Hair Loss – How can I stop my hair falling out?

Posted on December 10, 2012 by ian

hair loss | Michael Pring losing his hair, Eton 1979

I got asked a question by Anne this afternoon, “How can I stop my hair falling out?” Here’s my potted reply!

Firstly, I’ve got to say, check your diet. Eating a healthy well balanced diet is very important for healthy hair, skin and nails. Hair loss is often exacerbated by inadequate nutrition – vitamins for the hair: A, B complex, E and C. Minerals: iron, iodine, zinc and copper. Get them from food, not pills; however, for a quick fix belt and braces approach that won’t kill you, take a multivitamin and mineral tablet!

Hair Loss Is Often Very Upsetting

The general name for hair loss is Alopecia. Hair loss is very common amongst women as well as men. In fact, 98% of women who have given birth suffer from postnatal hair loss, which is natural, normal and almost always grows back.

The main cause of hair loss amongst women is hormonal (postnatal hair loss) and the main cause of hair loss amongst men is pattern baldness (Alopecia Androgenetica) which is caused by genetics and stress. The common causes for hair loss are (not in any particular order): hormonal, genetics, stress/ anxiety, poor diet, mineral deficiency, illness, scalp infection, medication and severe trauma (i.e. after surgery or illness).

Don’t confuse hair loss with natural moulting. It is normal to lose around 100 hairs per day, if your hair is long and you wash your hair once a week, you could notice quite a lot of hair in the plug hole! Once a year you might find you are losing extra hair caused by natural moulting. If you have problems with hair loss, you or your hairdresser will normally notice a bald/thin area. The first course of action is to start taking a multivitamin and mineral tablet, visit your doctor and/or trichologist.

The Solution

All I’ve got to say is, minoxidil lotion (Rogaine®/ Regaine®)! Regaine is an effective hair loss treatment for men; obviously it’s suitable for women too.

I have looked around for an affordable, effective and an all-natural product to help my clients who have thinning hair and baldness; I found and I recommend, Pro-Genenesis and OnlyHairLoss.com – with over 100 products to choose from!

They say, “The Pro-Genenesis Hair Enhancement System is a clear, topical solution prepared by a special curing process which concentrates the biologically active components of select plant enzymes, while preserving their natural organic state; specifically formulated to stop abnormal hair loss and promote the growth of thick, healthy hair for *men and women*.”

OK, let’s face it, out of the profusion of hair loss remedies that are marketed, only a very few actually work; always stop, think and proceed with caution before you actually buy.

How To Get Super Shiny Hair

Posted on December 8, 2012 by ian

Styling products, chemical processing, environmental pollutants, the sun and heat (typically, blow-drying and straighteners) and hair ties (like those fucking little ponytail bands with a metal joint) are the main factors in damaged hair. Damaged hair is normally dull hair. Healthy hair is normally shiny hair. Hair becomes dull when the outside surface (the cuticle) is rough. Light does not reflect well off a rough surface, light reflects off a smooth surface!

The first course of action to get shiny hair is: review your shampooing and conditioning method. The most common cause for dull hair is product overload. So start off by shampooing your hair with a clarifying, anti-residue shampoo, which should remove up to 70% of the residue left from hair products. Depending on how often and how much product you use, use the anti-residue shampoo once every two to three weeks. You will also need to use a compatible detangling conditioner for best results, as anti-residue shampoos can cause the hair to tangle. I recommend you use Urtekram shampoo for every day – if you can get it!

Of course there are loads of brilliant, shine-enhancing glossing sprays and various shine boosting serums, but there’s also an awesome old fashioned remedy for shiny hair: After shampooing and before conditioning, use a citric acid rinse. Prepare the rinse in a plastic measuring jug by completely dissolving 1/2 (half) teaspoonful of citric acid crystals into 200ml of boiling water. Add 300ml of cold water (you’ve now got 500ml ‘warm’ citric acid solution) – give it a stir. You could use an organic cider vinegar rinse instead if you want! carefully pour the citric acid rinse over your hair, avoid getting it in the eyes, leave it on for one minute, rinse off well with cool/ cold water and then condition as normal with an harmonious hydrating conditioner – rinse off again with cool water. Super Shiny Hair – simple.

A Note About The Sun And Your Hair

The sun can damage your hair (especially if it has been coloured) and cause colour fade. Hair colouring is expensive; so my top tip is: if you colour your hair, always wear a hat and/or use a UV protection product in the sun. You must protect damaged hair from the sun.

