Category Archives: Trichology

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.

A Trichology Consultation at Trigg Hair Studio

Have you ever wondered what to expect from a trichology consultation at Trigg Hair Studio?

Maybe you don’t even know what trichology is for?

First things first, trichology is the study of hair and scalp issues. Such as female pattern baldness, psoriasis, eczema, scalp itch, post-partum hair loss, alopecia and weak hair.

Sam is our resident associate trichologist as well as Hairdresser, and you can book a trichology consultation with her here.

Book trichology consult here

As with all things at Trigg Hair Studio, you can expect a mixture of a scientific approach with a natural approach.

If you’re not looking after your body then you’re not allowing your body to heal itself. We will talk through how lifestyle choice may be affecting your hair and scalp.

Sometimes however, your body needs science to give it the kick start it needs to then allow for the body to heal itself. When this is the case, we will look at a scientific approach to empowering your body.

Through your consultation we we look at simple ways to improve your scalp or hair issue so that you feel in control of your issue once and for all. You’ll be surprised what small changes can make to your body.

What you put into your body does mater! You wouldn’t put diesel into a petrol engine and expect it to work…

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.

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

Your hair is the piece of clothing you never take off

Your Hair Is The Piece Of Clothing You Never Take Off

Your hair is the piece of clothing you never take off.

Think about it, do you treat your hair the same as other fabrics you wear?

The hair on your head could be anywhere from 1-5 years old, do you have any clothes that you have kept that long, let alone worn everyday?

OK let me put this in perspective…

If your hair is half as long as the woman in the picture, its about 3 years old. That’s like a tee shirt you’ve worn for 1000 days straight. Lets say you’re one of those lucky ones who only has to wash your hair once a week, that means you’ve washed your tee shirt 150 times!

What is the fabric of your tee shirt like after 150 washes?

Thin and maybe has a few holes?

What is the colour like?

Faded and muted?

Washing and wearing is only one of the things we do to our hair that we wouldn’t even do to our much loved tee shirt, how about…?

summers at the beach and in the pool (salt AND chlorine)
frequent blow drying and ironing
washing in super hot water in winter

So whats the point of this article?

Its not to scare you but to empower you, so you realise what you put your poor old hair thorough.
Its to encourage you to think about your hair as much as you can while you’re living your best life.
Its to make you realise that while we hairdressers are truly amazing, we only have your hair for maybe 3 hours every 6 weeks. You can undo the good we’ve done very quickly.

When your colour fades quicker than you’d like please remember this tee shirt analogy. Please take our professional advise when it comes to the products you use on your tee shirt, oops I mean hair!

Your hair is not your favorite pair of jeans that you wear frequently but spend more time indoors out of the sun and protected from UV in a draw or cupboard.

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/

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…

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.

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.