Here's some helpful information for those of you wondering what to do with your roots while you're self-isolating.

Just remember not to apply the touch up color much further than your outgrowth (the hair that has grown since your last haircolor appointment). You'll want to overlap just a little so you don't create a band, what I call a line of demarcation, in your hair that has not been colored. By covering only the hair that has grown out since your last color appointment you won't be causing a situation that may result in a color correction when you are able to get back into the salon to see me.
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I hope you find it helpful.

The topic of Haircolor and Cancer is still in the headlines. I shared a Medium article in December and the information below is from the recent American Board of Certified Haircolorists newsletter I just received.

I hope this help with any questions or concerns you might have.

IS HAIRCOLOR CAUSING CANCER?

Over the last month we have had several colorists reach out regarding some news reports claiming haircolor was causing cancer. Our good friend Gary Call at KIN had some helpful insight and talking points to share for the stylist and the client.

Have you seen the headlines? "Hair Dyes And Straighteners Linked To Higher Cancer Risk". Once again our salon services are under attack and there will be LOTS of discussion in your chair over the next little while. It is important to arm yourself with some facts to help temper the discussion. Here are some talking points that are direct quotes from a couple of articles:

"Researchers don't know which ingredients in the products might be of concern. The study did not look at the specific ingredients in the products women were using, only at whether they had used the product and whether they developed breast cancer." - If they don't know what ingredients are causing the problem there is no way for the public or professional to begin to manage the issue.

"All women in the Sister Study were already at high risk for breast cancer since they had a sister who had breast cancer." - The study group was composed of women who were already at risk, and in many cases are already carefully watching their health and concerned about possible genetic connections.

"The study findings should be understood in context, says Dr. Otis Brawley, a medical oncologist with Johns Hopkins University. The actual risk found for use of these hair treatments is quite low, he adds, especially compared with other known carcinogens like tobacco or radiation. "This is a very weak signal that these things might be causing cancer in the population," he says." - Note the important part is always left out of the headline - "This is a very weak signal that these things might be causing cancer!"

"Sometimes science just cannot give us the answers that we want it to give us," - yes we need to be aware, but everything in life is done at some sort of risk. Should we just stay home on the couch and hide? But of course there is risk to that too - inactivity, lack of human contact, lack of sunshine, and snacking as a result of being a couch potato are also risky behaviours!

"I would also point out that the combination of obesity, consuming too many calories and lack of physical activity has a much higher relative risk for breast cancer in both black and white women," said Brawley, a former Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of the American Cancer Society." - there are numereous lifestyle choices that affect our health. Look at the entire picture when making personal decisions.

Michael Jones, Senior Staff Scientist in Epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research, said: "It is too early to make a firm recommendation on the basis of one study, and further research is needed. The whole literature needs to be evaluated by expert groups, bringing together the evidence to make recommendations" he told Newsweek. He adds there are limitations to the study.

"The Sisters Study is a good prospective cohort study—but women were recruited to the study because they had a sister with breast cancer, so the conclusions wouldn't necessarily hold true for women in the wider population, hence the need for further confirmation."

In the end, keep an open mind, look beyond the headlines and be informed. This will cause LOTS of salon discussion. The purpose of our professional licensing, and the real desire of everyone I know in the Beauty Industry is to protect and preserve the health and well being of every client. The positive benefits of cosmetic beauty enhancement on the improved life experiences and self image of our clients will always be weighed against any possible health risks and each person should make the decisions the feel are best for them.
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Once again, this is NOT a reason to stop receiving any service in the salon, but it is a reason to do some homework and become aware of the myriad of sources of information bombarding us and our clients daily. Technology and instant awareness can be a gift and a curse!

Perhaps the most famous redhead in history is England’s Queen Elizabeth I. Born to Hanry VIII’s most notorious wife, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth inherited her father’s golden-red hair. When she took the throne in 1558 at the age of 25, she brought wit and unprecedented political prowess with her. She refused to marry and actively participated in the jurisdiction of her country. Though she was affectionately called the “virgin Queen,” she is reported to have taken many lovers and favorites throughout her long reign. Beloved by her subjects and lauded for her role in England’s victory over the Spanish Armada, Queen Lizzie changed red hair from a fashion faux pas (blonde was the previous preferred color) into England’s must-have shade.

