Category Archives: Nutrition

Can I Lose My Hair Due to Stress

Can I Lose My Hair Due To Stress?

Yes, you can lose your hair due to stress! Its completely unfair but entirely possible.

Let’s start with a basic lesson on the lifecycle of the hair on your scalp.

There are 3 main stages:

Firstly, the growing stage which is usually somewhere between 4-7 years. That’s right, not everyone is capable of growing their hair as long as they like.

Secondly, the resting stage. Once it’s reached the end of its growth, your hair stops growing and sits there waiting for a new one to grow beneath it.

Thirdly the falling out stage. Once that new hair grows it will push out the old one and the cycle begins all over again.

Ok, now you know the answer to ‘can I lose my hair due to stress’, let’s get to why your hair can fall out from stress.

Sometimes when we have a big stress on our bodies, either mental or physical, a bunch of our hair can go into the second stage prematurely. This stress response from our bodies is called telogen effluvium.

The sneaky thing about telogen effluvium is that it won’t usually fall our straight away. Normally you will experience the loss 2-3 months after the stress even happened. This can make it confusing when you’re no longer stressed and your hair is coming out.

On average we lose 100-150 hairs a day, when this happens, you don’t even notice. With telogen effluvium this amount increases from a little to a lot.

So, what can we do about it?

If the stress is something you can plan for such as knowing you’ll be going in for an operation or knowing your about to have a huge work load, supplements can help.

In times of stress your body goes through lots of vitamins and minerals much quicker and this can affect your hair loss. Cortisol, the stress hormone particularly loves stripping you of vitamin B for example. taking a supplement can really assist you.

If the stress comes out of the blue such as an emergency or unplanned injury, start taking supplements as soon as you can. It’s not as good as having a build-up already in your system but if your body is getting all it needs, it can recover faster.

Then of course we can look at our mindfulness. Meditation, taking time for yourself, sleeping well, eating a well-balanced diet, drinking less alcohol and caffeine, just to name a few. You know all of this of course but sometimes it’s easier said than done right!

Keep in mind, the best thing about your body is that it will sort itself out. Sadly, hair is slow growing so it can take a year or more. Feel grateful to your body because its looking after all the thing you can see, your organs that keep you alive.

If you’d like to book an appointment to give your hair or scalp some love then we are always be delighted to hear from you. We’d be happy to talk through your hairs current condition as part of your initial consultation. All the details to make a booking can be found here.

Booking link here

How Do I Fix My Perth Summer Hair

Its finally starting to cool down and that’s got you wondering, how do I fix my Perth Summer hair?

Summers in Perth are always amazing, you’ve been at Trigg beach, in the surf, in the pool in Scarborough and outside in the beautiful sun at the parks in North Beach for months. It’s been amazing but has taken a toll on your hair, right?

The only way to keep your hair absolutely perfect is to keep it out of the sun, surf and chlorine. The only true way to achieve this is to find a cave somewhere and never come out of it. You’d have killer hair but that would literally be the only benefit!

So how can you live the life you love AND have fabulous hair?

Regular haircuts are a must!

In the summer months in Perth, we recommend no longer than 6-8 weeks between trims. The great thing about having regular trims like this is that your hair will actually appear to grow faster. Regular micro trims will allow the ends of your hair to stay healthy and not start fraying and breaking. This is what makes it feel like your hair stops growing.

Good ‘foundation’ hair products are next on the list.

What’s foundation products you ask?

They are the 3 must haves for almost everyone who wants good hair. A good quality shampoo, conditioner and leave in moisturiser for the ends of your hair. Your poor ends often get missed out. Invest in a moisturiser and you will be amazed at what your hair gives back to you.

Give the hot tools a break from time to time.

Hot tools can be as hot as 230 degrees! On some hair types, just one styling session can cause a lot of damage. Try to minimise the use and ask yourself before you turn them on if you really need to do it for this occasion or perhaps you could style it without them. Save the hot tools for really special events.

How can I fix my Perth summer hair?

