Hairdresser Detects Client’s Medical Condition From Hair Loss

Most women will agree that a good hair stylist can be a great confidence-booster, leaving you looking and feeling fabulous for any occasion and helping to fight the bad hair days. But some experienced stylists could also help you to spot possible issues with your health.

Noticeable hair loss


An American hair stylist in Philadelphia detected her client's health problems just by looking at her hair and scalp. Lyric Elise, of Elite Beauty Master Salon in Union City, saw her client Jaunessa Jackson and immediately noticed problems with her hair during her very first visit to the salon. Jaunessa had noticed some issues with her hair prior to her appointment, in particular thinning hair around her hairline. She recalled, “I mean, you could just see the bald spots and at the top of my hair it was thinning. I just didn't want that to be seen.” Story continues below.


Playing detective


Hair stylist, Lyric decided to dig deeper into Jaunessa's health and family history, to help her understand the cause of her hair loss. Over the years, Lyric has become a kind of 'hair detective', trying to help her clients discover the reasons behind their shedding. She explains, “Obviously, styling hair is important, but how do I keep it on the client's head? How do I assist them outside of styling the hair?”

Female hair loss


She asked Jaunessa questions about her health had she been under stress, started on new medication or undergone any recent hormonal changes? These factors could all lead to hair loss conditions, as can a family history of androgenic alopecia, better known in women as female pattern hair loss.

Hair Loss in WomenUnderstanding the symptoms


Whilst Lyric has no formal medical training, she recognises that hair stylists are often the first people to notice something is wrong with their client's hair, and she teaches other stylists the importance of studying the condition of the hair and scalp carefully. Dr Jamie Mackelfresh, an assistant professor of dermatology, talks more about spotting signs of hair loss, “We all lose a little bit of hair over time and that's normal. What isn't normal is bald patches or significant thinning. Hairdressers see the scalp more than anyone else; when you go to your regular doctor, they may not look at your scalp.”

Suspected fibroids


Lyric suspected that Jaunessa was suffering from fibroids; she explains, “I see a lot of patients suffering from dehydration. A lot of women, especially African-American women, suffer from fibroids. Typically, when they have fibroids, they're anaemic, because they lose a lot of blood.”

Sure enough, when Jaunessa visited her doctor, he told her she was suffering from fibroids having received full medical advice, she now feels much better. Your hair can be an indicator of your overall health, and problems such as thinning hair, a flaky scalp, bald patches or other noticeable changes could indicate an underlying condition such as anaemia or a thyroid problem. Hair loss could also be indicative of emotional stress or a poor diet, or even an auto-immune condition such as Alopecia Areata. It's important to consult with a hair loss specialist as soon as you notice any unusual signs or symptoms, to get a proper diagnosis of the problem. You can then start to tackle the underlying cause of your condition, in addition to getting advice on effective hair loss treatment to help regrow your hair.

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The Belgravia Centre

The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.

View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.

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