Category Archives: Scalp issues

Female Pattern Baldness

Trigg Hair Studio | Hair Loss Facts | Hairdresser Trigg North Beach Scarborough Karrinyup

Female pattern baldness, (Androgenic Alopecia), typically occurs at the front, parting, (middle and actual), and crown area. Thankfully it rarely results in total loss of the hair.

There is a strong genetic link though the pathway is still not known. Its more common after menopause, so there is a possible link between the loss and hormones, particularly estrogen. There is no cure for female pattern baldness. It occurs in up to two-thirds of women after menopause.

In your scalp, you have two types of hairs that come out of one follicle at a time. There are terminal hairs which are the fatter of the two and vellus hairs which are finer. During female pattern hair loss, some of the terminal hairs can shrink and become vellus hairs. These hairs are more fragile and eventually that hair can stop all together.

To discover if this is happening it’s as simple as looking through a trichoscope to compare the hairs in the unaffected areas to the ones in the affected areas. At Trigg Hair Studio Sam is our resident associate trichologist and you can book an exam here.

Things that can help are:

If it’s mostly through your part, change it to another spot.
Get blood text to check your thyroid, some indications it could be thyroid are an unexplained loss or gaining of weight and a loss of energy for no known reason.
Check in with your diet and exercise plan, have you been looking after your bodies needs?
There are certain hair and scalp care ranges that can assist, we use and recommend Activance.
Have your microbiome checked to make sure your gut health is good. Click here for who we recommend to use for this as seen on Catalyst
Minoxidil is a drug you can apply to your scalp that will help however like all medications there are side effects. Also you need to use it for 6-12months to see results and it’s not effective in everyone.
In extreme cases hair transplants can be done. They take hair from the unaffected areas and move it to where the loss is.

In summary for most women this issue will be minimal. For the most part it will only be you noticing the changes. Do be honest with your lifestyle choices as it’s the fuel that makes your body work. If you used diesel in a petrol engine vehicle, it’s not going to work.

For further information and a trichology exam to confirm this is whats happening to you, you can book in here.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis, what is it?

A condition where skin cells build up and from scales and itchy dry patches. Its typically found on the hands, feet, face, neck and scalp.

It is a long term, (chronic), non-curable autoimmune condition that will flare up throughout your life time for many different reasons.

Its commonly associated with other conditions such as psoriatic arthritis.

What does it look like?

Built up layers of dried skin of a whitish-silver colour. It can be difficult to see the colour with the naked eye, this is where I trichoscope, (microscope for hair and skin), can assist. Our resident associate trichologist Sam can do an exam for you in salon.

Book here for a trichology exam.

Why does it happen?

We’re not sure what causes psoriasis, however it develops when T cells mistakenly attack healthy skin cells. In normal skin, the life cycle is approximately 28days. When psoriasis is present this can happen in a little as 7 days. This leads to the skin piling up on top of itself as it doesn’t have time to naturally fall off.

What can we do about it?

As psoriasis in non-curable, what we can concentrate on is reducing flare ups through lifestyle choices.

Stay to a healthy weight, not only for obvious reason but also to prevent in forming in the folds of your skin
Exercise to encourage blood flow and help immune cells travel through your body
Decrease alcohol
Eat less inflammatory foods
Stay hydrated

Failing this you can get topical ointments and some medications can slow down cellular growth and relieve the itching.

Also as with all scalp issues, try not to scratch with your fingernails. You typically have lots of bacteria living under them. If you put this bacteria in broken skin, you can get an infection.

If you’d like to book an appointment to give your hair or scalp assistance, all the details to make a booking can be found here.

All the Other Types of Dermatitis

Trigg Hair Studio | Hairdresser Trigg Scarborough North Beach Karinyup Sorrento | Stress | Impact | Hair and Scalp

All the Other Types of Dermatitis

Dermatitis a general term for skin inflammation. It leaves the skin looking puffy, swollen, dry and red from the inflammation.

There are several types of dermatitis and none of them are contagious.

Seborrheic Dermatitis can be found here

Atoptic Dermatitis (Eczema)

This is also known as eczema and is usually inherited and can develop when you’re young though can happen at any age. It’s a chronic (long lasting) condition and can be accompanied by hay fever or asthma. There is no cure though life style choices can assist with keeping it at bay.