Well sadly you can’t usually actually fix hair at all. You can replace moisture but if its damaged and sensitised, all you can really do is cut it off. The best fix is not damaging it in the first place. Get regular cuts, use amazing products and give the styling regime an overhaul.

Your hair is another part of your body and like your body what you put into it is what you get out…

If you’d like to book an appointment to give your hair or scalp some love. We’d be happy to talk through it’s current condition as part of your initial consultation. All the details to make a booking can be found here.

Booking link http://trigghairstudio.gettimely.com/

Your Hair Gets Longer When Its Wet

am Macdonlad Hair | Hairdresser Trigg Scarborough Double View City Beach Wembley Downs North Beach Karinyup Carine Duncraid Sorrento | Your Hair Gets Longer When Its Wet

Your hair gets longer when its wet, well its more like it stretches. This does effectively make it longer but as it drys it goes back to it normal length.

Why do you need to keep this in mind?

The main reason is simply how you treat it while its actually wet. If you put your hair in a tight ponytail when its wet, as it drys and shrinks what do you then can happen to the hair?

Worst case scenario the hair itself could actually snap off causing permanent breakage. ?

A simple way to avoid this is to put your wet hair up loosely or simply wait till its dried. Scrunchies are actually great for if you want to put it up wet, as they are so gentle on the hair.

This is why its also important to be gentler on the hair when its wet. As its in a susceptible state a gentle combing action is preferable to an aggressive brushing one. A great option here is an afro or rake come, you know the ones with the wide teeth.

Sometimes people with frizzy or curly hair use a tight pony tail as a way of straightening their hair a little. Its important to be aware that the breakage can happen because over time you can end up with lots of short hairs, particularly around your hairline at the front and back of your hair.

If you’d like to book an appointment to give your hair or scalp some love. I’d be happy to talk through it’s current condition as part of your initial consultation. All the details to make a booking can be found here.

Selenium And Your Hair

Sam Macdonald Hair | Hairdresser Trigg Scarborough North Beach Sorrento Karrinyup Wembley Downs Doubleview | Selenium And Your Hair | Hair Health

You may not think selenium is as important for your hair and your health as some vitamins because you only need such a small amount. It is however super important and also not found in proper amounts in Australian soils. What does this mean? Simply that its hard to get enough from the average diet.

So what’s it good for?

With hair in particular it is important because it assists in the bodies production of Keratin. Keratin is the protein your hair and skin is made up of. Without Selenium it may not be as strong and resistant to damage.

This mineral is important for thyroid as it needs a higher level of selenium than any other organ in your body. A common side effect of thyroid issues is hair loss.

Selenium has been linked to helping prevent heart disease which is a massive problem in Australia. Selenium reduces inflammation which is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. It also lowers oxidative stress in the body.

Selenium helps to boost your immune system by lowering inflammation, can help with asthma symptoms and helps prevent mental decline.

It does all this and more, so you can see why it’s important not only for hair health but also for your entire body.

Some place to find selenium naturally are:

– oysters (yuk ?)

– Brazil nuts that aren’t grown in Australia

– yellow fin tuna

– eggs

– sunflower seeds

– shiitake mushrooms

One word of warning with Selenium though, you CAN have too much and that’s bad too. We only need a small amount and too much can lead to other issues. However the chance of too much in Australia unless you eat a lot of imported ingredients is unlikely as our soils are deficient of it.

As always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Follicles

Sam Macdonald Hair | Hairdresser Tigg Scarborough Dauncraig Karinyup |scarborough Sorrento Follicles

Ever wondered about your follicles?

I thought so, here is all the information you need to be enlightened!

Humans are born with all of their hair follicles and there is no possible way to increase the number of follicles you have. More follicles would equal more hair but you’re stuck with what you have.

Interestingly though some people have more hair coming out of these follicles. People with super thick hair often have 4 thick hairs coming out of each follicle, (technical name is terminal hair). As well as these you could have 2-3 baby hairs coming out of the same follicle, (named vellus hairs).

People with fine hair like me will only have 1-2 terminal hairs and 1-2 vellus hairs coming out of each follicle.

