Woman's World - Heads up!

Heads up!

Written by Jane Garner, 2010

Don’t let your hair let you down. There are plenty of products out there these days to help with specific problems, says Jane Garner

As we get older hair can weaken, fade, become drier and change its natural ‘shape’. The temptation is to work harder with washing, hair colour and styling to keep it looking good.

Internal changes such as hormone levels, stress or simply a poor diet can wreak havoc. Some women suff er thinning hair or substantial loss – fortunately usually temporarily. External factors such as the ‘wrong’ hair products, too much heat from dryers and tongs, even the weather, can take their toll.

There has been a sudden spate of new hair care products especially for mature hair, and there are endless ‘magic potions’ off ered on the Internet – along with rash promises.

Keeping your hair in tip-top condition isn’t always simple, but it’s entirely possible. Act early, eat well, treat your hair kindly every day, spoil it with regular treats such as a rich mask, and remember you’re caring for the skin on your scalp and hair follicles as much as the actual hair that emerges. Stimulation, moisturisers and gentle handling are your hair’s best friends.

Listen to your hairdresser and keep trying until you fi nd the formula that works for you. And if you’re worried about serious hair loss, because you can see it falling out or there’s a tendency in the family, talk to a pharmacist, your GP or ask to see a specialist.

Alpecin

Specialist collection includes shampoos and a scalp tonic designed to support healthy hair growth and in order to prevent hair loss.

Alterna Tired, brittle hair? Spoil it with Alterna Caviar Anti-Ageing Seasilk Moisture shampoo – it’s sulphate-free too.

Clairol has developed a gentler way to colour hair with Perfect 10 by nice’n easy – taking just 10 minutes and incorporating unique AminoGylcine, this permanent colour is said to be a gentler option for older hair, and covers grey well.

Dead Sea Spa Magik More than 20 Dead Sea minerals combine in the formula for Dead Sea Spa Magik Mineral shampoo and Conditioning Scalp Mud, plus their intensive oncea- week Hair Magic serum. All three help invigorate both scalp and hair, especially if they are particularly dry.

Denise McAdam As we age, keratin, which keeps hair strong, begins to weaken and the natural shape of our hair changes, making styling more necessary, adding stress to the already weakened hair shaft. The Denise McAdam Moisture Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner treat mature hair gently, conditioning and strengthening at the same time.

Femme Slender Glamorous Work from the inside out as well with Femme Slender’s mega-strength Glamorous Skin, Nails and Hair supplement.

Goody’s A little extra help every day (and loved by glossy girls like Scarlett Johansson), the Goody Styling Therapy add+shine brush is infused with jojoba oil to detangle and nourish hair.

Environ Officially for men, but equally relevant for women with thinning hair is Environ Skin Care’s Hair & Scalp Tonic, created to support growth and nourish both scalp and hair root. A leave-on product used morning and night, results should be noticeable in 6–12 weeks.

Hempz Once-a-week treats including Hempz Deep Hydration Moisture Treatment for dry and lifeless hair and Hempz Hair Repair Treatment Reconstructor for damaged hair help make the most of your locks. Available only through professional salons, Hempz also has sulphate-free Colour Preserve shampoo and conditioner with hemp seed oil and extract that help trap moisture.

James Brown London Give your head a caffeine fi x – the James Brown London Intensive Mask contains plenty, plus vitamins and antioxidants to provide a deep conditioning treat. Wrap hair in a warm towel or leave on overnight for maximum effect.

Jason Thin-to-Thick Volume shampoo plumps each hair shaft and ‘normalises’ scalp functions to bring nutrients to hair follicles. The Thin-to-Thick Revitalising Scalp Elixir purifi es and energises the scalp, stimulates circulation to improve strength, promote hair growth and help control fall-out.

Lee Stafford Mainstream hair care collections have gems to help older hair – one five-minute treat is Lee Stafford’s Hair Growth Treatment, designed to moisturise and soothe the scalp so each hair reaches its maximum length.

Matrix Promising to give mature hair improved suppleness and bounce, Matrix Biolage Rejuvatherapie conditioner also adds shine.