If you think you have a problem with your hair, the only way to determine its true condition and identify the proper course of treatment that’s right for you and your hair, is to talk with your hairdresser. I can help you to achieve and maintain, healthy, beautiful and shiny hair that will grow stronger and ‘live’ longer. I can also teach you how to safely use the different styling tools, like straighteners – that can potentially wreck your hair, so you can recreate a professional looking finish without buggering it up.

Bean Salad (Fasulye Salatası) For Hazel

Posted on December 6, 2012 by ian

Bean Salad (Fasulye) For Hazel

Ingredients

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
1 Kg Flat Beans, cut to 5 cm
2 teaspoons Tomato Puree
4 Medium Tomatoes, skinned and diced
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons Sugar
Water

Preparation Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan then add the onion and garlic, cook until the onion becomes clear. Add the beans, tomato puree and the skinned and diced tomatoes; use fresh tomatoes, not tinned. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally! Pour in enough water to completely cover the beans, then add the salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to the boil, put the lid on the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serving

This bean salad is best eaten warm and served with that fresh crusty French bread from Waitrose. We like to eat it in the Summer with barbecued chicken and rice – yum yum :)

Here’s One For Lesley

Posted on December 3, 2012 by ian

Me cutting 77

I think that’s how you should remember me Lesley? Very seventies isn’t it!

It looks like I’m cutting my fucking tie off.

Chris Roberts Fashion Photographer – Where TF are you now

Posted on December 2, 2012 by ian

This was one of my favourite photo shoots! Taken by Chris Roberts in the early eighties in Bath. Persephone is wearing a deep lilac silk Bruce Oldfield dress – which were to become very vogue.

Chris Roberts Fashion Photographer 1980-ish Shirland Road

Chris and I did three years of photographic sessions together, mainly in and around London, especially at Willie Christie’s studio in Princedale Road, off Holland Park Avenue (btw: Willie Christie was married to British Vogue editor Grace Coddington. Chris was Willie’s part-time assistant in the early 80’s. also: Robert Lobetta and I, while @ Ricci Burns, did a couple of Over 21 shoots with Willie Christie). Very sadly Chris and I lost touch for some unknown reason, we had some very good times – where are you now my little Northern friend?

Written by Ian Robson
SlashHair the sex, politics, religion and philosophy of the fashion industry, from the perspective of session hairdresser & stylist Ian Robson. “When you look good, I look good.” Find Ian on Facebook and Twitter. © SlashHair’s work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means: quote me and steal my images, but give me credit by Linking Back.

How To Get Rid Of Static Electricity In Your Hair This Winter

Posted on December 1, 2012 by ian

I was with a client this frosty December morning and she asked the question, “When I brush my hair, especially after straightening, my hair turns static and I can’t do a bloody thing with it; how do I cure it?”

OK Katherine, well you know what it’s like when you walk across the carpet in a department store, step on the escalator and touch the handrail, Zap! You get a shock created by static electricity. The electric charge is generated by two materials rubbing together, you and the carpet, and discharged, usually from the fingertips, via the handrail!

It’s basically the same with the hair; when you brush your hair it causes the hairs to have the same charge and they repel each other, just like two magnets, the same poles repel. In hair, the same charge repels – it’s normally positive (+).

The cold frosty mornings of winter are usually the worst times for static electricity to occur in your hair, it’s caused by the lack of moisture in the air so the electrons move more freely.

How To Fix It

Add some moisture by washing your hair with a hydrating shampoo like, Redken’s Clear Moisture Shampoo. Always condition; use a compatible conditioner i.e. Redken’s Clear Moisture Conditioner. If you want, you can use an extra rich conditioner twice a month.

For your thick wavy hair Katherine, use up to 1.25ml (1/4 tspn less is better) of grapeseed oil applied to wet hair after washing and conditioning and before drying.

Blow-dry your hair with an ionic hair dryer, which helps to reduce static. If possible, use a natural boar bristle hairbrush like the iconic, great British hairbrush, Mason Pearson; however, I use and recommend the Denman D5 (used to be called Royal Denman).

Before straightening use a heat protector something like, Redken iron silk 07 ultra-straightening spray – there are others like the ghd Heat Protect Spray!

After styling and especially for fine, straight hair use a microscopically small amount of Frizz-Ease hair serum on the ends of your hair.

