Tag Archives: Trichology

Female Pattern Baldness

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

Trigg Hair Studio | Hairdresser Trigg Scarborough |North Beach | Duncraig | Carine | Karinyup | Sorrento

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

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

A Trichology Consultation at Trigg Hair Studio

PWhat to Expect from a Trichology Consultation at Trigg Hair Studio | Trigg Hair Studio | Trigg | Scarborough | Sorrento | North Beach | Scarborough | Carine | Karinyup | Duncraig

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?

Can I lose my hair due to stress | Hairdresser Trigg | Scarborough | North Beach | Carine | Duncraig | Sorrento

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

Put Your Hands Up If You Want Thicker Hair

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…

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.

How Do You Treat Your Hair?

How Do You Treat Your Hair?

Sam Macdonald Hair | Trigg Scarborough North Beach Sorrento Carine Duncraig | How Do You Treat Your Hair

Do you treat your hair like a fragile silk scarf or a hardy linen shirt?

We need to start thinking of our hair as a material because that’s exactly what it is! Unfortunately, it’s closer to silk than linen so we may have to re-look at how we treat it.

Let’s look at the two examples:

Linen: We iron it at a high temperature because it can handle it

Silk: We try to avoid heat but if we have to it’s at the lowest setting

Linen: We can wash it in hot water repeatedly, no problem

Silk: Cool temperatures only for this delicate fabric

Our hair only grows 1-1.5cms per month.

That’s a maximum of 18cm per year and that’s not including what we’re removing with regular trims.

I should note here that avoiding these regular 6-8 week trims will only result in your hair fraying faster than it grows so its totally counterproductive. Don’t skip those trims people!

So 18cm per year means that someone with hair to their shoulders has probably had it on their heads for 3 years approximately.

Now think for a minute, what have you done to your silk scarf, (your hair), in those 3 years?

How hot is the water you wash it in? Especially in winter.

Do you use moisturisers to help replace lost moisture in the ends of your hair?

How often do you use hot tools in your hair? A normal straightener or curling iron runs at about 200 degrees or more.

Are you over-washing and removing the natural oils to frequently?

I hope this has given you some food for thought because at the end of the day your hair is the fabric you never take off…

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.

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.

You can rest assured I can help you. Hooray!

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.