How to treat thinning hair

That moment when you notice your hair suddenly feels ‘different’ is traumatic. Whether your ponytail feels thinner or there’s more hair left in the shower tray, there’s always a feeling of panic, because women shouldn’t lose their hair. But we are – and increasingly so. “Thirty years ago, 10 percent of our patients were women, with hair damage from color or perming. Today, 90 percent of our clients are women, of which 85 percent have some type of hair loss,” says Glenn Lyons, consultant at the Philip Kingsley Trichology Clinic and the man who transformed my own thinning hair.

There are two types of hair thinning, the first being all-over shedding, which is traumatic and usually temporary, but shouldn’t be ignored. “Hair is a good barometer of health,” says Lyons. “If there’s a more serious underlying problem, often the body sheds it.” The second is genetic, which makes some – myself included – sensitive to testosterone, and, as with men, you notice it around the hairline and parting. “A blood test may show that you have low levels of testosterone, but if you are genetically sensitive, this can still be enough to impact your hair,” says Lyons. Anything that affects our hormones – including stress and insomnia – can trigger this, as do some birth-control pills and HRT. You can ask your doctor for an alternative that has no or low-level androgenic (male hormone) action.

The sooner you get help, the faster it can be stopped and, to some degree, reversed. Many dermatologists specialize in hair issues, or see a trichologist, as they specifically treat hair problems.

The body needs carbs for energy, while protein helps create new hair cells. But if you don’t eat carbs, then your body hijacks the protein for its energy source, and your hair suffers. Taking protein supplements can help improve hair health.

This is where the hair starts growing, so keeping the skin in good condition makes sense. Scalp oils, serums and gentle scrubs keep it functioning normally, and stop products blocking hair follicles.

PLATELET RICH PLASMA: PRP, or the ‘vampire’ facial, treated hair loss before becoming the A-listers’ face-boosting favorite. A few vials of your blood are extracted from your arm, then the internal growth factors in the plasma are removed and re-injected into your scalp. It’s painful (you have local anesthetic first), and you usually need three sessions, but I saw a real, lasting difference.

TREATMENT DROPS: Everyone I send to Glenn Lyons raves about his ‘miracle’ scalp drops, which block sensitivity to testosterone. Use them nightly, and within one to two months you will see and feel the difference.

MINOXIDIL: FDA-approved, this is the gold standard in home treatment – known as Rogaine or Regaine. Now women can use the same 5 percent strength as men (previously it was just 2 percent), and studies show it helps regrow hair up to 48 percent thicker.

Do you really need a scalp mask?

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