Katie Price Turns to Wigs to Hide Hair Loss

Former glamour model Katie Price’s hair loss concerns appear to have prompted the star to start wearing wigs as was evidenced during a recent appearance on ITV’s popular Loose Women show.

The celebrity’s appearance in an ultra-blonde wig came just days after she had posted an Instagram photo of her wig being blow-dried by a stylist. It was posted alongside examples of some trolling by fellow Instagram users, one of whom suggested that the bald patches the TV star had recently admitted to were caused by hair extensions.

Price replied: “I’ve had 5 kids stress last year and hair loss due to it so not extensions so thanks for the put down.” She also claimed that wigs were 'the way forward' but has since switched back to wearing extensions, according to her hairstylist, Mikey Kardashian.

Katie Price posted a photo to Instagram of her wearing a wig to hide her hair loss during a TV show

Significant hair loss

In her Instagram post Price seems to be trying to clear up any confusion about why she may currently be losing some of her hair as there have been many hairloss stories circulating about her over the years, mostly related to her choice of hairstyles and her years of peroxide treatments.

Several years ago, Katie Price stated that she had suffered a significant amount of hair loss after a Hollywood-based hairdresser had fitted her with £11,000-worth of hair extensions. At the time, she sought legal advice having shelled out a reported £45,000 to try and rectify what had happened.

Hair loss caused by hair extensions is due to a condition named Traction Alopecia, a fully preventable condition that is caused by people repeatedly wearing hairstyles that place undue stress on the hair follicles. These are typically very tightly fixed and/or heavy hairstyles such as braids, high ponytails and high buns, though hair extensions and wigs that are tightly attached to existing hair are increasingly common causes too. Interestingly, Price is regularly pictured wearing her hair in all of these potentially damaging styles, as well as wearing extensions.

This is something her friend, former Big Brother star Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace knows only too well. She has also admitted to wearing wigs to cover her hair loss, which she said was caused by hair extensions. The condition has also affected many celebrities due to their punishing hairstyling routines, including Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga.

Traction Alopecia treatment is often effective, providing that the hair follicles haven’t actually died, and hair growth can be significant especially when caught early. People with the condition are usually advised on aspects of self-help, such as wearing the hair naturally as often as possible to allow the follicles time to recover, which they can practice in addition to following a bespoke treatment plan featuring recommended formulations of high strength minoxidil.

Click to browse more Belgravia clients before and after starting their custom Traction Alopecia treatment courses (Results may vary and are not guaranteed)

Insists stress is to blame

Price, however, seems adamant that neither she nor her stylists are to blame for any hair loss this time around. Instead she indicates that stress and/or childbirth are the cause.

Given that more than two years have passed since the birth of Price's fifth child, it seems unlikely that she has Postpartum Alopecia, a condition that usually occurs in women two-to-four months after giving birth. It is caused by the sudden shedding of an excess of hairs that have built up during pregnancy (pregnant women often remark how thick and lush their hair is), and a woman’s hair should return to its normal thickness around six to twelve months after shedding starts. Stress, however, can prolong post-pregnancy shedding.

Postpartum hair loss is very similar to another condition named Telogen Effluvium which also causes hair thinning from all over the scalp. It is often influenced by hormonal changes in the body, with stress frequently thought to be a factor. This condition, which predominantly affects women, tends to take up to three months to become noticeable and typically lasts up to six months. It may sometimes linger for a year or more, at which point the diagnosis changes to Diffuse Thinning, or Chronic Telogen Effluvium. 

As a busy celebrity, entrepreneur and mum of five, it is quite understandable that Price may suffer from stress and that this would have a knock on effect on her hair, but it may not be the only influence. All three of these temporary hair loss conditions cause thinning hair in women and can also, where there is an existing genetic predisposition, trigger or exacerbate androgenetic alopecia, better known as female pattern hair loss. This hereditary complaint is a lot more common than people think and can be negatively affected by stress.

Click to view more Belgravia Female Pattern Hair Loss treatment Success Stories (Results may vary and are not guaranteed)

The key to determining the cause of Katie Price's hair loss is to look at the pattern and locations of her shedding. In recent photos she appears to be suffering from hair thinning particularly around her temples and hairline, which looks as if it may be slightly receded too. Her hair does not look to be thinning on top or at the sides, the issue looks to be confined to areas around her hairline.

Obviously we cannot know for certain without examining her, but from this pattern of hair loss we can deduce that female pattern baldness coupled with Traction Alopecia due to her hair extensions and prediliction for tight hairstyles are the most likely causes.

Telogen effluvium in both its mild and chronic forms causes thinning hair all over the scalp - something Ms. Price shows no signs of in photographs. Female pattern hair loss affects areas around the top of the scalp and hairline and can cause thinning temples before a more generalised thinning across the top of the scalp and at the crown develops. Katie Price does appear to have thinning around her temples and hairline so this is likely to be a factor. The fact that her hairline appears to be somewhat receding is a classic signifier of Traction Alopecia, as is patchy hair loss where extensions or tight hairstyles have been fixed. This is because the hairline bears the brunt of the strain that the extra weight of extensions and wigs create, as well as the tension caused by taut hairstyles.

It is possible for Traction Alopecia and Female Pattern Hair Loss to be treated simultaneously. At Belgravia, after diagnosing the precise reasons for a client's shedding, a specialist will tailor a bespoke hair loss treatment course to their specific needs, and recommend appropriate products and hair growth boosters to help them achieve optimum results.