Female hair thinning and hair loss is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart, yet is still considered by many to be too shameful and taboo to talk about. As a culture, we all too often view womanhood as defined by how a woman chooses to wear her hair, whether it be long, medium, short or shaved. All of those previously mentioned styles are a choice, however, when a woman is robbed of her hair due to a multitude of factors, including stress, genetics or illness, the emotional toll can be devastating.
How does this pertain to you, a licensed professional in the beauty industry? You can take this issue from being taboo to being embraced and resolved by helping your clients address it, no pun intended, head-on. I personally have been experiencing hair thinning and hair loss around my crown and at my front side part since I was 24. The issue was not addressed until, one day, my hair stylist asked me how I styled my hair. From there the conversation expanded to him acknowledging the areas of thinning hair and offering suggestions about how I should wear my hair back, what brushes to use, etc.
You can take it a step further for your salon and spa clients by offering services that are specifically designed to stimulate the scalp and promote hair growth. Please see below for some products that have been shown to help and prevent Hair Thinning and Baldness.
1. Boar Bristle Brushes
- A common cause of hair thinning and hair loss is sebum buildup on the scalp which clogs the follicles and prevents new, strong hair from growing in. Boar Bristles are excellent because they stimulate the scalp and evenly distribute the natural scalp sebum without damaging the hair shaft.
- These brushes are an easy-sell retail item for all of your clients, especially those with thinning and/or balding hair. You can also use this brush during the treatment to demonstrate to your client how invigorating yet gentle it is.
2. Olive Oil
- Naturally anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, this antioxidant is best for your clients whose hair is thinning due to chemical treatments and processes, such as coloring, highlighting, perming and straightening.
- This can be used on its own during a scalp massage, or in conjunction with essential oils.
3. Jojoba Oil
- Jojoba Oil is not actually an oil, but rather, a wax ester. This is important because it mimics sebum (human skin oil) and has been shown to trick our skin into not producing excess sebum.
- Most importantly, jojoba oil disintegrates crusted sebum buildup on the scalp, which clogs follicles and causes hair loss.
- The ingredient is the perfect carrier oil. You can use this during scalp massages and scalp kneading, plus you can retail it for your clients to use at home.
- This essential oil has been used to treat skin problems since Ancient Rome and it still is shown to work today. Studies show that Rosemary Oil stimulates blood flow to the scalp, thus invogorating hair follicles and encouraging hair growth.
- This oil has also been shown to treat an assortment of scalp issues, including dandruff, itching and flaking.
- The best way to apply this product is to mix with a carrier oil, such as Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil, or Olive Oil and massage into your client's scalp.
While female hair loss will never be completely eradicated, by offering services that target these issues, you can help you clients on a physical and emotional level, all while securing their long-term patronage.