Are you losing more hair than usual?
Stressed out British women are losing their hair because of the mounting pressures of their professional and personal lives, according to new research.
It found that nearly three-quarters of women blamed life and work stress for thinning hair – while nearly one in three admit they suffer from hair loss themselves.
By comparison, only half of men blamed the pressures of work and home for their hair thinning and loss, according to the major study of more than 2,000 British adults.
The majority of men surveyed on behalf of L’Oréal Professional to mark the launch of Serioxyl, a new anti-thinning haircare range, attributed their hair thinning to their genes. The figures suggest women are struggling to balance their work and home lives, and subsequently experiencing hair loss as an unpleasant side-effect of stress.
The L’Oréal Professional study explored the myths and the realities about our hair while investigating men and women’s attitudes towards thinning hair. It presents a fascinating insight into this taboo subject – and shows just how prevalent hair thinning is across the country.
The research uncovered the fact that nearly a third of UK women and more than two-thirds of men suffer thinning hair or baldness. And it’s an issue that is not restricted to the older generation as nearly half of men aged 16-24 and 47% of men aged 25-34 say their hair is already thinning.
Men are most likely to notice it on average by the age of 38, while women generally don’t start to suffer thinning hair until they are around 45 according to the research.
Adam Reed, co-founder of Percy & Reed salon and L’Oréal Professionel Editorial ambassador, has 20 years of top salon experience as well as a session styling career that has taken him around the world. Adam has experienced hair loss himself through stress and is keen to help people to recognise and treat their hair thinning symptoms. He says: “Given how prevalent hair thinning is across Britain, among both men and women, it is surprising how little awareness there is about the issue.
“British women are facing increasingly stressful lives as they struggle to balance work-life pressures and their hair is suffering as a result. This research leaves little doubt that stress is currently the biggest factor facing women when it comes to their thinning hair.
“The good news is that there are products out there that can help slow down the rate of hair loss and promote growth among both men and women. For example, L’Oréal Professionnel Serioxyl is a scientifically-tested solution to combat hair thinning through comprehensive treatments for both natural and colour-treated hair.
“But people have to recognise they are suffering from thinning hair and be prepared to seek help. Hiding your head in the sand simply isn’t going to help.”
According to the research, almost half of men would rather suffer in silence than talk to anyone at all about hair worries, compared to just 10% of women. A further one in ten simply would not know who to talk to in the event of their hair thinning.
What’s even more shocking is the research revealed that one in seven women said they would rather be fat than lose their hair, and a third would even give up chocolate if it meant they could keep their lustrous locks.
Adam Reed adds: “Extreme dieting, hormones, stress, bereavements, illnesses and some medications can all lead to hair loss. Consult your hairdresser and discuss options of ways to treat it, products such as L’Oréal Professionnel Serioxyl will work over time and in the interim the main thing is to try to maintain your confidence. It can cause you more stress to try to hide areas of thinning by combing or clipping hair as this can make you constantly aware, opt for accessories such as headscarves will help to disguise areas of extreme thinning when you are out and about.
“The research shows how widespread hair thinning hair is across the gender and age divide but also how little people understand it. As soon as a person notices hair loss, you should look at your current lifestyle and target areas causing you stress. Maintain a positive attitude and move forward with steps such as a healthier diet, drinking more water and cutting down on excess drinking or smoking.”
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