As your hair thins with age your terminal hair number can reduce and the terminal hairs can turn into vellus hairs. A good example of this is when you see a man who’s bald but still has soft fine hairs in that, ‘bald’, area.

The best things to keep these follicles producing the best that they can is to look after your body and treat it kindly. Give it good food, great vitamins and keep that stress at bay. Good luck with that last one…

Put Your Hands Up If You Want Thicker Hair

Sam Macdonald Hair | Hairdresser Trigg Scarborough Karinyup Carine Duncraig Noth Beach Hands Up If You Want Thicker Hair

For those of us who are a little lacking in the hair department, (that would be me), who has ever wished they could have hair more like this beautiful girl eating a flower.

How many different products or gimmicks have you tried to see if you can change the hair you were born with?

Sadly, we can’t create more actual hair on our heads. We can however, make the most of what we have. There are two main parts to this.

Firstly, we have to make sure we get the right nutrients and lead a good lifestyle will give our bodies a chance to make the best hair we can have.

I’ve covered this in more detail in previous posts so I if you’d like more information please feel free to go back and have a look.

So that’s got the body covered to create the best hair it can. Once its out of your head there are things we can do to make it fuller and have more volume.

– A bodifying shampoo and conditioner to help create body

– Styling products especially for your hair, things that are great for fine hair are texturizing dust, mousse and styling sprays.

– Learning how to properly blow-dry and style your hair. YouTube has heaps of tutorials or you could book a blow-drying lesson with me.

– Hair extensions can be used to create more volume.

– Hot rollers, teasing and a good hair spray. Yes, it sound old fashioned but it can do the trick!

The big key here is to educate yourself on the options. Next time you’re at the hairdresser don’t be scared to ask for tips. Look up from the magazine or your phone to see what your hairdresser is doing and maybe you’ll pick up some tips…

Females Pattern Bladness

Female Pattern Baldness

Sam Macdonald Hair | Hairdresser Trigg North Beach Sorrento Karinyup Carine Duncraig Scarborough | Female Pattern Baldness

Fun Fact! 40% of women have female pattern baldness, (hair loss), by the time they go through menopause.

Here we were thinking it was just the blokes that had to endure this. In fact, most men who will go bald will notice it starting in their 20’s. At least us women can add a couple more decades on…

Some things that can affect hair loss are lack of required minerals in our bodies, stress or shock. In all honesty we can’t always stop this happening but we can slow it down and, in some cases, stop it completely.

First things first, lifestyle.

If you are not getting all the vitamins and minerals you need, your hair will suffer. Actually, your whole body will suffer but your hair will show it first.

Your body is super intelligent and it will use any minerals and vitamins for the essential parts of your body first. You guessed it; hair is last on that list.

Secondly become aware of stress in your body and try to deal with it in a way that’s suits your lifestyle. For most of exercise is a great way to release stress.

It’s not always easy to remove stress completely these days but being aware of it can really help. For example, notice when you’re tensing up and become more mindful of releasing it.

Shock is a hard one as its often unexpected. Sometimes we can know we’ll be having a shock, in the form of something coming up like an operation which is a shock on the body.

You can lose hair a couple of months after a shock so if you know this is coming you can take supplements to reduce its impact on the body.

Unfortunately sometimes it’s just part of your life cycle and its normal to experience some thinning.

You can change your part frequently to stop your part line scalp getting too much UV. Sunlight can speed up hair loss in the part area so this is an easy fix.

As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Zinc And Your Hair

Sam Macdonald Hair | Hairdresser Trigg Scarborough Nrth Beach Carine Duncraig | Zinc and Your Hair

Did you know that zinc is super important for a good head of hair?

It’s not only required for our overall health, but it’s also very essential for the growth of healthy hair. When its levels get low, your hair will suffer first.

Zinc is an essential mineral and that means that our bodies don’t produce it ourselves so we have to eat foods rich in Zinc.

In Australia we have very low levels of Zinc and as a result many of us are not getting as much as we need.

Sadly these days it’s not always enough to have a well balanced unprocessed diet, sometimes we need a good supplement.

So what part does Zinc actually play in our bodies?

