It is estimated that half of all women will experience hair loss in their lifetime. This can be blamed on various factors including pollutants, diet, stress, hormonal changes and lack of sleep. Dr Sharon Wong, a consultant dermatologist based at 9 Harley Street, explains that dealing with hair thinning is a long-term proposition, particularly if the issue is genetic. However, there are steps you can take to manage and, in some cases, prevent hair loss.
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Expert advice for hair thinning
Ricardo Vila Nova
There are few people as skilled at getting to the root cause (no pun intended) of your hair loss as Ricardo Vila Nova. Located on Harrods’ 5th floor (a veritable destination for all things beauty), Vila Nova’s is a salon specifically designed for scalp health. The Portuguese trichologist started the clinic to help those tackling hair loss get the expertise his science background offers, while swapping the sterile doctors office environment for a chic salon.
Vila Nova’s clinic prides itself on its highly bespoke approach when it comes to helping its clients manage their hair loss. Each client who arrives at the salon has their hair examined under a microscope before any plan of action is decided on. This is so Vila Nova can scan the hair for proteins and identify whether hair loss is the result of genetics or is a hormonal issue. The microscope is also able to produce an “x-ray” of the hair sample which gives Vila Nova more information about the hair’s cuticle and its protein levels, shedding further light on the best path forward for your session. Following this, you will receive a detoxing scalp treatment and massage using products Vila Nova and his team formulate especially for you on the day at the salon, using combinations of proteins, cortex and collagen. These are all left to settle on your head under the salon’s scalp steamer before you’re brought back over for a microneedling treatment with a serum that combines protein and amino acids to aid in hair growth. The treatment ends with a session under the salon’s high-powered LTT laser, which looks a bit like an LED lamp but is much more potent. Vila Nova says this helps to increase blood flow in the scalp, which in turn promotes hair growth, and also helps the previous hair products to penetrate more deeply into your scalp.
The best part is Vila Nova makes a point not to be judgemental about hot tools or bleaching. Instead, he works with those with slightly naughtier hair habits to find scalp strengthening techniques which work with their existing routines rather than trying to change them too much. And, you even get to leave with a bouncy blow out at the end of it all.
Initial hair scan begins at £185. To book visit ricardovilanova.com
Dr Sharon Wong on Minoxidil
This is the most tried-and-tested hair growth treatment and, according to Wong, should be the first step for anyone noticing significant hair loss and seeking a high-impact medicated solution. Minoxidil is available over the counter, comes in 2 and 5 per cent strength, and is available in foam, liquid or tablet form from a variety of brands.
The product can have some aesthetic drawbacks, including giving hair a slightly crispier texture, but Wong says that many of her clients use the product overnight and then shower in the morning to avoid this. Anyone pregnant should not use Minoxidil, and there are a few possible side-effects including scalp irritation and a potential increase in facial hair growth for women. Wong also warns that with this product things tend to get worse before they get better, and that it typically takes six months to a year to see full results. That said, in most cases users notice a significant improvement in hair growth. There are a lot of different Minoxidil brands on the market, but Wong’s over-the-counter pick is the classic Regaine. From £26, Regaine at Look Fantastic
Dr Marco Nicoloso at Ouronyx
If your hair isn’t as vigorous as it once was, put yourself in the hands of Dr Marco Nicoloso, the medical director of perhaps the most luxurious and impressive aesthetic clinic in London, Ouronyx. He’s one of a handful of practitioners carrying out Autologous Micrografting Technology, known as AMT. The process begins by shaving a small patch of hair behind your ear where the strongest follicles are typically located. Then the doctor will inject an anaesthetic and take three small biopsies. The mature stem cells and growth factors from these biopsies are extracted and injected back into your scalp immediately. While our tester called the experience more annoying than painful, she pointed out that Nicoloso was able to use a vibrating tool on her head to help manage any stinging. This is an annual process that takes less than an hour. Aftercare involves not washing your hair or using any products for 48 hours. To really give the treatment a boost it’s advised that you return once a month for three months for some Calecim stem-cell microneedling, but no additional biopsies are needed. Though micrografting won’t work on totally bald patches, it can be a good option for those considering a hair transplant. Studies have shown that AMT can give a new lease of life to hair follicles that are slowly giving up the ghost. From £2,850, ouronyx.com
The best products for thinning hair
Jolie Skin Co showerhead
If you’ve ever noticed that your hair seems to have more vibrancy and bounce when you leave London, it could be because you’ve left the city’s hard water behind. Hard water has a high mineral content, often as a result of old pipes. It’s an issue that plagues many big cities, but London is known to be one of the worst. Hard water can weigh down hair, leading to drier, greasier-looking and more brittle strands. Extended periods of hard water use can also contribute to hair loss. This is especially true for those with more porous strands, including colour-treated hair.
