Your 4 worst hair nightmares solved

‘Although it’s growing back, my hair’s still so patchy that the scalp shows through’

After the death of a much-loved uncle, Catherine Wallace started to lose hair from her crown when she was just 18. ‘A friend noticed it first,’ recalls 41-year-old Catherine. ‘It wasn’t too bad and eventually grew back.’ But now this ex-num believes that stress and poor nutrition during 14 years of cloistered life caused the more serious hair thinning she still suffers from. ‘At first I tried mini extensions and backcombed them to cover the worst patches,’ she told us, ‘but it took up to half an hour to style and never looked that natural.’

THE SOLUTION
Volumising hair extensions from £100-£1800 at Lucinda Ellery Hair Solutions, London (020 8741 8224).

Catherine has had volumising hair extensions for the past three years. A bespoke bridging system (or net) is fitted over her crown, strands of her own hair are pulled through, twisted together at the base and glued. A new extension is then heat-sealed onto this base. Extensions are also woven through the net to fill in areas where hair is missing. The net allows the scalp to breathe and encourages hair re-growth, but as natural hair grows, the net loosens so needs readjusting every six weeks and completely refitting every six months. On a day-to-day basis, extensions are surprisingly hardy and easy to maintain – just shampoo and blow-dry gently or use rollers. Catherine can shower, swim and use the steam room at the gym.

THE VERDICT
According to NHS-sponsored hair-loss specialist Lucinda Ellery, 50% of women suffer hair loss at some time. Triggers include stress, trauma, iron deficiency, and hormone imbalance, yet little is known about the causes, let alone treatment. In the meantime, extensions allow sufferers to lead normal lives. ‘Extensions have given me the confidence to do so many things,’ says Catherine. ‘I still wear a baseball cap if it’s windy, but otherwise it’s great not to worry. Best of all, I get lots of compliments on my hair!’

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Mother-of-one Suzanne Dunn, 42, describes her hair as seasonal: ‘It falls out in autumn and perks up a little in summer,’ she says. ‘It’s so thin it can take just three minutes to dry, and I use endless volumising products in an attempt to improve the texture.’

‘I’d like to be proud of my hair and for it to have the gloss and thickness you see in adverts.’

The answer? Hair extensions – expensive, but look at the result!’

The colourist – Sinead Lawrence at Lucinda Ellery (020 8741 8224)

The stylists – Katie Beason and Jean-Marie Youuoutte at Lucinda Ellery (020 8741 8224)

The colour – Sinead wove a combination of light golden brown lowlights and highlights into the top section and sides of Suzanne’s hair to boost its shine and vibrancy. The soft, natural colours compliment her skin tone and subtle mix of shades makes her fine hair look thicker and more lustrous.

The pampering treatment – StriVectin Two-step Revitalizing System For The Hands, £55 from Space.NK (020 8740 2085), is a pampering kit with thermal exfoliator to boost cell turnover, plus a handcream to reduce age spots.

The extensions – Katie spent five hours attaching 120 human hair extensions to Suzanne’s roots. With prices starting at £600 for a full head of extensions, this is a costly process – but the confidence boost, if you have thinning hair, is beyond measure. ‘When hair is brittle as well as fine, the weight of the extensions is really critical,’ Katie explains. ‘Of they’re too heavy the hair can stretch and break.’

The haircut - To tidy up Suzanne’s hair and give it even more volume, Jean-Marie cut two inches off the extensions and shaped the front, adding a few wispy layers.

The make-up – ‘I only wear foundation, clear lip gloss and eyeliner, and I steer clear of brown – I think it makes my eyes look bloodshot,’ says Suzanne. Make-up artist Liz disagrees: ‘A brown palette makes Suzanne’s eyes jump out. The secret is in the blending.’

Suzanne’s verdict – ‘Although the process was long, I feel as if I have my teenage hair back – in volume as well as length. It’s great to be able to cheat and look glamorous overnight. The hair swings when I move – I love it and I’m amazed how light it feels. I can’t wait to show off my new style to the mums at the school gates.’

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