The Mane Problem
Hair loss and thinning hair is an embarrassing and often debilitating problem for both men and women. Silvia To and Sarah Fung figure out how stop the shedding.
Even if we’re not consciously aware of it, our hair is one of the greatest indicators of our health and sexual attractiveness. When our hair looks great, we feel great too, but as soon as our locks start to thin, or look lank or unhealthy, all we want to do is stay home with a hat on and mope.
Which is precisely why hair care is such big business. According to a New Market Study published by business information source Datamonitor, the Hong Kong hair care market generated total revenues of $182.9 million in 2008, proving that people are willing to spend top dollar on caring for their distressed tresses. And let’s face it: with our hectic Hong Kong lifestyles, we need all the help we can get. A study by the University of Hong Kong in 2008 revealed that 82.5 percent of people said they suffered stress and 46.4 percent admitted to a poor diet, two major factors that can lead to hair loss.
And it’s not just men who suffer—increasingly, women are experiencing hair loss too. Ria Shah has been suffering from hair thinning for five years due to an insufficient diet and the use of chemical products such as hair dyes and straightening treatments. “I feel insecure and unfeminine,” she laments. “Even though it isn’t too obvious, I have to spend a huge amount of time fixing my hair and trying to conceal the bald spots before leaving the house. It’s inconvenient and really depressing.”
Stress, as we’ve mentioned, is a major cause of hair loss. But how exactly does a little tension contribute to your follicles falling out? According to the Hair Foundation, a non-profit research facility that studies hair health, when the body is stressed, it releases androgens (male sex hormones), which trigger a condition called telogen effluvium. According to the foundation: “Telogen effluvium is an abnormality of hair cycling in which hairs in anagen (growth) phase are rapidly shifted to telogen (resting) phase, and subsequently shed. Hair loss due to telogen effluvium is typically discovered when extraordinary hair shedding is noted in comb, brush, hat or on a pillow.”
In addition to stress, the Hair Foundation notes that there are many other factors that can trigger telogen effluvium, including hormonal changes, such as from pregnancy or menopause; poor nutrition, including a deficiency in proteins, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Then there’s external factors, such as hairstyle that place tension on hair follicles, causing a condition known as “traction alopecia.” These include tight ponytails, braids, weaves and extensions. These styles place additional stress on the hair and will cause it to fall out, though luckily if you stop styling your hair in this way, it will return to normal.
Then there’s another factor, and one that you might not be able to do much about. Internationally renowned trichologist and world-recognized hair expert Philip Kingsley has conducted a tremendous amount of research in the field of hair loss over the years, and has found that hair loss among Asian women is rife. “Asian women over the age of 40 experience much more hair thinning than Caucasian women, even though Asian women have the thickest, healthiest hair when they’re younger,” he says. Unfortunately however, hair thinning usually goes unnoticed until it has reached a relatively advanced stage. “You need to lose at least 15 percent of your hair volume before you even notice it’s thinning,” says Kingsley, meaning that for most women, thinning starts in their mid-30s but goes unnoticed.