Contact Dermatitis

This is caused by a product touching your skin that you are sensitive to. It can be made worse if you don’t have much of a natural protective layer on your skin because of natural dryness or over washing of your skin.

The two main forms are irritant and allergic though you can have both at the same time. Irritant is a reaction to something such as a chemical in solvents, detergents, cosmetics or cleaning products. Allegic is caused by the body having an immune reaction typically from plant saps, some medications or metals.

Phototoxic Dermatits

This is when contact with certain chemicals on your skin, comes in contact with sunlight or UV. This can happen with disinfectants, fragrances, insecticides, some sunscreens or coal tar products. It can also happen with some plants. The skin can blister and go very red.

How do you fix this? Find the offending product and stop using and/or stay out of direct exposure to sun and UV.

Stasis Dermatitis

This is due to your body having poor circulation, usually in the lower part of your body, your hands and feet.

What are some common triggers for dermatitis?

Hormonal changes
Irritating substances
Stress
Your environment

Treatment for dermatitis

If there is suspicion its an allergic reaction, you need to find out what’s causing the dermatitis. You can have a skin scratch test done at the dermatologist to find out for sure.

You can also stop using one product at a time for 4-6 weeks to see if the issue goes away. Eventually you will work out which thing you’re using that’s causing the issue.

However, if you want to find out for sure what it is, the skin scratch test is the way to go. This means you can look at the ingredient in any product you wish to purchase in the future.

An antihistamine could also help relieve the symptoms or a mild steroid cream from the chemist or doctor.

You could also have a food allergy so giving up one food for a 4-6 week period to see if it clears up could help. The life cycle of skin is 28 days so this gives it a chance to heal. The best thing to eliminate first is dairy and if it’s not that go for gluten next. I know this sucks but it’s not forever, just 6 weeks to be sure.

Use mild cleansers on your skin. Heavily perfumed products or drying soaps can leave the skin more exposed than is necessary.

Lastly, be careful not to scratch it with your finger tips. Bacteria is usually under your finger nails and you can make the condition worse. It you tear the skin and put bacteria in the tear you can get a bacterial infection as well. If you need to scratch, use the ball of your fingers so you don’t break the skin.

If you’d like to book an appointment to give your hair or scalp assistance, all the details to make a booking can be found here.

Seborrheic Dermatitis

Trigg Hair Studio | Trigg Hairdresser | North Beach, Karrinyup, Scarborough, Carine

Seborrheic dermatitis, where on our body do we find it?

Its also known as cradle cap in infants and on adults is mostly common in oily areas such as the scalp, chest, back and face. It can create dandruff on the scalp as well as redness and scaly patches. It is likely that’s it’s caused by a fungus (Malassezia) which is naturally found in the oil (sebum) your body produces.

Seborrheic dermatitis tends to get worse in the cooler months potentially because of the hot water and heat we use. This dries out our skin and the body makes more sebum to try and replace it.

Often its hereditary though the cause is unknown and changes to your hormones can also have an effect.

How do we know for sure that we have it?

Seborrheic dermatitis can have a yellow waxy appearance though this can be hard to see with the naked eye. You can book yourself in for a scalp exam where we can look using the trichoscope (microscope for the skin and hair).

If needed, we can recommend you to a dermatologist for further testing.

What are some things you can do if you suspect you have this?

You can use a dandruff shampoo. These tend to be high in chemicals and need to be used daily. In salon we have a natural range that could assist you without the chemicals called Activance.
Don’t put your hair up in the same spot every day. Clean, fresh air around your scalp will help your skin.
In general use hypoallergenic soap and detergent
If it’s on your skin and there is hair, you can shave the area.
Check your diet, are you getting a wide range of healthy items in it? A blood or hair test could help you here
Get your microbiome checked to see how your gut is fairing
Find a way to deal with stress better, this will have an effect
Reduce alcohol consumption

Lastly, be careful not to scratch it with your fingertips. Bacteria is usually under your finger nails and you can make the condition worse. It you tear the skin and put bacteria in the tear you can get a bacterial infection as well. If you need to scratch, use the ball of your fingers so you don’t break the skin.

If you’d like to book an appointment to give your hair or scalp assistance, all the details to make a booking can be found here.