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The Search for Thicker Hair - Part 1

June 25, 2019

The Search for Thicker Hair - Part 1

Pills, hair extensions, snake oils or the latest fad product. Even scouring the family tree to pin blame genetically. Thinning hair can be so terribly distressing it may trigger desperate kneejerk behaviour.

But unless you are particularly stressed and/or have a poor diet, the fresh, plump new hair leaving your scalp is the best you‘re going to get. The good news is that 99.99% of the thinning most people experience happens on the outside. The ends of your hair will always be thinner than the fresh and full root hair. How much so is controlled by your lifestyle and behaviours.

The even better news is that as these are linked to lifestyle choices, with a little knowledge you can choose better, and see your hair become naturally thicker. For some people to an astonishing degree, as we see repeatedly in the Michael Van Clarke Salon when we show clients the route-map back to healthy hair.

People tend to judge the thickness of their hair by looking at the ends which are always thinner and sometimes dramatically so. This doesn’t mean you have genetically or permanently thin hair. Feel the thickness at the roots. If it is long enough for a ponytail, feel the ponytail at the scalp. Then feel it at the middle and the tips. The difference will give you an idea of the degree of loss. Healthy well cared for hair will not show much difference, though the ends will always be a little thinner as a portion of the hair will be growing back down as part of the hair’s growth cycle.


Michael Van Clarke 3’’’More Inches

The illustration of a hairshaft on the left shows how the hair thins as it ages. Starting full and smooth at the roots, external factors break down the internal protein structure and the hairshaft thins. The surface cuticle also lifts making it appear and feel rougher and less able to reflect light, hence the dull appearance. The hair shaft eventually becomes so weak and brittle that it easily snaps or else the ends will split. Those hairs at the end are like hollowed out husks, devoid of shine, flexibility, vitality, or any apparent life force.

The woman’s hair on the left shows a severe but common example where very little of the hair is making it down to the full length. The hair shaft is aging unnaturally fast, with approximately 95% loss in the last third through avoidable thinning and breakage. It will be more difficult to style, and any movement put into the hair will drop out quickly as the hairshaft no longer has the elasticity to hold the bend.

In the healthy image on the right, most of the hair is making its way to the bottom with very little wastage or breakage. These hairs, protected by LifeSaver Prewash Treatment from the 3’’More Inches range, are now aging very slowly.

Michael Van Clarke 3’’’More Inches

Once the hairshaft starts to break down, this honeycombed protein matrix will find it harder to hold onto water. This will accelerate the breakdown of the protein structure and the hair shaft will age and thin down quicker. Keeping the hairshaft as full and complete as possible is the best protection. This is the key benefit of LifeSaver Prewash Treatment by 3’’’More Inches.

I’ll follow next week with my list of ten everyday hair-thinners to avoid. Destructive hair habits you are probably not conscious of but can adapt or change so your hair will start to love you back. No fad ideas, just proven tips and techniques that we’ve developed and used with amazing success over decades in the Michael Van Clarke Salon.

Beautiful healthy hair is a strong fibre that’s hard to destroy but easy to damage. We developed the 3’’’More Inches range to help our clients keep their best natural hair possible. It really is Healthcare for Hair and all the products have this goal in mind from the hero LifeSaver Prewash Treatment to all the Cashmere Protein Shampoos and Conditioners, through to the styling and finishing products and equipment.

Michael Van Clarke 3’’’More Inches
Michael Van Clarke




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