Concentrate, Pura D’Or Hair Thinning Therapy Energizing Scalp Serum Revitalizer.  If you feel adventurous, you can make your own using a base of olive, almond or argan oil which should include rosemary, peppermint and/or lavender essential oils as they are all known for their hair growth promoting effects.

If you have any questions about this or other hair issues, please email me at info@kanshaalchemy.com I’d love to hear from you.


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