Fitness Blogger Opens Up About Thinning Hair Insecurities

One of the internet’s most popular fitness bloggers has spoken for the first time about the genetic hair loss that she has been dealing with for many years.

Instagram sensation Kayla Itsines, who has more than seven million followers, decided to talk about her hair woes on the social media channel in an effort to let other women know that thinning hair is “nothing to be shy about.”

“I have hade a lot of you girls ask me about my hair,” she begins her post, “so here is a fact that I haven’t ever really spoken about. My natural hair is actually super-short. I have genetically thin hair (my grandma and mum both have really thin hair, as does a lot of my family). I often just wear a clip-in pony tail when I want long hair.”

Family history of hair thinning

The Australian fitness expert goes on to explain that she has a family history of female pattern hair loss, a common condition that affects millions of women around the world.

Female pattern hair loss causes thinning hair along the top of the head and is often particularly noticeable around the hairline, temples and at the parting. Many women with longer hair tell us that one of the first signs of hair loss they noticed was a drop in hair density as their ponytail felt thinner than normal.

When women are genetically predisposed to this type of permanent, hereditary hair thinning, a female pattern hair loss treatment course can often help them to successfully manage their condition. At Belgravia, many female clients enjoy hair growth after following bespoke courses featuring recommended formulations of the topical drug, high strength minoxidil.

This is usually paired with hair growth boosters appropriate to the individual, such as the HairMax Lasercomb device and highly-targeted Hair Vitalics for Women food supplements, in order to maximise results. The latter contains key vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botancials known to promote healthy hair growth, such as biotin, zinc and selenium. These vegetarian, gluten, lactose, sugar and salt-free one-a-day tablets for women also feature plant-derived phytoestrogens - soy isoflavones called genistein and daidzein - which are understood to lower levels of DHT in the bloodstream.

DHT, or 'dihydrotestosterone', is the hormone which latches on to follicles around the top of the scalp in men and women with a genetic predisposition to pattern hair loss. This slowly crushes them, resulting in the outward appearance of gradually thinning hair and eventual hairloss.

“I know we all have our own little insecurities, and one of mine has always been my hair,” Kayla writes, “but it is just me! I can see my hair getting thinner and thinner the older I get. Yes, of course I'm super conscious about it and I’ve tried everything to fix it, trust me. But, at the same time, I am at peace with it and I will not let it rule my life. So instead I focus on being healthy and happy.”

Whether or not Kayla has tried a tailored treatment course is unclear, as her assertion that she has “tried everything” may allude to the abundance of natural products on the market, some of which make bold and questionable claims about their ability to regrow hair. In fact, only minoxidil has been clinically tested and licensed by the UK and US medical regulatory bodies, the MHRA and FDA for the treatment of female pattern hair loss.

We were delighted to see one of The Belgravia Centre clients recommend our treatment services to the blogger, in case she changes her mind and wants to seek help. Advising her of her own experiences, Instagram user and Belgravia client @liriade_ commented:

"hi @kayla_itsines have you ever got in touch with @belgraviacentre in London? I don't work for them or anything, actually it's the opposite since i'm a client, I had tried a few different options before finding them the 3 years ago and the results are just amazing. they are very serious and consistent, and don't use anything that may harm our health. i would certainly give it a try, since thinning hair has stopped to be a subject for me to feel self-conscious about after started their simple topic treatment. all the luck, thanks for bbg and i really like your way of thinking :)"

An example of a Belgravia Centre client being treated for both Female Pattern Hair Loss and Traction Alopecia - Click to view more Women's Hair Loss Treatment Success Stories (results may vary and are not guaranteed)

Hair pieces and extensions

Though little talked about, women's hair loss is rife, and most people will know someone who is affected, though because the thinning rarely becomes as pronounced or localised as when seen in cases of male pattern baldness, it can be easier to conceal. Images of Kayla, for example, certainly don’t show a woman who appears to be on the verge of going bald. Rather, her hair density is perhaps less than is seen in some women.

Kayla ends her post with an appeal for her followers to open up about their own hairloss issues in a bid to help people feel more at ease with their insecurities. She seems to have tapped in to something, as her words have prompted over 75,000 likes and numerous comments, including from other women who are losing their hair. In response to Kayla's admission that she uses clip-in hair extensions, one of her followers writes that her hairdresser has given her some extensions, having assured her that they would be safe if she were to give her hair plenty of breaks.

Hair extensions or clip-in hairpieces, as well as the tight, high ponytail hairstyles Kayla usually sports, are known to cause hair loss from Traction Alopecia, which can present simultaneously alongside other hair loss conditions. People with thin hair who turn to clip-ins and bonded or woven hair extensions run the risk of further damaging their already vulnerable follicles. This is particularly true when extensions are left in for too long as they can place too much stress on the scalp. Though treatment for traction alopecia is available, it is a condition that is easily avoidable and one that those already troubled by thinning hair are generally keen to avoid as it can make hair loss appear much worse, particularly around the hairline.