Naked Style without harming a hair or the environment. The Naked ecofriendly range is 97 per cent natural and includes silicon-free Naked Style More Volume Body Building Mousse and Heat Defender Heat Protection Spray, a must for women who style their hair regularly.

NaturVital Do you need to pre-empt or solve an existing problem? Scientifi cally tested NaturVital Hair Loss shampoo, conditioner and mask offer damage limitation for fi ne hair or women with a family history of thinning hair. Their Tonic Treatment and Intensive Treatment Serum for acute hair loss tackle existing troubles. All improve scalp health, combat hair loss and stimulate regrowth.

Pantene’s Pro-V Time Renewal range “repairs the look of up to two years’ damage” with shampoo, conditioner, replenishing mask, Power Shot intensive treatments (use alternate weeks) and Night Renewal Nourishing Mist that works overnight to smooth and protect older hair.

Paul Mitchell Luxury Hair Care products are sold only through their salons so hair stylists can recommend individual combinations for specific heads. They claim their Super Strong Liquid Treatment spray makes hair up to 60 per cent stronger.

The Pil-Food range starts with special shampoos to restore a healthy scalp and includes capsules to boost lifeless hair and direct-application Pil-Food Direct anti-hair loss treatment to speed growth and slow or stop hair loss.

Profol The Julian Jay Hair and Scalp Clinic, who created Profol treatments, recommends using their higher potency Advanced Formula shampoo and spray to bring hair loss under control. Their daily-use Original Formula shampoo stimulates blood supply to the scalp and nourishes hair follicles, slowing excessive hair loss within two to three weeks. Their Pro-Active Conditioning Treatment visibly thickens the appearance of fi ne and thinning hair.

Schwarzkopf Bonacure Formulated specifically for mature or fragile hair, Schwarzkopf Bonacure Hairtherapy Time Restore shampoo and conditioner work together to provide a gentle daily routine to cleanse hair and stimulate roots. Their Time Restore Q10 Satin Spray is a leave-in conditioner, plus there’s a Reinforcing Q10 Treatment mask.

Spa Find Give your hair the spa treatment and your scalp a boost with Spa Find Heavenly Hydration Mineralizing shampoo and Conditioning Scalp Mud with 21 Dead Sea minerals.

Tints of Nature Keep hair protected and moisturised with the light touch of Tints of Nature Seal & Shine conditioner.

Toni&Guy There’s one person in the world who might know your hair even better than you – your hairdresser. Toni&Guy don’t have age-specific products, but their ‘label.m’ prescriptive collection can be selected and combined by a stylist to cope with problems as well as individual hair condition and style.

The Trevor Sorbie Professional ‘Beautiful’ range includes Volume Thickening Shampoo.

Wella’s Lifetex Resist Emulsion is a leave-in treat with a lightweight formula that nourishes and protects hair all day.

Advice from the experts

Alpecin’s expert, Chief Scientist Dr Adolf Klenk: “The scalp contains about 100,000 -140,000 hair roots together with an equally large amount of sebaceous glands. Each hair root produces about 1cm of hair shaft per month. Bad combs, brushes, straightening irons and hair dryers do signifi cantly more harm and stress to the hair than commonly thought and, of course, unreasonable application of hair care products. Hair loss, brittle and broken hair may be the consequence. Regular scalp massages - especially with Alpecin Liquid - strengthen the wellbeing and blood circulation of the scalp, enforce the viability of the hair root and advance hair growth.

"Older women have a problem with loss of volume and density of the hair on the scalp. Caffeine supplies the hair root with energy and makes it more resistant against stress. Strengthening of the hair root by daily application of this tonic can also lead to thicker hair and better handle.”

Paul Mitchell Editorial Director Lucie Doughty: “As your natural hair colour starts to change in your 40s, have your stylist introduce warmer shades and keep your haircut contemporary. In your 50s go for lighter shades, especially around the face to brighten your complexion. Think about softer edges or loose waves.

“Stars like Helen Mirren show us just how good a woman of 60 can look. Keep the tones of your hair colour soft, keep hair simple and soft to show off the beautiful you. Products rich in moisturisers and heat protectants will keep hair looking shiny and healthy.”