Tag Archives: Intralace System

What to expect on the day of your new Intralace System

So you’ve had your consultation and you’ve booked your new Intralace appointment. Of course you will wonder how it all works and probably be a little nervous. The first appointment is a long day and although we just need you to sit in the chair while we do all the work, you will be tired, exhausted almost, and we understand that comes from the anxiety often associated with the first appointment and the expectation of having beautiful hair again.

Be assured you are in safe hands! You are our guest for the day and we will guide you every step of the way. This is an outline of what to expect and what you need to know.

Arrival and Guests

London front door
Front door of our London studio

We need you to arrive bright and early at 9.30am. That allows the procedure to be relaxed and everything to run smoothly.

Can I bring a friend for support?

By all means bring a friend but they are only allowed in the waiting rooms. Our main Studio areas are for staff and clients only; guests are not permitted in the studios as we have to respect the privacy of our other clients. The exception to this would be where the client is under the age of 16 – they are welcome to have an adult sit with them in the main studio. Our studios are open plan but you can request screens if you would like more privacy.

Space in the waiting rooms is rather restricted at some of our premises, so you may want to mention to your guests that you will be with us for most of the day (usually around 8 hours!) so it’s often a good idea for them to go shopping, visit museums, etc. and return at intervals.

Who’ll be looking after you?

A team of two technicians will be looking after you for the day. At the beginning of your appointment a Studio Manager will come and see you and also a colour technician and stylist will consult with you. Some clients are clear about their colour choices for their new hair but others need some guidance so we can help you with that. If you want your own hair coloured then please contact us prior to your new Intralace appointments so that we can explain what needs to be done (there is a skin test which is compulsory).

Likewise, a stylist is on hand to help with what would suit you if you don’t have something specifically in mind (some people bring photos of styles that they like). There are numerous hair style magazines scattered throughout the studios so you may find inspiration from them, but if not don’t worry, we have experts on hand to help you decide!

Refreshments

We serve a selection of Teas, Coffee’s, Smoothies and soft drinks throughout the day, we also serve Red or White Wine (not available at all Studios) and these refreshments are all complimentary. We also have to hand a selection of menus from local restaurants so when it comes to lunch time you can let us know what you would like and we can organise that for you. The choices include luxury sandwiches, baked potatoes, pasta and salads. Your team will need to have their lunch so this is also the perfect time for you to eat.

Passing the time during your appointment

The daily papers, numerous magazines and a choice of DVD’s are available to you throughout the day but of course you may choose to bring a good book with you to help pass the time. Laptops are also available (not at all Studios) so just ask your team if you would like to check your email or access the internet etc.

What happens during your appointment?

Manchester studio
Manchester studio area

The initial application of the Intralace System takes many hours in order to achieve the best possible results. You’ll probably be very interested in it to begin with but as time passes you’ll probably find that the detail becomes less fascinating.

We start by shaping the mesh over the areas of concern. Your own hair is then gently retrieved through the material mesh. Once the mesh is in place we can then start to add the new hair to the mesh, building it up to achieve the intended effect.

Styling

The hair that we use is quite long (approx 16 inches unless you have requested Virgin Russian hair or specially ordered longer hair) so you may wonder about there seeming to be lots of it. However this is to allow plenty of scope for styling – it then needs to be cut and styled to suit you.

Your stylist will guide you on what is most suited to you. It can sometimes be difficult to envisage the possibilities if you’ve got used to having thin hair, but if you are still undecided about your finished style then remember we can tweak it when you return for your first wash and aftercare (normally 1 to 5 days later).

We use real hair for the Intralace system which means you can treat it like your own hair. We will talk you through how to care for your new hair and also demonstrate this in detail at your first wash appointment.

We understand this is a big day for you and some people may find it takes them a few days to adjust but be prepared to get lots of compliments on your new look!   You will be leaving the Studio with a fabulous new head of hair and remember we are here to advise and support you as much as possible.

Departure

Please allow lots of time to get to the train Station or airport as having to rush for a train or plane will really add pressure to your appointment. We recommend that you call us prior to arranging your travel so that we can give you a realistic finish time.

A final word before your first appointment

We really want you to enjoy your new hair and your overall experience with us. Please do not hesitate to contact us via phone or email if there is ever anything you need. We look forward to taking care of you and returning your hair to its full glory.

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.

There was an article in today’s Daily Mail about our client Robina and her experience of living with Trichotillomania. There has been a huge amount of interest from the press in Robina’s story and as a result she is going to be on the ‘couch’ tomorrow morning on GMTV.

Trichotillomania or hair pulling is something that we deal with on a daily basis so we are sure that tomorrow’s program will raise awareness about this little known condition. Robina uses the Intralace System to help her manage her hair pulling and it also gives her a beautiful disguise! The Intralace System has two benefits for our trichotillomania clients – it acts as a physical prevention to hair pulling as well as replacing the hair that is missing. The client feels better because they look better, and their hair gets a chance to regrow.

We often find that following a press article or TV piece that clients are overwhelmed that Trichotillomania is actually much more common than most people think.

There was an article by Jemima Khan regarding Trichotillomania which was printed in the Sunday Times last week. Some clients from Lucinda Ellery were interviewed about their experience of this little known condition.

The article has had a huge amount of interest. There have been calls from ladies of all ages and also a number of calls regarding children with Trichotillomania. In some cases the hair pulling may be from eyelashes and eyebrows only but in most cases the hair pulling affects areas on the scalp. The Intralace System is suitable for clients with TTM as it will replace the hair that is missing as well as act as a physical prevention. The Intralace is not a ‘cure all’ but using it alongside the TTM management skills recommended by Lucinda Ellery can make a big difference to a lot of clients and indeed many clients become pull free and experience full regrowth.

The article in the Sunday Times accurately described how someone with TTM feels and there is a great need for more awareness in schools and within the medical profession. Typically a person with TTM will say that they find it humiliating and perhaps the reason for this is because the problem of TTM is not widely recognised.

3 Comments

10 years younger had originally contacted us in 2007 about a lady who wanted a make over for her hair. Vivienne had struggled with thinning hair for years and as part of her 10 years younger makeover she wanted a new head of hair. She came in to see us, had the Intralace System and her amazing transformation was then featured in the show in June last year. We had so many calls from people that were amazed at how her hair had completely transformed her appearance and they were blown away at how natural it looked. Many ladies have been in to see us since and also had the Intralace System. We have recently had contact again with the makers of the program and on Monday last they had a catch up interview with Vivienne. The producers were so impressed with Viviennes new hair (one of them didn’t even recognise her) and the new program with their new presenter Myleene Klass should be aired on channel 4 over the next couple of months.