Finishing products like Elnett Satin hairspray (the only one I’d recommend) help fix the hair.

Moisturize, use a hand and body cream to keep your skin hydrated.

Ground Yourself Katherine, walk naked outside. Now you are static free and you look electrifying ;D

Model: Penelope Savalas, Photographer: Chris Roberts 1981-ish, Hair: Ian Robson. London

Use Hair Colour To Set The Tone

Posted on November 27, 2012 by ian

Hair normally gets brighter for the spring and summer, and richer for the autumn and winter.

If “cutting hair is the most basic form of cosmetic surgery” (quote Ricci Burns c. 1974), then “colouring hair is the most basic form of make-up” (quote Lester Baldwin c. 1975, now at John Frieda, I think). Getting your hair colour right will give you that wow effect, make you feel gorgeous, take ten years off (esp., if you have grey hair) and most importantly, make you feel more confident about yourself.

There has been a trend for as long as I’ve been around in hairdressing that hair colour gets lighter (brighter, blonder) in the spring and summer and darker (warmer, richer) in the autumn and winter. If your hair is looking dull, you can have natural beachcomber effect chunky highlights to brighten your hair or rich copper lowlights and natural blonde highlights for a gleaming gold shimmer to warm you up. Highlights are an alternative and effective way of adding colour.

How to choose the right colour for you

Choosing the correct hair colour starts with looking at your natural hair colour, skin tone and your eyes, not the season. Your hair, skin tone and eyes can be warm or cool. Warm colours are based on reds, browns and yellows. Cool colours are based on blues, greens and pinks. To work out what skin-tone you are hold up a pink (cool), yellow (neutral) and peach fabric swatch to your cheek.

Cool, Neutral and Warm Colours

Cool hair colours are: blonde, natural brown, black
Cool skin undertones are: blue, pink (veins on your wrist look bluish)
Cool eyes are (normally): blue, grey
Cool clothes: a white trouser suit looks wonderful on you!

Neutral hair colours are: can be any colour, however, they are neither warm, nor cool!
Neutral skin undertones are: unspecifiable! pink, olive, yellow
Neutral eyes are: can be any colour
Neutral clothes: you can wear any colour clothing

Warm hair colours are: black, brown, red, auburn, blonde, honey blonde
Warm skin undertones are: yellow, orange, olive (veins on your wrist look greenish)
Warm eyes are (normally): brown, green, hazel
Warm clothes: don’t wear white, wear cream. You would look great in earth tones

Technical

There are three types of hair colouring: permanent, semi-permanent and something in-between.

A permanent hair colour (called a tint) will change the hair’s colour permanently to almost any colour. As the hair grows you will get roots which will need tinting every four – five weeks depending on the colour and how quickly your hair grows.

A semi-permanent colour only coats the hair with a colour and lasts for six – twelve washes, it gradually fades away in a manner that looks natural. Semi-permanent colour is wonderful for adding shine and depth, however, one can’t lighten the hair with a semi-permanent.

The something in-between (I use Wella Colour Touch and L’Oreal Richesse Diacolor) is a cross between a permanent and a semi-permanent hair colour. It works in a similar way to a permanent but fades like a semi-permanent, lasts for eight – twelve washes. It is great for adding condition, vibrant colour tones and the ultimate intense shine.

Don’t forget, highlights and lowlights.

Skin Sensitivity Test

Occasionally people are sensitive to certain ingredients in hair colourants. I will always do a preliminary skin test on clients who are having a hair colour for the first time. If there are any signs of inflammation or irritation, I will not be using that product on your hair. A consultation and skin test will cost £25.

Please read Hair Colour and Cancer then go to Promotions and get yourself a “first time” voucher!

Curly Hair And How To Sort It

Posted on November 22, 2012 by ian

Curly Hair

If you have curly hair and are having problems with it, the reason is usually the cut. A precision hair cut combined with the correct hair style will almost always get the right result. If not, you may need a perm to unify the wave – which may sound a little odd! Curly hair needs special handling; if you want your hair to be curly and not a frizzy puff ball, don’t brush or comb it when your hair is dry. In fact, hardly touch curly hair when it’s dry, otherwise the curls will break-up and become fluffy; use some form of product like a spray-on gel, which will help to create a lasting texture.

Movement, texture and body can be added to curly hair with highlights. Highlights can really enhance curly hair; however, I don’t recommend highlights for frizzy hair.

