Hair is one of the first things we notice about another person. So it is perhaps not so strange that hair feels important to many of us.
Hair catches the eye. A good style is the finishing touch when you dress up, and if a close friend has changed their cut you usually spot it straight away. As a hairdresser, Annie Madsen knows very well how much looking good matters to her clients' wellbeing.
“Having healthy, well-kept hair does something for your self-esteem. There is little point dressing up in nice clothes if your hair does not feel good,” she says.
Annie runs Aks frisør og velvære in Stokmarknes together with Christian Sivertsen, and in 36 years she has seen clients get up out of the chair with a smile on their face.
“I feel like a new person” is a sentence said often. That always gladdens a hairdresser's heart, and it says something about what hair means.
Talk to your doctor
Which is exactly why the worry runs deep when hair starts thinning.
“Most people are open about their worries around hair loss, and I have had many conversations with anxious clients who feel they are losing a lot of hair. Then it is important to explain that this can have many causes,” she says.
Her first piece of advice is to contact your doctor for a blood test. That will show whether a shortfall in iron or B vitamins, for example, could be the reason you are losing a lot of hair. It is also sensible to rule out a hormonal imbalance as the problem.
“Illness and stress can also be reasons people lose more hair than normal.”
Hair loss at the turn of the season
But what is actually normal? According to Annie we lose roughly 100 to 200 strands a day, and if you have long, thick hair that can feel like quite a lot.
It does not take much before you start to get a little anxious, but the hairdresser would rather see the problem persist over some time before she becomes concerned.
“After many years in the trade I have seen that the turn between the light and dark seasons, for example, can affect how much hair you lose.”
It comes up again and again that people lose more hair in spring and autumn.
“If the client has ruled out illness and deficiencies with a blood test, my best advice is to make sure the hair gets optimal conditions with enough vitamins and minerals,” says Annie.
Tried out by the hairdressers
A supplement should not replace a varied diet, but it can be a good addition if you want to be sure you are getting the vitamins and nutrients your body and hair need each day.
“We have now sold Hair Luxious for over a year. It started when a client recommended the supplement to us, having had good experiences with the product. After that it was tried out by two of our hairdressers,” says Annie.
Hair Luxious contains biotin, among other things, which contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
“They also felt they got good use out of the supplement.”
Patchy hair loss
Eva Meland at Beauty Medical Care in Tønsberg confirms that there can be many reasons hair becomes thinner. She is a nurse with postgraduate training as a clinical specialist in aesthetic treatments, and has worked with skin for 24 years.
“If you lose a lot of hair when you brush it or run your hands through it, it is important to check with your doctor whether there are any underlying causes.”
The same applies if the hair loss is patchy.
“An assessment is then necessary so you can start at the right end to get help,” says Eva.
Thicker, fuller hair
For some people the hair loss is genetic, and it is also common for both men and women to lose hair around the menopause.
“Men tend to get a more receding hairline, while women get thinner hair on top,” she says.
Stress, autoimmune diseases and conditions of the scalp can also lead to thinner and less hair.
“So can a poor diet,” says Eva, who uses Hair Luxious herself alongside healthy food.
Making sure you get the vitamins and minerals your hair and body need is important, and there is no supplement that can replace healthy, nutritious food. Taking a supplement as reassurance on the days you do not manage to eat so well can, however, be good insurance.
Full of vitamins
Hair Luxious is a product full of vitamins and nutrients that contribute to hair growing normally. That includes selenium, zinc, the B vitamins and the hair vitamin biotin. You will also find that substance in foods such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.
The supplement should not be used by children under 11. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking prescription medication, consult your doctor before using the product.
