I often hear clients in the studio talking about how thick their was during pregnancy and how after they stopped breast feeding they noticed it thinning out.  This usually levels back out after a bit of time but while you’re experiencing it this can be quite scary. You may be asking yourself will my hair ever come back the way it was? In this blog we will go over some of the changes you may experience and give you a heads up of what to expect and 

 

During pregnancy your body experiences many hormonal changes. Some of these hormonal changes can affect your hair. Some women experience their hair becoming thicker and some women unfortunately experience their hair becoming thinner. 

 

Hair thickening during pregnancy is due to high levels of hormone estrogen. This is typically experienced around 15 weeks of pregnancy. Each individual hair grows and resets for 2 to 3 months which then pushes out a new hair growing in that follicle. During pregnancy the hair stays longer in the follicle which slows hair shedding.

 

Hair thinning during pregnancy is due to the decrease in oestrogen. The decrease in oestrogen occurs when there is a hormonal imbalance, an abortion, misscarriage or stillbirth is experienced, or when the oral contraceptive pill is no longer taken. Hair loss during pregnancy is not uncommon and is experienced between 40 to 50% of women. Hair loss of course can be a difficult symptom during pregnancy but fortunately like most symptoms during pregnancy it is temporary. In the meantime there are a few options to help your hair from thinning and this is where we can help.

Here are some tips and suggestions to try: 

• Visiting with an expert at STRUT Hair Solutions about the types of products such as wigs, hair toppers, hair pieces and extensions that are available can help you recover with confidence overnight. STRUT is dedicated to helping women who are experiencing hair loss. We are committed to doing our small part to help you regain your confidence! 

 

• Topical solutions such as thickening serums can help improve hair appearance. Such as our hero product Unveil No. 3 Hair thickening serum to help produce a fuller, thicker head of hair. Unveil’s Thicker Hair Serum is easy to use and is only to be applied to your scalp once a day and you’ll see results in as little as 4 weeks. Benefits with Unveil products is that they are restorative. Meaning the ingredients we use are non-toxic, have no known carcinogens, gluten free, and vegan (no-animal products)! The active ingredients are plant based and use apple stem cell cultures which make it safe to use during pregnancy. Visit unveilhaircare.com

 

• Avoiding tight and restrictive hair styles such as ponytails, braids, pigtails, hair rollers and other styles that can pull and stress your hair should all be avoided in order to keep hair from thinning.

 

• Reducing the use of heat damaging tools such as hair curlers, straighteners and blow dryers. Hot tools can cause breakage and dryness which can damage hair appearance. Not using them is a great solution to help keep your hair from experiencing more unnecessary damage.

 

• Make sure to keep up a healthy diet which contains the essential nutrients. A healthy diet means a healthy body.

 

Summary:

Many people believe that when a woman is pregnant she is the most beautiful. It can be hard to feel this way when pregnant because of all of the changes and emotions your body is experiencing. Remember that some of these changes, such as hair loss during pregnancy, are not always permanent. Also remember that there are solutions to help boost your confidence such as visiting Strut Hair Solutions. 

Most importantly, remember to be kind to your body during pregnancy and the changes you undergo are all part of becoming a mother.

 

Women’s Hair Shedding Versus Women’s Hair Loss

 

When a woman suddenly loses a lot of hair, as opposed to the average loss of 50-100 hairs per day, it is referred to as hair loss. The medical term would be Alopecia (and, it’s important to note that there are 3 types of alopecia). Most women typically lose between 50 and 100 individual hairs each day.

Hair shedding is a natural process in which some hairs fall out and new hairs grow in, depending on which hair cycle that hair is currently in.

Hair loss occurs when the balance between growth and fallout is interrupted—when less hair grows in, and more hair falls out.

Hair shedding is not the same as hair loss. As mentioned above, shedding your hair is completely normal. It is when the balance of losing approximately 50-100 hairs per day becomes excessive, that we know it’s classified as hair loss.

 

The three cycles of hair growth are as follows:

ANAGEN: The anagen phase (AKA the growing phase) can span from two to eight years. Approximately 85% to 90% of the hair on your head falls into this phase.

CATAGEN: Hair follicles shrink during the catagen phase (AKA the transition phase), which lasts for about two to three weeks.

TELOGEN: It takes two to four months for the telogen phase (AKA the resting phase) to complete. At the end of this stage, the hair starts to fall out.

What types of hair loss are there?

1. Anagen effluvium
2. Telogen effluvium
3. FPHL – Female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia)

Anagen effluvium is caused by drugs, medication, or medical treatments that poison a hair follicle during the growth phase (like chemotherapy). This is why people can lose their hair during chemo, get what’s colloquially called “chemo hair,” or have a mixture of both.

