Dear Mr Maleedy, I’ve used your Trichology brand juniper tar shampoo for years. Is your Juniper Mint Scalp Therapy Shampoo an advance on the earlier product? Thank you.

Thank you for your question, and for having used the Trichology Juniper Tar Shampoo. The answer to you question is "yes", this is a significant improvement on the Juniper shampoo. With the Juniper Mint Scalp Therapy Shampoo clearly we are still using juniper - not because we like the smell so much (the dominant, tar-like smell is juniper tar obtained from Spanish juniper trees) but because it’s just so effective. Apart from its natural anti-microbial properties it’s main function is to slow down what’s called the "epidermal turnover", that’s the rate at which skin cells pass through the scalp on their way to the surface. When there’s a problem the rate of epidermal turnover speeds up, causes scale to form, allows micro-organisms to multiply etc. The juniper tar slows this cellular rate of growth back to normal.

We have kept the level of juniper tar the same as previously but we have added corn mint oil, this is another excellent anti-microbial, and we have increased the levels of other natural oils, thyme oil, tea tree oil and rosemary oil. We have also added some new conditioning agents to have a nicer effect on the hair itself.

What can be done for my very bad extreme damaged bleached hair. falling out in clumps and hate the colour yellow and orange. Wish I left it as it was but I don’t like brown hair on me, but that would be better then no hair. Feel very down. What are the best hair repair products?

Find a good hairdresser - someone who specialises in colouring and hear what they say. The aim should clearly be to improve hair colour while, at the same time, reduce the hair damage and breakage - not easy and particularly difficult to do at home. A short series of intensive conditioner treatments should minimise the breakage. I would also use a large toothed comb rather than a brush for the moment as this will be less likely to cause further breakage. Book an appoint with a colouring specialist, then go along for a consultation first. If the hairdresser doesn’t sound interested and caring move on to the next salon until someone with the knowledge, care and the correct attitude jumps out at you. We would recommend you try Revlon Professional Pro You Colour Treatment as an intensive conditioning treatment.

I have very hard, dry and zigzag (meander) hair. Really I hate my hair because I can’t make any style so for that every time I just make my hair very small. Can you suggest something for my hair it’s curly. very dry, very hard with no shine.

I think all the things you dislike about your hair stem from it being dry. And ’dry’ literally means that - a lack of moisture inside the cortex, or inner fibers of the hair (the cortex makes up about 80-90% of the hair). A hair in good condition will have a moisture content of about 10% but for one reason or another (environmental, chemical etc.) the moisture levels commonly drop much lower than this. When that happens the cortical fibers start to break up, the cuticle scales on the surface of the hair ’open’ and become vulnerable to damage which then causes further surface disruption and damage and so on.

In your case the hair has become dry it loses it’s shine because the rough surface of the hair no longer reflects light off it as (presumably) black hair will when in good condition. There is probably quite a bit of breakage due to the loss of elasticity in the hair and it’s looking frizzy because as the hair breaks the broken ends stick out in all directions which interferes with the sleekness of the hair.

Because the structure internal fibers of hair, because of the reduced moisture level, is disrupted the hairs commonly take on a slightly ’disfigured’ shape meaning that the spaces between aligned dry hairs are usually greater than when well conditioned hairs are aligned, so the overall appearance of the hair is less smooth and sleek. With your hair, even though, it is curly, if it was in good condition the curls would be smooth because all the hairs would be aligned and close to each other forming a smooth curl.

So how can you improve your hair?

• Wash your hair at least twice a week, more if possible.
  Washing the hair is the perfect opportunity to put back moisture. It’s a myth that washing hair is bad for it.
• Use good quality products on it and condition it every time with the best conditioner you can afford.
• Use a treatment conditioner once a week until the condition improves then use it once a month to maintain it.
• Use a good quality wide-toothed comb (saw cut if possible, it will say on the comb) to comb his hair and minimize the use of a brush. This is because a comb will cause less breakage while hair is in a fragile state.
• Make sure that his diet is well balanced and nutritious - our hair is a product of what we eat, eat rubbish and you may well get rubbish!

