Women’s Health UK – September 2019

WEAK SPOT

SPLIT ENDS

Movement- and sweat-proof,

twisting your hair into a slicked-

back bun may be your go-to style

for the gym, but doing it 24/7

can weaken your hair cuticles.

And that results in split ends.

‘A split end is a sign that your

hair strand is damaged and can

be caused by chemical, thermal

or mechanical stresses,’ says

Moroccanoil artistic director

Kevin Hughes. ‘Mechanical

stress is the most common,

as this includes hard-to-avoid

habits, such as brushing your

hair or using a hairband,’ he

adds. Damaged hair can become

tricky to manage and style, and

in extreme cases it can break

off and even fall out.

STRENGTHENING MOVES

To temporarily fix frays, apply

a repairing product, such as

Rahua Leave-In Treatment,

£42, to your ends before styling.

It infuses strands with omega-9

oils to lock in moisture and

protect against heat and

mechanical damage. ‘Book a

trim at your hairdresser’s every

six to eight weeks and opt for a

stylist who has thermal scissors

in their toolkit. The heated

blades help seal the cuticle so

the ends are stronger,’ reveals

Elena Lavagni, director of hair

and beauty salon Neville. This

will prevent split ends from

growing upwards and thinning

your hair even more.

WEAK SPOT

DULLNESS

Around 60% of the UK has

a hard water supply – meaning,

having run through limestone

and chalk, it’s high in natural

minerals – which, unfortunately,

is your hair’s kryptonite. ‘The

minerals attach themselves to

your hair when you wash it,

creating a film that causes

build-up and dulls shine and

movement,’ says Joseph Maine,

artistic director at Color Wow.

What’s more, pollution particles

and silicones from conditioning

products also lead to a lack of

shine over time.

STRENGTHENING MOVES

You’ll need to incorporate a

filter product into your haircare

regime. They work in the same

way as the water filter jug in

your fridge, sifting out all metals

and minerals. In haircare, these

filter formulations contain

negatively charged molecules,

which bind to any positively

charged particles they come

across. Once captured like this,

the minerals essentially become

disabled and can no longer stick

to hair, allowing you to wash

them away with your shampoo.

Clever, eh? Color Wow Dream

Filter, £24, contains two

polymeric filters, which have

a high molecular weight,

displacing metals as well as

excess conditioning particles.

Spritz on to dry hair and leave it

for five minutes before applying

shampoo. Trying to streamline

your regime? Redken Clean

Maniac Micellar Shampoo,

£15.50, delivers a double

whammy, cleaning the hair

while using negatively charged

micelles, just like your micellar

skin cleanser, to bind to dirt and

minerals. Multi-tasking magic.

WEAK SPOT

THINNING

Seeing more of your scalp than

usual (and than you’d like)?

Around 40% of women will

experience hair thinning or loss

by the age of 40. ‘Stress, hair

extensions, heated tools and

incorrect product use can all

lead to hair thinning,’ reveals

Christel Lundqvist, creative

director of Stil Salon and expert

at Viviscal. Hormones are also

a factor, with hair loss more

common after childbirth

and for sufferers of polycystic

ovary syndrome (PCOS),

where androgens such as

testosterone are converted to

dihydrotestosterone (DHT),

known to shrink hair follicles.

For some others, it’s a case

of not treating your scalp

with proper care. ‘The scalp

is a living tissue that contains

thousands of sweat glands and

sheds dead skin cells,’ explains

trichologist Anabel Kingsley.

‘If you don’t cleanse and nourish

it like you do your face, the

connective tissue is weakened,

which means the hairs it

produces are weaker, too.’

STRENGTHENING MOVES

Think of each hair as a flower

and the scalp as the soil

supporting it – it makes sense

to feed and support it. Look for

scalp treatments that contain

vitamin E, which is a potent

antioxidant that helps to create

a protective barrier and reduce

the damaging effect of free

radicals. Philip Kingsley

Trichotherapy Stimulating

Scalp Mask, £19, contains

caffeine, too, which helps to

stimulate blood circulation to

the scalp, promoting healthy

hair follicles. Supplements are

a great way to boost hair health

from the inside out. Viviscal

Maximum Strength, £49.99,

provides a source of additional

protein to your diet, which is

critical for hair growth. To

determine whether hormones

are causing hair loss, you may

need a blood test, so book an

appointment with a trichologist.

Weekly scalp drops will likely be

prescribed to nurture the scalp

environment and support the

growth of new hair. Due to the

nature of the hair growth cycle,

the effects of stress will not be

noticeable on your hair until six

to 12 weeks later, so you may

not always make the connection.

‘Treatment should be holistic

and involve using the right

products and making relevant

changes to diet – such as

consuming more omegas 3, 6

and 9 (found in the likes of oily

fish, poultry and olive oil,

respectively) – and lifestyle,

which commonly involves

targeting stress,’ adds Kingsley.

Finally, for day-to-day use,

Living Proof PhD Body

Builder, £23, is a volume-

boosting hairspray that comes

with a customisable nozzle that

delivers the perfect misting of

volume every time. One of the

main problems with other

styling sprays is that they’re

too heavy, saturating the hair

and weighing it down, leaving

it looking lank and flat.

78 | SEPTEMBER 2019 Women’s Health

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