beauty
http://www.vogue.inVOGUEINDIAJUNE 2019189
THECLINICALCOURSE
BYDRGEETIKAMITTALGUPTA,
MEDICALDIRECTOR,ISAAC
DrGuptahighlightseverythingfrom
hereditaryfactors; mechanicalcauses,
liketractionalopecia,causedbytight
hairstyles; hormonal issues (factors
range from PCOD tothyroid imbal-
ances);stress; deficiencies(iron, Vita-
min D, protein); illnesses (dengue,
scalpinfectionsandthelike)andcer-
tain medications as the reasons be-
hind unexplainedhair loss. Your first
move? Don’t panic (because, stress)
and find a dermatologist/trichologist
fora diagnosis.
Howmuchis toomuch?
“Fifty-100 strands fallingper dayis
normal.Noticing morehair onyour
brushorleavinga hairtrailiscause
forconcern.Womentendtolosehair
post-pregnancy, and it’sproblematic
onlyif it doesn’treturntonormallev-
elsin3-4months.”
Doctor’sorders
“Follow a multi-pronged system of
topicalapplications,supplementsand
treatments. Opt for phthalates and
sulphate-free, mildshampoos.Turnto
a dietofbiotin,andOmega3-6-9-rich
foodsandgooseberries witha combi-
nationofbiotin,aminoacids(likely-
sine), vitamins and natural-extract
supplements.Topicalapplications,like
Minoxidil,helpona temporarybasis.”
TheMinoxidilmyth
“Minoxidilis a topicalapplicationused
ina varietyofconcentrations inhair
products—it opens potassium chan-
nels and widens blood vessels and
helps better transportand supply of
nutrientsto thehairfollicles,stimulat-
ing hairgrowth. Hairgrowth occurs
after long-termuse, and stops when
usageends.Collagensupplementscan
improvehairandskintexture.”
Silenttreatment(s)
“Olaplex treatments help strengthen
hairbondsfromwithin.Forthinning
hair,mesotherapyorhairPRPis rec-
ommended.Mesotherapyis a painless,
non-invasiveandnon-surgicalcosmet-
ic hairrestorationprocedure.PRPalso
worksasfertiliserforhairgrowthand
hastobedoneoncea monthforfour
months,atleast.If you’rea viablecan-
didatefora hairtransplant,thereare
twotypes of proceduresyou canopt
for:FUE(follicularunitextraction)or
FUT(follicularunittransplantation).THEAYURVEDIC
APPROACH
BYIPSITACHATTERJEE,AYURVEDIC
SCIENTIST,TRAINERANDRESEARCHER
“According toAyurveda, hair fallis
mostlycausedduetotheaggravation
and imbalance of the Vata dosha,
whichis theairandspaceelementin
our body, and manifests in brittle
hair,whileanunbalancedPittadosha
causes premature greying and hair
loss. To balancethe Vata dosha, Shi-
roabhyanga or head oil massage is
recommended. Oiling takes care of
dryness, increases scalp circulation
and stimulateshair follicles—choose
from brahmi, castor, lavender,rose-
mary,bhringrajandgotukolaoil.The
most common mistake that people
makeis applyingoilona dirtyscalp.
Can you imagine applying facial oil
withoutcleansingfirst?”Starplayers
Ayurvedalaysemphasisonfourmajor
hair-careingredientsthatcanbeused
ina varietyof ways:coconut,blackses-
ame, bhringrajand indigo.Iron, Vita-
minC andB12-richfoodsstimulatehair
folliclesforhair growth—choosefrom
sweetpotatoes,Indiangooseberryand
strawberry,spinach, fish, nuts, seeds,
oats,pinklentilsandblacksesame.Magicpotion
Ifyou’dratherstick tothejadi-butti
methodofhealing,Chatterjeegivesus
a three-pointplan.
Eat: Triphala,a popularfruit-based
remedy (with amla, maritaki, bahe-
da),whichincreasestheabsorptionof
iron and helps restore hair density
andtexture.
Apply:Whipupa mustardoilandyo-
ghurt scalp masque into a buttery
crèmeandapplyonthescalp, massage
well.Leaveonfor 20 minutes.Usea
naturalshampootorinseit offandfol-
lowwitha hairconditioner.
Try:Gandusha(oil-pulling) withblack
sesame oil; jalneti-water nasal yogic
cleansing every alternate morning;
PratimarshaNasyawithgingellyoil.THESALONSOLUTION
BYMICHELBALTAZAR,CREATIVE
DIRECTOR,JEAN-CLAUDEBIGUINEINDIA
Evilhaircolour,cruelexcessiveheat
andpainfulhairstyles.Thecosmetic
approachhasalwaysgottenthestep-
daughterly treatment but Baltazar
busts every myth: “It’s been more
thana centurysincepermanentper-
oxide colours have been invented,
andover 70 yearssinceit’sbeenac-
cessibletothepublic.Ifthecolours
were causing hair fall, we would
know! Colouring products are ap-
plied onlyto the lengthofthe hair
without letting them penetrate the
scalp, where the reproductive cells
are present. It’s only if the colour
mix is wrongthat hair can become
brittle.Whenit comestohairstyles,
if you’re losinghairI wouldrecom-
mendstayingawayfromtightup-dos
andbunsastheycreatea highlevel
oftensionattheroots.”Heatwave
“The repeated use of high tempera-
turescausesdehydrationbydamaging
thekeratinandprotectivelayer,mak-
ingit thinner.Heatis notbadif usedat
therighttemperatureasperyourhair
type. Alwaysusea heatprotector.”Cutandcolour
“Foranillusionof thickerhair,optfor
shortercuts,withfullbases,likea bob,
or a verysubtlelayeredbobtobring
volumeontopofthehead.Forcolour,
lightershadeswillalwaysgiveanopti-
cal illusion of volume. The balayage
playstheroleof trompel’oeil,givingit
a morecontouredappearance.”Allgoods
Baltazarprescribesa rangeofprod-
ucts to battle every blue, “The
Olaplexrangeisa greatanti-break-
age solution that rebuilds the hair
bonds, making hair stronger than
natural.To preventhairlosschoose
L’OréalProfessionnelExpertDensi-
ty Advanced Shampoo to restore
hair vitality,and SystemProfession-
al’sBalancerangefornourishingthe
scalp.If hairlosshasalreadybegun,
startusingscalpnourishingserums
andturn toin-clinicbotanical solu-
tions like those available at Trica
HairClinic.”n