Fun follicular fact: You lose 100 hairs a day, give or take.
Now, 100 hairs don’t sound like a lot, but shed a teensy bit more and you’ll start to approach the tipping point of no return. Goodbye hair, hello wigs and weaves.
When should you really begin to bother over the prospect of possible baldness? Well, Professor Bruno Bernard, Manager for L’Oréal Hair Biology, cautions that if you spot stray strands on your pillow the morning after, the odds are good (bad?) that you’re hanging by a hair.
Here’s Professor Bruno Bernard again on the whys and wherefores of hair breakage: “Applying excessive pressure with a damp brush or constantly pulling your hair into a tight ponytail are two of the most common causes for hair fall.” Darn, guilty as charged.
Don’t curl up and “dye” just yet. Happily, I’m here to well, keep your head above water. My hairdresser who shall remain anonymous (he’s shy!) swears by this trick for halting hair breakage.
And guess what? I’m willing to wager 100 bucks that the hair hack I’m about to disclose is something everyone reading this will be able to pull off, right this very instant.
Drumroll, please. Instead of reaching for your regular bath towel to dry your tresses, grab a t-shirt to blot your hair. Ta-dah.
Even better, you don’t need fancy schmancy 1,000 thread-count swag. Any clean cotton tee will do in a jiffy – perfectly practical if you’re Singaporean, because who doesn’t have old P.T. relics from our secondary school days lying about collecting dust?
Here’s why “tee-drying” your hair trumps towel-drying. Credit where it’s due: A bath towel’s fuzzy fibres are superb for sloughing dead skin and wicking water off your face and body.
According to my stylist, however, the friction created by those very same fibres can result in frizz and split ends. The solution to your towel trouble? A soft cotton t-shirt’s tightly woven “grain” whisks away water without aggravating hair cuticles. Incredibly ingenious and intuitive, yes?
Okay, so you’re done dabbing your locks with a tee. What next? To maximise moisture in your mane, Professor Bruno Bernard proffers this profoundly useful gem: “A great tip for women living in Singapore is to use protective growth serums and hair oils. If you’re wary of greasiness, apply on damp hair and blow dry on medium heat.”
When a Prof from L’Oréal’s Hair Biology division speaks, you listen. I’ve taken his hair-vice to heart; to that end, I’m in love with Kérastase’s absolutely delightful Absolue Densifique, which comes stuffed with the “mane” ingredient stemoxydine, a lock-loving molecule that was 10 years in the making. Simply apply on damp hair, starting mid-length and paying extra care to the ends for easier styling.
Or opt for the equally exquisite Aminexil Force R, ensconced in tiny vials chock-a-block with a collagen-boosting and cuticle-comforting concoction. On big nights out, I like warming up one drop between my palms and lightly skimming the salve across the surface for surpassingly silky strands.
Key takeaways? Tee-dry, not towel-dry; and follow up with a follicle-fortifying serum for high-wattage shine with none of the extra weight. “Hairs” hoping this story will get you out of a hairy situation. Good luck!
Kérastase Absolue Densifique, $149.80 for a box of 10 ampoules and $342.40 for a box of 30 ampoules, is available at all Kérastase consultant salons.Call 6738 3113 for salon listings. For more information, visit www.kerastase.com.
Aminexil Force R, $130 for 10 vials and $390 for 42 vials, is available at all Kérastase consultant salons.Call 6738 3113 for salon listings. For more information, visit www.kerastase.com.