3 Ways to Minimize Tress Fall-out

Do you ever get that freaky feeling that all your hair is falling out? That moment, after blowdrying, when you glance at the floor and you’re sure that there’s more hair on the floor than on your head? I certainly have – at various times, particularly after giving birth to Max and when I was going through a stressful time at work. Not only does it clog your drain and pile up on your brush, but it really plagues your mind as well.

Hair loss is actually really common for women in different stages of life. AvedaEducation Specialist and professional hairdresser, David Cartwright, says he sees it in the salon all the time, and that it isn’t just restricted to an older age group. There are a variety of causes from health and diet to hormonal reasons but David cites stress as a major contributing factor to hair loss. “What we do see more often is hair loss due to breakage and general stress related hair loss.”

To get your strands really striving, you should start by dealing with the, er, root of the problem and make sure your diet is well balanced (think lots of leafy greens and omega threes from oily fish) and that you’re dealing properly with stress.

When it comes to treatment, prevention is always better than a cure. The good news? There are treatments and techniques to prevent further strand carnage on the bathroom floor.

1. Start with your shampoo.

Aveda Invati for Thinning Hair is a three-step system which includes a powerful Exfoliating Shampoo, a Thickening Conditioner and a spray-on Scalp Revitalizer, which is used twice a day.

“The exfoliating shampoo will remove the build up of sebum and other debris on the scalp. This can build up around the follicle (where the hair grows from) and create a weaker hair strand”, he says, adding that it’s really great for women who may not wash their hair every day, and use product or load their hair with dry shampoo. The shampoo contains salicylic acid derived from the wintergreen tree, so it cleanses pores leaving them open and more receptive to all the good stuff in the Revitalizer.

“What I love about the invati system is that it does what it says on the bottle!” says David. “I have been told that the system has changed our guests lives, which is such a fantastic feeling. There are numerous reports like that online, as well.’”

The lightweight, non-greasy Revitalizer spray contains turmeric and ginseng – ingredients traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to energise and rehabilitate the scalp. To use it, divide the scalp into four zones and lifting the hair to spray it right into the roots – doing four sprays in each quadrant, 16 sprays in total, twice a day.

2. Brush your scalp. Yes. Your scalp.

Another way to prevent hair loss is to stimulate the scalp by brushing it vigorously every night before bed. Just like dry body brushing helps detoxify your whole system and makes your skin glow, scalp brushing gets the blood moving beneath the skin and invigorates the hair follicles. The Aveda paddle brush improves scalp circulation and enhances the benefits you see from the invati system.

3. Handle that hair with care.

David also recommends being gentle when drying the hair or combing it when it’s wet.

“Hair is in its weakest state when wet, so using a wide tooth comb to distribute the conditioner through the hair will help prevent against mechanical damage that a brush will create.”

Shop the look

AVEDA INVATI™ EXFOLIATING SHAMPOO

AVEDA INVATI™ THICKENING CONDITIONER

AVEDA INVATI™ SCALP REVITALIZER

AVEDA WOODEN PADDLE BRUSH

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Photography by Jake Terrey; Sigourney’s Hair by Anthony Nader and makeup by Regina Gao. Styling by Anna Santangelo. Sigourney wears jumper by Jac + Jack, skirt by Acne, rings by Sarah & Sebastian. Sponsored by Aveda.