​Elizabeth’s striking red hair set off the creamy whiteness of her skin. Light skin was considered to be the most important aspect of beauty and since the recessive gene that creates red hair also causes paler skin and lighter brows, natural redheads in Elizabethan England became suddenly fashionable. Creamy skin and ruby-tinged hair also meshed well with the rich jewel tones and heavy golden ornamentation that prevailed in courtly fashion. Ladies who weren’t in the lucky 4% of the population with the variant gene, there were all sorts of hair treatments:

I’ve highlighted the word henna because this particular plant was the primary source of red hair colorant since the age of the Pharaohs! Henna is mostly famous as a skin pigment, but this semi-arid shrub also works as a semi-permanent hair dye and was the most popular way to get red hair until synthetic dyes were invented in the late 1800s.
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Queen Elizabeth herself dyed her hair as she aged and her hair became white. The auburn-red of her earlier portraits fades into a light pinkish-orange since henna is a naturally orange dye that only reddens the base color. If the base color is a brown, it tints it red. If the hair is blonde, henna creates a golden strawberry. By the end of her reign, Queen Elizabeth’s hair was fine and white, so the true color of the henna is revealed in her portraits.

As hair loss has no age limit, it can be embarrassing for clients (that's you) to cope with – we spoke to industry professionals who reveal what signs to look out for, tips on managing the problem and how to avoid any hair loss at all.

Leading trichologist Sally-Ann Tarver from The Cotswold Trichology Centre has plenty of experience at the cutting edge of diagnosis, treatment and advice on all aspects of hair loss and scalp problems. 

Sally told us it is estimated that one in four women suffer with hair loss and over half of men suffer significant hair thinning before the age of 40. 

She said: “Today I notice that a lot more people are becoming open to talking about hair loss, especially since the growth of the internet and social media. It is becoming easier for us to seek help, find out what we can do and to talk about it with trained professionals, supportive friends and family.

“When I began in Trichology, I did so because I recognized there were so many people suffering with hair loss who didn’t know where to go or what to do if they noticed something wrong. Most people would just speak to their hairdresser and it often felt like a much more of an embarrassing and sensitive subject back then.  As no one really talked about it, anyone who suffered from hair loss thought they were in the minority as the issue was not as widely discussed and accepted as it is today.”
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Sally provided us with the first 6 signs of hair loss and her top 6 tips on how to deal with these:

International brand Hairdreams specialise in professional hair lengthening and thickening systems. They told us that in line with the increasing average age of the population, the number of women and men suffering from hair loss is growing as well. According to recent studies, every other salon client currently suffers from hair loss already. Hairdreams is already very familiar with this growing segment and the client concerns with hair loss. In the face of enormously growing demand in this sector, Hairdreams has been working on innovative solutions for more hair volume for many years. 

Hairdreams’ technical advisor and trainer Sarah Sullivan told us most of the world-wide population will lose more hair than they ever imagined and will need professional services to help them restore their hair. She said: “Many people are unaware of the treatments and systems available to them, so awareness is key.”

Sarah explained that hair loss is a problem in both males and females and that diet – lack of vitamins required to aid hair growth, stress and the pressures of life in today’s current climate are all responsible for the problem. We asked Sarah if she sees hair loss as a problem only amongst the older generation or is it varied, to which she told us: “Both male and females are losing hair at a much younger age due to many environmental factors. The main reason stems from genetically predisposed hair loss and other influencing factors are stress, illness and malnutrition just to name a few. In all of these cases, the hormone DHT (Dihydrotestosteron) which is produced by our body causes the active roots to become dormant which decreases the production of growth.”

Hairdreams Stop & Grow and Microlines system is targeted at both male and females of any age, from 18 to 80 who are suffering from various types of hair loss.
For your clients to look after their hair as much as possible to try and prevent thinning/loss, Sarah suggested: “They should eat a well-balanced, healthy diet. Take supplements including vitamin B12, Iron and vitamin D, use good quality, professional hair care products to care for their hair and scalp and a good quality brush is important and always brush from the ends working your way to the roots to avoid breakage.”

Iain Sallis is one of the leading Trichologists in the UK. He is the director of the Hairmedic Trichologly clinics and co-founder of the International Trichology Congress. We picked his brain on hair, hype, health and the right hairbrush!