Telogen effluvium: This condition develops when more hair follicles reach the telogen phase, which is when hair begins to fall out.

The most prevalent variety is androgenetic alopecia, often known as female pattern hair loss (FPHL) or baldness. The hair becomes thinner on the sides and at the top of the head.

 

Which kinds of women are most likely to experience hair loss?

Anyone can experience hair loss no matter their age, lifestyle, or hair-styling habits. However, these are the women who are most prone to hair loss: 

• Women over the age of 40.
• Women who have thyroid problems.
• Women who are malnourished/not getting enough nutrition in their daily food.
• Women who are pregnan.
• Women who have recently given birth.
• Women who are in menopause.
• Women who have undergone chemotherapy and those who have been affected by other medications, drugs, or medical treatments.
• Women who often wear hairstyles that pull on the hair (like tight ponytails always in the same spot, tight braids that pull on the hair, weaves which pull on the hair, or other tight styles) or who use harsh chemicals on their hair.

 

How do you treat hair loss? 

There are a number of treatments for women’s hair loss, as there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. 

• Some women find that changing their diet and taking supplements (such as biotin, B12, or high-quality multivitamins) can help restore their hair. Supplementation is huge, as we don’t get enough vitamins and nutrients from the foods we eat nowadays. Unveil has a supplement with all the vital nutrients your hair and skin need for overall wellness, from the inside out.
• In cases of pregnancy or recent pregnancy, the hair usually comes back on its own with time. You can speed this process up again with supplementation or with a topical solution such as our Unveil No.3 Hair Thickening Serum.
• For hair loss caused by tight hairstyles, braids, ponytails, or weaves, hair loss can often be stopped or reversed by stopping wearing those hairstyles or using harsh chemical treatments on the hair.
• Minoxidil (Rogaine®) is also approved for treating FPHL. The only drawback is that you must take it exactly according to directions or it may not work, and you must use it indefinitely. Meaning, if you stop taking it, your hair loss will continue. 
• Certain shampoos, conditioners, hair serums, and sprays can also help prevent hair loss or restore the lost hair. They often have specialized ingredients which target hair loss and help strengthen the hair that is already there. 

Many women who undergo medical hair loss, who are doing chemotherapy for example, wear wigs or turbans during their treatment. Since their natural hair is usually unable to grow during treatment, they generally choose to wear a wig that matches the way their hair looked before treatment, to not draw attention to any change in hairstyle. Others go for colors they’ve never dared to dye their hair before, or switch between short and long styles for fun.

Long story short, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach here! 

The founder of Strut, Helena Gibson, created Unveil Restorative Hair Care. This is a line of restorative hair loss treatments/products with proprietary blends of active ingredients, such plant stem cell cultures and tetrapeptides to strengthen existing hairs and promote hair growth. We are so sure you’ll love our products that we stand behind them with a money-back, satisfaction guarantee! Our products are also free of toxins, known carcinogens, and hormone disruptors, and they also support your overall restorative wellness.  

Wow…we’re already halfway through 2022, and it’s been an exciting year so far.

 

For us, it’s been so exciting because we’re celebrating 20 years of Strut Hair Solutions!

 

Yep, March 2022 marked the official month of 20 years in business, and we are going to celebrate all year.

 

Clients often ask how I started Strut, and why. Well, here’s a glimpse into the inspiration that became what Strut is today.

 

This whole journey started with my mom, Kim.

 

She always had fine, thin hair. While I was growing up, I saw her struggling with her hair and trying every possible fad out there to make it thicker. Like getting perms, or highlights…whatever a stylist said would make her hair look thicker and longer.

 

Then, when she was in her early 30s, she started getting hair extensions. That gave her some volume and length, but it didn’t solve the thinning on the top of her head.

 

Finally, a stylist put her in a wig and sewed it onto her head. (Well, technically to braids on her scalp.) During this time, I witnessed my mom’s confidence go up because she felt better about herself, thanks to her new hair.

 

This inspired me as I thought about it. If my mom was struggling with thinning hair for no known medical condition, then other women would be, too.

 

I went with her to other local wig shops and salons, and they really didn’t understand the importance this hair made to her and how she felt about herself.

 

That’s when I thought: I see this, and can help my mom along with all these other women experiencing the same thing.

 

Which is just what I did! In March 2002, I started on a kiosk in the mall selling hair pieces. From there, we started in our first brick and mortar store in Fresno, California (as City Wigs & Boutique!) and branched off to San Diego in 2011. That’s the very short version of how this all started. 🙂

 

I’m so pumped and excited for this 20-year anniversary! I feel like I’ve just been getting warmed up in the first 20! Lol.

