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“It’s like you’re in a relationship and everything’s going great. Then you get caught up in work, the kids, bills…the usual stuff of ‘adulting.’ Until one day you notice there’s not much left of that great relationship, and you’re like, “What am I supposed to do now?”
Vivian, 29, couldn’t have described it better—the shock of realising you’re losing hair, the disbelief of discovering bald patches on your scalp. She’s only one of the millions of people all over the world who experience noticeable hair loss.
The Annals of Dermatology reported that androgenetic alopecia, better known as “pattern hair loss,” is common among Asians. And it’s not just men or people in their 40s and above. It’s more than 70% of the general population, including those in their teens and 20s.
In Singapore, pattern hair loss affects at least 60% of people between the ages of 16 and 26. In China, they’re “losing their hair from the age of about 21 or 22, with the [condition] becoming obvious by 24 or 25,” says Dr Fu Lanqin from Peking Union Medical College Hospital.
It’s common knowledge that adults typically shed 50 to 100 strands per day in usual wear-and-tear circumstances, but any more than this isn’t healthy. Generally, hair loss could be genetic or caused by a medical condition, or maybe even an unhealthy lifestyle.
Millions like Vivian are suffering in silence from hair loss—it’s dimming their shine and shattering their confidence. If you’re one of them, then take heart. The American Hair Loss Association officially acknowledges that though it’s not life-threatening, losing hair is life-altering and thus shouldn’t be ignored. Just read on and know that you’re not alone!
1. Volumising Hair Products
According to Stylecaster, Kristin Davis said that by the time Sex and the City was in its final season, “My hair just was not what it used to be…It was very fine, like it had gone away, there just was hardly any hair there.”
Davis, who played straitlaced socialite Charlotte on the hit series, said it wasn’t apparent at first because professionals were doing her hair. But when she started doing her own hair, she noticed it thinned out. At her stylist’s suggestion, Davis began to use hair volumisers.
Volumising spray foams or mousse add fullness and flexibility to hair by smoothening out the frizz without the stickiness and heaviness. While it could create the appearance of a fuller head of hair, products like these succeed in adding fluff but not thickening the strands.
2. Hair Transplant
Like most men approaching the golden years, Hollywood A-listers Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey have gone through symptoms of male pattern baldness. In recent years, social media has been abuzz with photos of these stars showing bald spots and receding hairlines. Not to mention news of them getting a hair transplant to restore their locks’ lustre.
In a hair transplant, the doctor takes strips of skin from the back or the sides of your head and attaches them onto your bald spots or sparse areas through surgery. As with any invasive procedure, hair transplants come with some risks and pain, and at a high price too.
It could take as long as two years for the transplanted hair to show results, and even then, there’s no real assurance that it’ll grow normally. The procedure could take up to 8 hours, and being a surgical procedure, patients run the risk of bleeding, infection and scarring.
3. Hair Replacement System
Actor, host, director, and production house owner Jack Neo has been delivering onscreen comedic relief to Singapore and Malaysia since the ’80s. Over the years, he’s lost none of his sense of humour but quite a bit of hair, so he signed up for Aremyhair’s hair replacement system. And since then, he’s been seriously rocking his ‘do! Read all about it here.
During hair replacement, a hairpiece made of either natural or synthetic human hair is attached to your scalp using adhesives. There’s no surgery involved, so the process is painless and quick—an hour and a half at the studio and you have a brand-new head of hair!
Hair replacement systems can be shampooed, cut, and styled just like your natural hair. You can even wear it while swimming or doing workouts at the gym. They do have to be removed for regular cleaning and maintenance since they’re in contact with the skin’s natural acids.
4. Wigs, Extensions, and Weaves
Background info for millennials reading this, it was the likes of Naomi Campbell who made supermodels “a thing.” She started modelling at 15 and pulling all of those looks meant using extensions and weaves to make her hair look thicker and fuller.
Keira Knightley’s job as an actor also calls for different looks and colours. Stylecaster also reported that, after years of hair colouring, her hair was in bad shape. “It got so bad that my hair literally began to fall out of my head…So for the past five years, I’ve used wigs.”
Many women with thin hair find comfort in weaves and extensions, but long-term use takes a toll on the scalp. Often, even if you stop using them, not all of your hair grows back. Wigs give instant gratification, but you can always tell it’s not real—just watch our video here.
5. Hair-Building Fibers
In his YouTube channel, American singer, songwriter, and actor David Lamar shows his followers (@ImDavidLamar) how to use Toppik Hair-Building Fibers to fix a “hairline mishap.” He said, “The good thing about it is you literally cannot tell that it’s not (real) hair.”
That’s because the fibers are made out of the same keratin protein you find in real human hair. Toppik Hair-Building Fibers work by physically binding to hair follicles naturally through static—no adhesives or fasteners needed.
Toppik is a keratin-based powder used to fill out receding hairlines, hide bald patches, conceal sparse part lines, and cover-up extension tracks. And in Lamar’s case, create sleek hairlines that look smashing, without having to go to a salon. A cautionary word: some online stores sell counterfeit Toppik products, so make sure you’re dealing only with licensed distributors.
The fibers stay on overnight without getting on your pillow or clothing, needing only minimal touch-ups in the morning. They’re resistant to precipitation, wind, and even rain; and stay in place for up to two days unless you shampoo or wash it off.
Our very own Peter Lim understands how it feels to lose one’s hair at a young age, and be judged and limited by his condition. But he not only found ways to overcome it, but he also went on a crusade to help others like him by founding Aremyhair in 2003. To help you decide on which solution works best for you, contact us now and let’s get you started!