Enter Jolie, the Instagram-friendly filtered showerhead, which our tester says saved her hair. It works for most showers, takes less than ten minutes to install and comes with a set-up kit including a wrench and plumber’s tape. For those among us who are less handy with such tools there are detailed instruction videos on the brand’s website and social platforms. The multicoloured options can also jazz up an otherwise boring bathroom. Jolie filters out the hard water minerals, and our tester found that it left her hair feeling featherlight and shiny, and kept grease at bay for significantly longer. The company recommends swapping out the filter every three months, but you can also sign up for a subscription so a new one appears on your doorstep right on schedule. £157.49, Jolie Skin Co at Healf
Calecim Professional Advanced Hair System
This new wonder serum helped to revive our tester’s hair, even in the face of Covid-related thinning. The Calecim Professional Advanced Hair System is the brainchild of Dr Ivor Lim, a Singapore-based surgeon. It is made from ethically sourced red deer umbilical cords and works to revive dormant follicles using the patented ingredient PTT-6, a compound found in stem cells that has more than 3,000 proteins. It’s been found by the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal to be effective in treating Covid-related hair loss, works in men and women, and is popular in hair clinics. You can apply the serum at home through a derma stamp or micro-roller once a week for six weeks, although our tester recommends repeating the six-week course more than once for optimal results.
You can also get Calecim in clinic and spa settings. In London, the uber-cool Salon C Stellar, with its 70s-inspired interiors, has partnered with Calecim to create a holistic scalp treatment called the Stellar Scalp Exosomes. The treatment includes a scalp peel, which helps remove any dead skin and debris, before the aesthetician goes in with a microneedling tool, applying Calecim’s PTT-6 treatment for deeper penetration in the scalp. Then you are handed a pair of headphones playing a calming meditation (lowered stress levels have also been shown to help hair growth) to wear while the Dermalux MD LED light does its thing. LED lights help further stimulate hair growth by proliferating the hair follicle. At the end of the session you’re sent off with the remaining Calecim product (six weeks’ worth) to continue the hair growth journey at home. At-home treatment from £295, Calecim Professional. Stellar Scalp Exosomes treatment and kit, £665, Salon C Stellar
• I tried the new wonder serum for thinning hair
CurrentBody LED cap
This CurrentBody cap with 120 LED bulbs claims to stimulate hair growth and “slow pattern hair loss on a cellular level”. It uses LLLT (low level laser therapy), which can accelerate regrowth by increasing blood flow to the hair follicles. By improving circulation the cap can help to extend the hair growth phase while strengthening the follicles. It’s also three times stronger than other similar devices on the market. The recommended use is 10 minutes daily for 16 weeks. While that might seem like a lot of time to sit around with a glowing helmet on your head, CurrentBody is one step ahead when it comes to fighting boredom — the cap features built-in Bluetooth-enabled headphones. The LED helmet gave our tester’s sluggish hair growth a noticeable boost. £650, CurrentBody
Virtue Hair Flourish
Virtue’s Flourish range (from £120) offers two treatment packs: one is a Minoxidil-focused approach for more extreme cases of hair loss and includes a shampoo, conditioner and a bottle of 5 per cent Minoxidil foam, while for milder cases there is a 100 per cent drug-free, botanical alternative that “fuels fatigued follicles”. The brand won acclaim thanks to its use of biotechnologies based on an unbroken keratin protein extracted from ethically sourced human hair. This is unique to Virtue, which patented the bio-derived Alpha Keratin 60ku for its products — it works to clear follicles clogged by product build-up and strengthens the moisture barrier, which can be weakened by a lack of hydration, pollutants and harsh products. The Flourish shampoo and conditioners address this. Meanwhile the Density Booster uses methyl nicotinate, which stimulates follicle growth while also protecting fine hairs. The results are clinically proven: a trichogram study conducted by the brand found that consistent use of the Density Booster over six months led to equal regrowth as Minoxidil treatments by looking at the number of hairs that had regrown in thinning areas. There is also a new Thickening Styling Treatment available in the Flourish range, which both works as a heat protectant for your hair as well as can increase volume and thickness.
Our tester reported that the botanical treatment made her hair feel fuller from the first wash, giving it a thicker texture without making it feel heavy, and over time the product increased hair growth and health. The products are free from sulphates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic colours and dyes, and are also vegan, gluten and cruelty free. Phew. £120, Virtue at Cult Beauty
Briogeo Destined for Density
The cult New York brand Briogeo has just landed in the UK and it’s easy to see why it is so popular. Gorgeous packaging, natural ingredients (the contents lists may sound like a salad bar) and effective products that claim to treat a range of hair concerns from excess frizz to sensitive scalps. The hero range for thinning hair is called Destined for Density and contains biotin and caffeine to strengthen the hair shaft and copper peptides to prolong the life cycle of the hair follicle. There is a shampoo, conditioner and serum, and 16 weeks of using all three is recommended for optimum results. Our tester confirmed that after a prolonged period their hair had added density and lustre. And for those evenings when a little extra is required, the Blossom & Bloom ginseng and biotin volumising spray and root powder really does deliver a mighty bouffant. £111, Briogeo at Cult Beauty
