We've all seen the pictures of Wayne Rooney thinning on top and laughed at our partners and dad's when they've succumbed to bald spots but it's not just a man's problem. Did you know 4.8 million women suffer from thinning hair or hair loss and by the age of 35 almost 40% of men and women show some degree of hair loss.
Many sufferers believe that nothing can be done to alleviate the problem of hair thinning and as it is a particularly sensitive subject, sufferers may be reluctant to seek help and gain knowledge about what treatments work.
There are three different types of hair loss, Androgenetic Alopecia is the term used to describe hair loss from a combination of hormones and genetics, this type of hair loss occurs gradually, Alopecia Areata is a type of hair loss where clumps of hair come away and Alopecia Totalis is when the entire head of hair and all body hair is lost.
A new report by hair loss treatment Regain has been produced to address these issues and dispel the myths behind hair loss.
Myths such as, 'frequent washing and colourants will cause hair to fall out'. In fact whilst washing your hair too often will not lead to baldness, blow-drying hair can cause hair loss and bleaching or colouring hair may make it fall out faster.
Another commonly believed myth is that the majority of hair loss is caused by stress and/or poor diet. The main reason for hair loss is actually genetic, 95% of all hair loss, both male and female, is hereditary.
Hair loss can be quite traumatic for women. As all of our social and cultural icons of beauty feature women with a gorgeously luscious full head of hair many women feel that their hair is at the heart of their identity and they believe attractive women have hair. Hair is thought to be the first thing we see when looking at another person. When hair loss sufferers were asked what they would give up for a healthy head of hair, 22% said they would gladly relinquish a lottery win and 9% would sacrifice their holidays for a healthy mane.
If you are one of the 4.8 million, don't worry, there are plenty of things you can do to make the most of a thinning hairstyle.
Next time you're at the hairdresser ask the stylist to cut your hair bluntly, this will help to make your hair look thicker. Don't let the stylist ‘point cut’, or cut your hair with ‘thinning scissors’.
When you have your hair cut, ensure that it is cut in layers. Allowing your hair to be cut to one length at the sides is an absolute no-no! Thicker hair at the sides will automatically make the hair on the top of your head look non-existent!
Professional hair colourants tend to bulk hair out, so think about having your hair professionally coloured by your stylist. With clever application, it can make your hair appear thicker and fuller.
Even simple things, such as keep your hair clean at all times, can make a difference.
Dirty hair is lank and lifeless and isn't flattering. Wash your hair every day with the correct type of shampoo for your hair type and stay away from oily conditioners such as ‘All-in-one’ shampoo and conditioners, these can clump strands of your hair together making it look oily and scarce.
As with oil based conditioners, don't use oily or waxy styling products. These will weigh down your hair and create thin oily strands. Instead, try using matt products which don't have oily or waxy bases. These will give you, hold, increase thickness and should last all day. Thickening lotions may provide a useful, but temporary solution with thinning hair.
It’s important to remember however that you need to blow-dry thickening lotions into the hair so that they swell and create the thickening effect.
If you are really worried about hair loss speak to your doctor.