 

Thank you for being on this journey with us! I look forward to seeing you in one of our 2 locations.

 

I’ll also have some exciting news to announce in about 6 weeks!!! Stay tuned via our social media to be the first to find out!

 

This news will kick off our next 20 years so stay tuned for that. This will change your hair forever!

 

To the next 20 years with you all. Thank you for everything.

 

Xoxo,

Helena

It’s been almost 2 years since the Covid-19 pandemic started. It’s no surprise that it has affected stress levels worldwide. Huge life changes as well as changes in health take a toll on our lives, there’s no questioning that. The fact that stress can so tangibly manifest itself in our body, though, is becoming clearer and clearer in the world of medicine. (Hence, this blog!)

So, what’s the effect that stress has on our hair? Is the pandemic causing hair loss for men and women around the world? Is it exacerbating the hair loss we already experience?

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Let me give you a brief recap of the hair cycle

Our hair growth cycle has four stages. The first is the anagen phase (i.e. when your hair grows from the root; the most active of the stages).

The second is the catagen phase (i.e. the transitional period, when the anagen phase ends and the hair detaches from the blood supply which helped it grow originally).

The third phase is the telogen phase, when the hair follicle no longer actively grows, but simply rests and slowly shrinks until it’s ready to come out of the follicle.

The fourth and final phase is the exogen phase, which is simply when the hair is released from the follicle and the anagen phase can begin yet again!

Image sourced from this article[1] about hormones and hair loss.

One last important thing to note about the hair cycle is that all of our hairs are NOT on the same schedule. Each one of our follicles (where the hair grows) is on its own independent schedule—or else all of our hairs would grow in at once and fall out at once! This is why you notice 50-100 hairs a day that you lose when brushing your hair, or sometimes by the shower drain.

Let’s talk about stress and its impact on hair loss

Stress is something that can impact our hair cycle. Just last year, a study[2] published in the National Library of Medicine led by Dr. Ya-Chieh Hsu of Harvard University concluded that stress indeed inhibits hair growth.

When they studied the effects of stress on mice, they noted that increased periods of stress actually kept hair in the third cycle of hair growth (the telogen phase, when hair no longer grows—simply rests). Conversely, when the mice were no longer experiencing stress, the hair growth cycle continued as normal. What we can conclude is this:

Stress can cause your hair to remain in the telogen (resting) phase for extended periods, inhibiting normal and regular hair growth. 

We can now see why so many people during 2020 and 2021 experienced what we’re calling pandemic hair loss. Witnessing a global pandemic, political unrest, supply chain issues, and dealing with job insecurity and/or losing loved ones due to Covid, it is no surprise that these factors can take a toll on the health of not only our mental health, but also our physical health. We have seen this with an influx of clients in our studios stating increased stress in their lives.

So, what are some ways to keep your stress levels lower?

It’s important to take care of ourselves, not only during a pandemic, but as often as we can. Balancing our stress levels is critical to staying as healthy as we can be. We may have different ideas of de-stressing—some may exercise, others may cook, sleep, meet with friends, take a nice bath, or do something artistic like painting. Here’s an article[3] published in the NIH (News in Health) which shows us some scientifically-proven ways to de-stress.

What are some ways that you can use alternative hair solutions when suffering with hair loss?

And what do you do if you’re experiencing pandemic hair loss? As mentioned above, it’s important to take care of yourself and try various methods of de-stressing. Everyone deals with stress differently, so we highly recommend you try various activities to see what works best for you.

As far as what to do aesthetically while you’re working on restoring your hair, you can consider alternative hair solutions, such as wigs, extensions, or hair pieces in order to keep your self-confidence up.

There are topical hair products as well which help minimize the shedding of your hair when going through a stressful period in life.

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Your hair is one of the first things someone sees when they interact with you, so it’s no surprise that feeling self-conscious about thinning hair can affect how you interact with the world around you. We all know what it feels like when our hair is not looking its best. 

STRUT Hair Solutions was created with the intent of restoring women’s self-confidence by making them feel comfortable in their own skin again thanks to beautiful hair.  We know what it’s like to not want to date until your hair looks good, or to dodge family/friends photo opts because you don’t like your hair. We are here to help you and show you different solutions to fit your unique needs.

We’d love to get you strutting your hair with us.

Love,

Helena

[1] https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155342

[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03417-2

[3] https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/01/feeling-stressed

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Perhaps you know exactly which wig you desire, but you’re not so sure how to wear it so that it looks natural. I want to share some tips and tricks that will make your wig look like it’s growing out of your own scalp, so you can look and feel confident!