According to Iain, 1:3 of women suffer from hair thinning at some point in their life (diffused shedding or a general diminishment of the hair volume). Approximately 40% of women will suffer from a genetic form of hair thinning after the menopause.
Iain told us that he doesn’t think the problem is increasing: “I think we are becoming more aware of hair loss and we are at a position where there is more to help, so people will complain about it more. So, it’s not increasing, just a greater amount will seek treatment.”

Iain revealed that his clinic demographics show the main complaints for hair loss in men happen in their 20s and for women he has equal numbers of females in every decade from their 20s all the way to their 70s. He said: “For women it doesn’t matter when it happens, hair loss is devastating. For men, there is a tailing off in the 30-40s where there is a resignation and an acceptance that they are going thin on top.”

Iain gave us some tips for those in the early stages of hair loss: Get a diagnosis and seek advice from your GP, dermatologist or registered Trichologist. Iain said: “Hair loss isn’t just ‘one thing’ it is a multi-faceted health issue and so you need to find out what it is and correct or treat that issue.”

Iain spoke about Tangle Teezer’s new Fine & Fragile hairbrush which causes less stress and breakage on more fragile hair. He said: “This concept that you can ‘take care of what you have’ as part of the hair health regime is really important for the person with fine or damaged hair as they really try to do everything they can to help. If they are using the wrong brush daily (several times a day) this may cause unnecessary breakage and damage to the hair, inadvertently making their situation worse.”

Hayley Jennings and Jessica Patrick, Co-Directors at Unlimited Hairloss Solutions, explained that the most common form of hair loss is Androgenetic Alopecia (male pattern baldness), a genetic condition which can commence in men at any age. However, they also added: “8 Million women in the UK suffer from hair loss and one in eight is under the age of 35.”

Hayley and Jessica told us that a deficiency in certain nutrients and an imbalanced diet can lead to bad scalp health, poor hair growth, thinning brittle and damaged locks, and even hair loss. Jessica said: “Of course there are so many other factors that affect hair growth and can cause hair loss – from medical reasons to emotional factors – but it’s important to recognise the role that diet can play to and it is one of the things that we frequently discuss with our clients suffering from a range of hair loss symptoms at Unlimited Hairloss Solutions.”

The co-directors touched on the fact that a vegan lifestyle (plant-based diet) has surged in popularity, with the number of vegans in the UK rising by approximately 360% over the past decade.

Jessica and Hayley told us: “While there are many proven benefits to adopting a plant-based diet and removing certain animal-based products from a diet, cutting out major food groups can often have a negative impact on the hair’s overall health. For example, vegans sometimes fail to maintain a good balance of certain minerals such as zinc. Zinc is hugely important for hair growth, and a lack of it could lead to hair loss. 

We asked the directors at Unlimited Hairloss Solutions for tips they would offer to those who are in the early stages of hair loss. They explained: “If your client’s hair loss or thinning is not overly visible and is likely to be temporary, such as post-partum hair loss, you may wish to advise on a new cut or style that will help to hide the thinning areas. A change of colour can also be incredibly effective at disguising hair that has become finer.

“You should also advise on any professional treatments they could try to help boost the condition of their hair in order to make it appear fuller, as well as which products to use in order to help the hair look thicker. If the loss is very visible, or shows no signs of slowing down, then a new style may not be enough to create the appearance of a fuller head of hair. In that case you may want to recommend that your client speaks to a hair loss expert for advice on hair replacement methods and techniques. This would be particularly advisable if you notice that your client is becoming affected emotionally by the situation.”

Jessica and Hayley explained that as a result of the above, approaching the subject of hair loss with a client is something that shouldn’t be delayed. They said: “While it may be a sensitive subject, armed with useful information and the correct approach you will be helping your client step in the direction of hair restoration that can truly transform both how they look and how they feel. As their stylist, that should be your ultimate goal.”

It is clear from the experts we have spoken to that there are varying figures on the amount of people suffering from hair loss. Importantly though, these figures show that it is an issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later and there are ways to combat and overcome it. As your clients’ most valued advisor when it comes to their hair, you have a duty to know the tell tale signs of hair loss and advise them accordingly.
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This article is from The Salon Magazine