Frizzy Hair

Curly hair can go frizzy with moisture and a gust of wind. But I am not talking about curly hair, I am talking about hair that is naturally frizzy. This type of hair is crinkly, not curly, it looks dry and damaged although it is not. You need help, a consultation, a truly wonderful hair cut, straightening irons and some form of frizz ease.

Frizz Ease

Apply 1.5ml of oil (any oil, Baby to Mazola – I like grapeseed oil) to the scalp / hair-roots after washing when still wet, this will eliminate most frizz. Note: it will take the oil about three hours to work after applying it to the scalp. For an extra smooth finish also use a setting gel or mousse. The combination of 1.5ml Mazola corn oil and a setting gel or mousse is as good and cheaper than John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease. BTW, I like Frizz-Ease® 3 Day Straight™ Semi-Permanent Styling Spray.

Hairstyles – A Personal Fashion Statement

Posted on November 21, 2012 by ian

Robin sitting in my fav. rustic Eton salon!

The two truths are: my sole aim and purpose is to make you look attractive and sexy. a good haircut is the basic ingredient of good looking hair.

However, the main question hairdressers get asked is, “can you do it like this photo?” Well, 49% of clients failed to get what they want because the hair stylist lied about their ability and what was possible to achieve, according to a survey – I will always tell it like it is, so you won’t become another disastrous statistic!

While styles may come and go with the changes of fashion, the essentials of good hair design remain the same. Simplicity and purity of form. Broadly speaking, good design starts from the premise that living is more than just a matter of existing, and that everyday things which are both effective and attractive can raise the quality of life. Well, hair Is everyday! Good hair design is more than a particular style, it is an attitude to the hair’s intrinsic qualities. Meaning, A hairstyle designed with common sense is better than one designed to fit a trend.

The process of creating your new look – as with all hairdressing operations – starts with a consultation. Not telepathy. Before I start cutting I always want to understand and discuss: you, your life style, your hair type, texture and colour, how it falls and grows, and of course your face shape. I’ll explain your options so you can make a considered choice. I won’t be doing all the talking and I will be listening.

There are many diverse influences that go into creating your new hairstyle, the three main ones are: you and how you are influenced by fashion. your hair. me and how I am influenced by fashion. I am influenced by Vogue – mainly. For the last 100 years it has been ahead of the crowd. As you can see in my resume I’ve had my work in Vogue. Vogue is how I keep up with high fashion, it gives me the inside scoop on the looks and styles that make the fashion world tick. If you want to lead and not follow, then you’d better read it. I also keep my finger on the pulse of the fashion world by following the industry Online – Follow me on Twitter.

sandy beach, the sea is rolling in

Now I want you to relax, here’s some visual methodology

Relax, relax.

Cup your hands over your ears, close your eyes and imagine that you are sitting on a beach. The sea is rolling in, the wind is warm and filled with a salty perfume. To your right there is a smooth sea worn rock sticking out of the sand. Look at its shape. Hold the shape in your mind. Now open your eyes and relax. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Explanation: when your hair is sticking out at right angles to your head, it forms an outside shape. It could be the outside shape of your rock. I’m visualising ‘it’ when I cut your hair. Each style has a different shape. Simple. It’s why I find my work so enjoyable and relaxing.
©1975 Ian Robson. My discovery.

There is no perpetual best hair style. All that exists in the world of fashion is a perception in the mind. The perception is the reality. Everything else is an illusion.

The Haircut

Hair grows at the rate of half an inch or thirteen millimetres per month. It may grow a little faster in the summer than in the winter! My cuts have have a life span of about five weeks. Always have your hair cut regularly. I hate razors and thinning scissors – I will never use them on your hair. If a stylist comes at you with a razor, run away screaming and shouting, they’ve gone mad. A style needs to develop. It will always take two or three haircuts to get the perfect shape – no matter who’s doing it. I am available from 07.00 to 19.00 – Monday to Saturday.

SlashHair Update

Posted on November 17, 2012 by ian

Persephone, Bath

I’m in the process of updating SlashHair.net to make it a little more interesting and colourful, and at the same time turning it into a weblog. Here are the links from the old site: SiteMap – on with the new!

Written by Ian Robson
SlashHair the sex, politics, religion and philosophy of the fashion industry, from the perspective of session hairdresser & stylist Ian Robson – “When you look good, I look good.” Find Ian on Facebook and Twitter. © SlashHair is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means: quote me and steal my images, but give me credit by Linking Back.