I have had alopecia areata for about 12 years now. My hair falls out in patches and then grows back course frizzy with a curl in. It is very hard to style as it stands out from the rest of my hair. I straighten it every day which is causing it to look dry. I use Tigi shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair but am finding it is making my roots greasy. How can I look after my hair? What products do you suggest? I love my hair otherwise but these unruly patches of hair are making it difficult to maintain. Your advice is much appreciated

It sounds like you have accepted that you have to live with the alopecia areata and have give up trying to do something about it, and I would not if I were you. When I was in clinical practice I saw many hundreds of people with AA and almost all of them regained their hair .... sooner or later.

Alopecia areata (area) is a relatively common, but highly unpredictable, auto-immune disorder of the hair follicles, affecting approximately 1.7% of the population in the UK.

In alopecia areata, the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by a person’s own immune system (white blood cells), resulting in the arrest of the hair growth stage. Alopecia areata usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the scalp. Occasionally, it progresses to affect the total scalp hair loss (alopecia totalis).

Alopecia areata occurs in males and females of all ages and races; however, onset most often begins in childhood. Although not life-threatening, alopecia areata is most certainly life-altering, and its sudden onset, recurrent episodes, and unpredictable course have a profound psychological impact on the lives of those disrupted by this disease.

In an unaffected person 90% of the hair follicles are in the active, or hair producing, phase of the hair cycle (which lasts on average between 3 and 6 years), and 10% in the resting phase (which lasts about 3 months). In cases of alopecia areata all the hair follicles in a particular area are thrown from their active phase into their dormant phase were the hair falls out and the follicle rests for a time. But rather than the normal 3 months it can be 6 or 12 months or even several years. The one saving grace of alopecia areata is that the hair follicles never die. This is very important because as they are only dormant they can, and usually do, start producing hair again at some point.

Stress, shock, anxiety are all common causes of alopecia areata. Any of these can act as a triggering factor which starts the problem off and then, because of the stress the loss of hair can cause the disorder continuities even thought the initial causative factor has disappeared, so one is left with a viscous and perpetual cycle.

Because the hair is capable of growing given the right circumstances, it is a question of finding out what they are. Reducing any stress causing factor will help, and ensuring that the diet is good is very important (see feeding your hair information sheet).

There are a number of treatments which can be helpful. Minoxidil (trade name, Regaine) has been shown to stimulate the regrowth of hair in some people. This is available from Boots and other chemists (use the extra strength formula). A standard form of treatment in trichology clinics is exposure to concentrated ultra-violet radiation in order to cause a marked erythema. This treatment can be very successful if carried out over a period of a few weeks.

You should also consider consulting a qualified trichologist. The Institute of Trichologists will give you a list of people in your area. Tel: 08706 070602

I want to have thick hair day by day I am losing my thickness as there is nobody in our family has baldness or hereditary evidence I am very concerned

There are many reasons why we lose hair, it could be linked to your health, diet or stress levels, and it could still be hereditary. Genetic hair loss patterns can skip two or three generations so even if your parents or even your grandparents have no hair loss problems it is still possible to inherit a hair thinning condition from a great grandparent. It would be a good idea for you to consult a Trichologist to try to establish the cause of your thinning hair. They may also be able to reduce or stop the problem. Call the Institute of Trichologists on 08706 070602 for your nearest practitioner.

I am 47 years old and have always had a very wavy thick head of hair. About a year and a half ago my hair suddenly began to change and has become thin in its diameter, has lost its elasticity,is very dry and seems to fall out more easily. I do colour my hair and my hairdresser has said that my natural color is now very white. I am wondering if there is any connection to suddenly going white due to stress or could this be a premenopausal result? I miss my hair....is there any hope to restoring it back to its old condition?

It sounds like you would need some TCL after receiving such a very poor response to your question. I apologise for not being able to give you a proper answer sooner but I have been away on business for some time.

