Worried about hair loss? Noticed post-covid hair thinning? GP and MONPURE Practitioner Dr Simmy Kaur reveals 5 ways you can keep you hair and scalp healthy – because healthy hair starts at the root
It has been reported that one in five people with Covid-19 may suffer with hair loss as a result of infection.
The hair loss tends to occur a few months after primary infection, with women being at higher risk.
This is not a symptom unique to Covid-19. After a stress or trauma to the body, it is not uncommon to experience hair shedding a few months later.
The hair’s cycle falls into three phases: The Anagen (growth), Catagen (transition) and telogen (resting) phase.
hair loss usually occurs around three months after a stressful life event
A trauma and stress to the body like Covid-19 can cause the Telogen Effluvium (TE) phase. This occurs when hair is accelerated from the growing phase to the resting phase early, causing a significant amount of hair to shed.
The telogen phase lasts approximately three months, hence why hair loss usually occurs around three months after a stressful life event.
Luckily, TE is almost always temporary and for the majority, the hair does grow back and is restored to its original state around six months afterwards.
What about the Covid vaccine and hair loss?
There is no evidence to suggest that the vaccine causes hair loss. It is much more likely that other factors which coincide with having the vaccine, such as stress or illness are the cause of hair shedding.
Top tips to help protect hair from hair loss:
The follicle is essentially the ‘living’ part of the hair and the strands are ‘not living’ or ‘dead’ as some may put it. Therefore repairing the strands can often be difficult, but not impossible.
It’s important to ask ourselves, ‘what can do I do to help keep my hair as healthy as possible given that I am carrying out these hair damaging activities?’
READ MORE: 5 things this anti-ageing haircare expert wants everyone to know
#1 Avoid excessive heat, chemical treatments & keep colouring to a minimum
Heat and colouring are the primary culprits when it comes to hair damage. They tend to cause a breakdown in the hair bonds themselves within the strands.
#2 Use high quality products
As the hair follicle is the living part of the hair, it’s really important to focus on nourishing the scalp, to ensure that when this part of the hair becomes part of the strand – it is as strong as possible.
MONPURE’s scalp-centric range has a triple layered approach to enhancing the health of scalp, follicle and strand.
Their products have a skincare pedigree ingredient profile which really works to keep the scalp at an optimum health so that your hair can thrive.
#3 Try a salon hair treatment
Specific treatments for hair depend entirely on the type of hair loss. Therefore, it’s important to get a review by your GP or Dermatologist to determine the type of hair loss that you are experiencing so that an appropriate treatment regime can be suggested.
Common topical treatments include minoxidil which has been used for male and female pattern hair loss for many years.
it’s important to get a review by your GP or Dermatologist to determine the type of hair loss
Technological advances in medicine have helped to create more novel hair loss treatments such as PRP, laser and hair transplants.
The efficacy of these treatments vary and totally depend again on the type of hair loss that you are experiencing – however the results of which can be very promising.
MONPURE have developed a treatment with EF Future Health, The Rapunzel Method. This combines in-clinic growth factor complex, AQ Skin Solutions Advance Hair Complex, which is injected into the scalp followed by micro-grade needling. Users then use MONPURE’s line at home, both pre and post treatment to ensure full effectiveness.
READ MORE: Hair guru reveals 5 rules for healthy, shiny hair
#4 Keep stress and alcohol to a minimum and avoid smoking
It’s important to make sure you are getting enough sleep and find the time to relax and recoup. When we don’t sleep well or we are stressed, excess concentrations of the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ can cause the cells of the hair follicles to age prematurely, resulting in hair loss.
So if you do have a busy lifestyle, schedule times to focus on relaxing or try some relaxation techniques.
excess concentrations of the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ can cause the cells of the hair follicles to age
Watching your alcohol intake is a good idea too – the current recommendation is to not drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week and no more than three units in any one day. A good tip is to have at least two alcohol free days per week.
Additionally, some forms of hair loss have been associated with smoking – therefore kicking the habit is highly recommended.
#5 Eat nutritious to increase key vitamins, minerals and nutrients
It’s equally important to have a good healthy, balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, healthy fats and protein to ensure you are getting all the key nutrients, minerals and nutrients that you need to maintain general health and of course healthy hair.
Taking a multivitamin and vitamin D can be helpful as can taking biotin, iron, folic acid, b12, vitamin C, zinc, and collagen as these supplements have also been associated with good hair growth
female pattern hair loss can be treated with medication
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as, anaemia and hypothyroidism are common causes of hair loss which can be treated easily with oral medications.
Hormonally related hair loss such as male and female pattern hair loss can be treated with medication traditionally used for high blood pressure.
MONPURE London is the world’s first dedicated scalp and hair health brand. Their curated team of beauty experts, dermatologists and scientists are dedicated to providing results driven formulas to enhance scalp health for conditions such as hair loss and thinning.
Their luxe, high quality products are designed to change the way we think about our hair by focusing on the very foundation of it, the scalp.
With more than 13 years of medical experience, Dr Simmy Kaur has worked in some of the busiest hospitals and GP clinics in London.
Her wide range of experience, expert medical knowledge of the scalp and hair and her ability to emotionally connect with patients made her the perfect fit to be MONPURE London’s Resident General Practitioner.
As an active GP, she regularly reviews patients that are concerned about scalp health and hair loss. Dr Kaur has a deep understanding of the emotional toll that hair loss can take and therefore approaches patients with a psycho-dermatological perspective.
She takes into account their psychological wellbeing as well as the physical elements of hair loss itself when treating them.