We need Zinc for division and growth of every cell in our body, including our hair. It also plays a big part in keeping our immune system strong therefore preventing catching colds for example.

It also helps us heals faster, has an impact with creating DNA and is required for good thyroid function.

As you can see it’s a super important mineral for your hair and all of you. If you’re not getting enough your body will take what it has to the more important parts of your body and your hair will suffer.

A good supplement will help and in salon I have a range of fabulous high quality supplements especially designed at a good head of hair. You guessed it, it’s got Zinc in it, among other fabulous things of course.

Apotecari Mane Event is Vegan and had many activated vitamins and minerals which means your body can absorb it quickly. This is good for everyone but particularly for people that have problems absorbing all the nutrients from their food.

Vitamin B And The Importance For Hair And Scalp

Sam Macdonald Hair | Trigg Scarborough North Beach Wembley Downs Karinyup Carine Duncraig | Vitamin B And The Importance For Hair And Scalp

We all know we need a multitude of B vitamins for a healthy head of hair but what are they and where can we get them?

B2 (riboflavin)

This super star is an antioxidant that destroys free radicals. Found in almonds, Pork, Lamb Beef, Eggs and oily fish.

B6

Essential to the metabolism of protein, (hair is protein).
Found in organ meats, lentils, nuts, cereals and soy products.

B7 (biotin)

This guy helps the body use fats, amino acids and carbs more effectively which boosts hair growth. You’ll find it in egg yolks, organ meats, peanuts and walnuts.

B9 (folic acid)

We need this for the production of DNA which supports rapid growth of all cell and tissues including hair. You’ll find it in spinach, asparagus, avocado, salmon, lima beans, beets and turnips.

B12

Vitamin B12 helps transport oxygen and nutrients to your hair. A lack of oxygen is believed to be a key contributor to hair loss. You’ll find it in clams, oysters, beef, turkey, chicken, crab, salmon and eggs.

You can eat the food above to make sure you are getting all of the B vitamins you need or if you think your diet may be lacking a supplement could help.
Activated B vitamin will absorb into the body quickly as its already active and your body doesn’t need to process it as much.

In salon I have small range of high quality supplements which will make sure you get everything you need that’s listed above and more.

Please ask me for more information on the Apotecari supplements.

Is Your Hair Getting All The Nutrients It Needs?

Is Your Hair Getting All The Nutrients It Needs

Sam Macdonald hair | Hairdresser Trigg | Is You Hair Getting All The Nutrients It Needs

How can we tell if our hair is getting all the nutrients it needs to be the very best head of hair the you can have?

Well there are a few symptoms that could be showing up just by taking notice of you hair and scalp.

Stressful lifestyle:

I know, I know, we’re all stressed out at least a little. It is in fact possible to reduce stress just by being aware of it. You can tune into your body and when you feel it start to grow just stop what you’re doing for 60 seconds, concentrate on breathing slowly, do some stretching or just stare gently at something beautiful.

Did you know that your body uses up more vitamin B when your stressed out? An extra supplement of Vitamin B could really help you and if its an activated one, your body will absorb it nice and quickly.

Thinning hair or even bald patches:

Thinning hair can simply be a sign of age and embedded in your DNA, however it doesn’t mean that you can’t slow the process down. There is strong evidence that lifestyle can impact on this process which can indicate your body isn’t getting everything it needs.

Thinking you can get every single thing your body needs from food may not be correct as our soils don’t contain what they used to. Did you know that in Australia there is no selenium in the soil and extremely low zinc? Zinc is super important for hair and scalp.

As for small patches of hair not being there anymore, this could be alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness. This could be linked to stress and again you may need extra supplements to help get through this quicker.

Slow hair growth:

If you have noticed your hair growth has slowed down, this could be an indication of unrest in your body. Hair growth does vary from person to person but if you notice a change a supplement could help and failing that going to your health professional for more advice.

If this could be you then please don’t hesitate to contact me so we can have a look together and see what we can do to hlep.

In salon I have an amazing range of supplements for hair and scalp called Apotecari to help you get the best hair and scalp you can possibly have. I also do Trichology services in the salon so we can get to the root of the problem once and for all.