In asking your question you mention two things that can have a negative effect on hair, stress and the menopause. It is highly unlikely that you will experience any hair loss prior to any hormonal changes occurring but when the level of oestrogen begins to reduce then excessive hair loss is extremely common. In most women this hair loss is classed as temporary and reversible and most of the hair that falls out due to the disruption caused by the fall in oestrogen will be replaced - but this takes time. When a hair falls from the scalp the hair follicle goes into a resting phase, this is perfectly normal and will last for approximately three months, only after that will a new hair start to grow and then at a rate of 2-3cm per month, so it takes some time for the hair to fully recover.

In women with a genetic predisposition to thinning hair the hair can respond badly to the fall in the level of oestrogen and never really recover fully. Many women find that HRT has a positive effect on their hair because the it can raise the level of oestrogen and stimulate hair growth. If you think the menopause could be starting in your case you could talk to your GP about this.

Another very common cause of hair loss is stress, and it can affect anyone. Stress commonly accelerates the hair growth cycle, shortening the growing phase of the hair so it falls out faster. The old hair will be replaced but, for example, if a hair falls out after growing for only two years rather than, say, four or five which may be your normal growth period, and this is affecting virtually all the hair on your head then the overall effect can be dramatic.

This type of hair loss generally stops when the causative stress factor has disappeared, but good ways of helping your body deal with stress and reducing the negative effects it can have on your hair are to get plenty of exercise (no need for a gym, long brisk walks will do it) as this burns up adrenaline and testosterone (yes, women have it too). It is also a good idea to make sure your diet is well-balanced with plenty of fruit, vegetables proteins, water etc. Also ensure that you are getting the quantity of sleep you think your body needs.

Finally, if the problem continues you should go to see a qualified trichologist to let them try to find out the exact cause of the problem and advise you what to do about it. The Institute of Trichologists will give you a list of people in your area. Tel: 08706 070602

I hope that, this time, the answer was helpful.

I want to have thick hair day by day I am losing my thickness as there is nobody in our family has baldness or hereditary evidence I am very concerned

There are many reasons why we lose hair, it could be linked to your health, diet or stress levels, and it could still be hereditary. Genetic hair loss patterns can skip two or three generations so even if your parents or even your grandparents have no hair loss problems it is still possible to inherit a hair thinning condition from a great grandparent. It would be a good idea for you to consult a Trichologist to try to establish the cause of your thinning hair. They may also be able to reduce or stop the problem. Call the Institute of Trichologists on 08706 070602 for your nearest practitioner.

I have been having my hair relaxed for the past 2 years but still carried on straightening it every other day. My hair is now so damaged that I have lots of split ends and breakage every time I brush my hair. My hair is quite thin as I lose a lot. I have been using shampoo and conditioner from the Nioxin range as well as their styling products. My hairdresser has recommended a steam conditioning treatment which I will be having next week. She also advised me to buy the T3 Wet to Dry Straighteners. I do not know if they will be suitable for my hair though.

It sounds like your hair needs a long holiday! If you chemically straighten your hair do you still need to straighten it with heat every other day? I think you should give either the relaxing or the heat straightening a miss and focus on getting your hair back in good condition. Your hairdressers suggestion about steam treatments is good, have a few of these to increase the moisture content of your hair, this will strengthen it and increase its elasticity, thus greatly reducing the breakage you have been experiencing. Also, the Wet2Straight from Remington is a very good hair straightener that will straighten your hair excellently whilst reducing the damage that, typically, conventional hair straighteners cause. Also, use rich, deep penetrating reconditioning treatments a hope a couple of times a week. Your hair will soon start to improve, stop breaking and grow longer

I have thin, curly hair .While combing it in shower (while it is wet and heavy) I seem to lose too many hair. Should I comb it when it is dry, or simply avoid it?

We all loose approximately 100 hairs every day on average, but many hairs become lose but are retained in the follicles. It is when we wash our hair that these particular hairs come out - but that is normal and not washing your hair or not combing it will not prevent this happening. So just carry on with you regular routine and don't worry about the hairs coming out when you are washing your hair.

I would like to know if I can use your scalp improvement shampoo daily and if it is also good for a oily scalp?

You can use the Scalp Improvement Shampoo every day. If you are using it to treat a scalp problem such as dandruff or dermatitis you can cut down on its use when your scalp problem disappears, then just use it once a week to keep your scalp healthy.