Category Archives: Hair Managment options

The Intralace system can be used in two distinct ways. Firstly, it can be used in conjunction with existing hair or secondly, it can be used as a human hair wig. It does not treat hair loss but offers a high quality way of concealing bald patches or complete hair loss.

The system involves the use of a breathable mesh bearing human hair. It even features what is known as an Intralace Parting, which is added at the crown to give a natural looking parting.

With the Intralace system you can live your life completely normally. Activities and sports aren’t out of bounds and you can even swim with the Intralace system in place. The hair can also be washed, brushed and styled completely as normal.

The Intralace system does require maintenance roughly once every six weeks, so you will need regular follow-up appointments. However, one of the great benefits is that hair will continue growing while you are using the Intralace system, so this is great to use in the meantime for those recovering from hair loss. When the hair has grown back, the Intralace system can simply be removed.

For women suffering from problems with hair loss, the first place you will always need to turn is your GP. It is very important to get a formal and accurate diagnosis, as each condition is likely to have different methods of treatment even if the symptoms are the same.

Many women then consider hair replacement and hair loss treatment options offered at a few specialist clinics. These offer a different service from your doctor, as they focus on helping you manage your condition rather than providing a medical cure.

This said, it is very important to find the right clinic for you. Female hair loss is an extremely sensitive subject, as it can have a debilitating effect on the sufferers’ confidence, self-esteem and even their personal relationships.

Therefore, you ideally need to seek out a clinic specialising in the particulars of female hair loss, one which offers you the sort of realistic hair loss management options you were looking for, but in a reassuring and supportive environment.

In this sort of clinic, you will have the comfort of knowing that other women being treated are experiencing the same emotions, fears and concerns as you. Also important is clinic staff who understand what you are going through and are able to help you find a personally tailored solution.

This months Saga magazine has an article about female hair loss.  It states that approx 50% of women experience some form of hair thinning after the menopause.

The article mentions thickening hair products – there are a number of hair thickening products on the market which are a good way to help with mild thinning.  These products (sometimes known as coloured hair thickner or scalp makeup) can be applied to the hair to cover the parts of the scalp that is on show.  They are not suitable for areas where the thinning is severe or if there are any patches of hair loss.  These products are generally easy to apply and will wash out when you next wash your hair.

The article in Saga Magazine also includes the journalist’s experience of her visit to Lucinda Ellery. For a large number of ladies who experience a reduction in volume of their hair then Medi Connections or the Intralace System are the most effective ways of disguising the hair loss areas.  Although hair thickening products can be effective, clients who use them will often report that they would like something that lasts longer and something that does not need to be applied so frequently.  Using either Medi Connections or the Intralace System will give you natural looking volume and a head of hair that will feel like your own.

There are lots of ladies who are fortunate to have a full head of hair all their life but for those who are not so lucky then there are great techniques available to replace the hair that is missing.

The October issue of Easy Living (available in the shops now) has an article written by journalist Lisa Markwell about her recent chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.  She talks about how affected she was when her hair started to fall out during her treatment.  She came to see Lucinda Ellery for a consultation to discuss using the Intralace system until such time as she felt comfortable with her new hair growth underneath.  Lisa, like many other women that contact us, explained how she really could not feel herself until she had hair that looked like her own and that she could treat like her own.

The Intralace System is integrated with your growing hair and will not affect your regrowth.  The system is designed to last for two years but typically a post-chemo client will need the system for less than its life span.  It needs to be maintained (usually every 6 weeks) as it is connected to your own hair so as your hair grows, it will move away from the scalp and a trained technician at Lucinda Ellery needs to adjust it for you so that it remains secure.

One client who contacted us today having read the article in Easy Living magazine commented that Lisa Markwell had described in the article exactly what this client had felt about losing her hair from the cancer treatment.  She was very happy to hear that an option like the Intralace System is available to help someone manage their hair loss during such a difficult time.

I am sure Lisa appreciates that sharing her experience has raised awareness on how deeply upsetting it is for any woman to experience hair loss.

Channel 4’s ‘Embarrassing Illnesses’ and Embarrassing Teenage illnesses have both featured the hair loss conditions Alopecia and Trichotillomania.

More and more worried parents are calling us about their children’s hair loss problem. One lady enquired on behalf of her thirteen year old daughter who was being badly bullied at school because of her patchy hair loss. We know that hair loss is embarrassing anyway but children can be very cruel to each other.

The young girl in question dreads going to school everyday and has told her Mum that she would prefer to die than have to face her bullies. How sad that not only has she got to cope with all the other teenage challenges but her peers are teasing her about something that she can not control?

Children with hair loss problems will shy away from certain activities to avoid bringing attention to their hair – swimming and sleepover would be very difficult. I know one young girl who said she gained a reputation for being a loner so that people would not ask her to stay over and so that she could avoid the inevitable girly conversations about hair. Don’t underestimate the lengths people with a hair loss problem will go to just to avoid a hair conversation.

It is important to find the right cosmetic solution for children with hair loss. Timing is also crucial. A child will not want to go to school one day with patchy hair loss and arrive the next day with a full head of hair. Finding the right solution can make day to day activities much easier. We recommend speaking to an advisor at Lucinda Ellery so we can explain our services. We offer a free of charge consultation for children on the basis that we can offer advice in general and where appropriate, recommend one of our cosmetic options. What we do is not always suitable for younger clients so everyone is seen on a case by case basis to make sure we are right for them.

We appreciate that parents want to make the right choices to help their child.

There was an article recently published in the April Edition of Top Sante magazine about Alopecia (reprinted in our main site). The lady featured in the article, Helen, described how her life was affected by her thinning hair. Many people endure months and possibly years of putting up with hair thinning or patchy hair loss caused by Alopecia before they find a solution to help them disguise the areas of loss. It can affect all areas of someone’s life. Helen spoke about how it had affected her relationships. Most partners or husbands are very understanding about how losing your hair can affect a woman’s day to day well being. Some women find everyday activities like dropping the children to school or even going to work a real challenge. Unfortunately for us ladies, it would seem that it is not acceptable within society for us to have anything but a full head of hair. Many clients of ours will say that before they had their hair makeover that people would only look at their hair whilst talking to them, they would not look them in the eye.

It is important to know that there are great options available in terms of replacing the hair that is missing. If your hair thinning or hair loss is affecting your everyday life then a positive step forward would be to investigate what can be done to give you a head of hair that in turn restores your confidence.