Styling Your Hair: How to Work with Hair Loss

Hair loss can result from hormonal changes, pregnancy, chemotherapy, and much more.

When hair loss occurs, it can negatively impact self-esteem among men and women alike.

Thankfully, the hair industry has come a long way with regard to hair loss. These methods serve to:

1. Either hide or reduce the appearance of hair loss, such as wearing a hair piece or extensions
2. Camouflage the hair loss, with the use of sprays or hair fibers.

Camouflaging Agents

There are sprays used to color the scalp, allowing colors to blend well and add a fuller, richer look.

When hair loss takes place, many people are concerned about the visibility of the scalp through the thinner, remaining hair fibers.

The contrast between the scalp and the hair is actually used by dermatologists to determine the degree of hair loss.

Camouflaging agents are used to reduce the color contrast and therefore reduce the visibility of the scalp while concurrently increasing the perception of hair density.

Among the products available women have hair sprays, scalp lotions, powder cakes, hair fibers, and hair crayons.

Said agents are used as a temporary measure and can be used in conjunction with other hair styling methods to increase the success.

Hair Pieces

Hair pieces have changed tremendously within the last five years alone.

In fact, there are special fibers that make use of positively charged wool keratin particles which, by design, cling to the negatively charged hair fibers on the scalp by way of the electrostatic forces.

This not only keeps the hair pieces in place but adds a fuller, thicker look. Topical applications can be used to “touch up” areas of the scalp where hair might be thinning.

Hair loss might not take place evenly across the scalp, producing bald or thinning patches.

Rather than wear a wig to cover it all, hair stylists can use topical hair fibers and then complete touch ups as needed.

If you want a wig, of course, there are many can find.

Wigs typically have a “wefted” foundation or a “net” foundation.

The wefted foundation is the most common, and it is made from “wefts” or rows of synthetic hair.

It stays in place with an elastic band.

Net versions are made from mesh into which the synthetic or natural hair is knotted.

Such hand-tied designs provide a more natural look.

Custom made wigs will fit your head precisely, typically though these are reserved for when you have shaved your head and they secure with a vacuum seal to the bald head.

The cost for wigs can be hundreds of dollars more than options such as hair extensions.

On that note, extensions can be added to various cuts and styles to provide longevity which might otherwise be lacking.

Be careful not to get extensions that are too heavy, or they can add undue weight to your existing hair and pull it flatter.

Doing do removes any volume you have naturally which can exacerbate the visibility of thinning areas of hair.

Perms

While camouflaging agents decrease the color difference between scalp and hair, hair styling methods like perms can help out with volume. Perms help add volume where it might otherwise be lacking.

Perms make the hair curly or wavy with a chemical treatment that lasts for months at a time.

Soft perms, not too tight, supports a variety of hair styles and cuts. Just use a round brush with anti-frizz spray at home to polish off the look.

So, a hair stylist can apply something like a scalp spray to help offset the difference in color and reduce the visibility of hair thinning, while simultaneously perming the remaining hair so that it gives off a fuller, thicker appearance.

Volume loss happens when the amount of hair is reduced, but a perm adds volume through waves or curls where it might overwise be lacking.

A perm is a great solution when mixed with a medium length hair cut because it helps offset the thinness on top.

Rocking the Shorter Hair Cut

Of course, there is always the option of embracing hair loss by cutting hair shorter and until recently that seemed the only option women had at their disposal. Moreover, it was not an option widely accepted by society.

That has changed today, and women are no longer made to feel ashamed about short hair, thinner hair, or anything in between.

Hair stylists, industry professionals, and product manufacturers have worked hand in hand to support women from all over, embrace the hair loss, and find viable solutions.

If your hair is long, and thinning, it runs the risk of exposing the thinner areas because the weight of the hair pulls it flat and gets rid of volume.

Without volume, the thinner areas become more apparent.

Of course, cutting off all your hair in order to reduce visibility doesn’t always work in your favor either; short hair loses any volume at all and can lay flat, revealing the thinning patches and scalp below.

With your haircuts, you want to aim for a moderate length and moderate layers. Avoid extreme short haircuts, extreme layers, extreme colors, etc.…

If you cut the hair too short, it can accentuate the thinness by either falling flat or showing thinning area of the scalp.

If you get too many layers, it can result in the same patchiness because of the weight of your hair.

There are many fashionable middle of the road options like the “Michelle Williams Pixie Cut”.

For this, a stylist can leave the layers on top a bit longer to maintain the perfect camouflage technique.

It requires a bit of regular maintenance, but long term it is a very flattering look. Another option is the “mid-length bob” which removes any heaviness you might get with longer hair and helps increase the volume.

Color Choices

If you want to change the color to draw attention away from thinning areas, you want to apply the same “avoid extremes” measures you would with the haircut. Avoid extreme dark or light colors and stick to medium to light brown or dark blonde.

Add to these colors highlights and lowlights to create the illusion of thicker hair.

Styling at Home

After you have the cut and color you want, there are styling tips you can employ at home to naturally enhance the work you have done.

You can part your hair on the side and this will camouflage the thinness on top of the head naturally.

Moreover, angled layers can better frame the face. With layers you also get more movement with the hair, which will help thwart any of the aforementioned heaviness.

Tousled bangs will cover the forehead and in so doing, cover any thinness you might have in front.

Finding a Personalized Solution

With any hair style or treatment, it is recommended that you seek a personalized treatment program or a hair care solution like Keranique to best address your situation.

This can be a treatment combining hair styles with medications from your dermatologist, or a combination of hair styles with hair camouflaging techniques, or anything in between.

Working with a professional stylist can help provide you with individualized solutions which you can take home and practice regularly.