You would be naive to think the biggest secret women in the UK keep from their husbands is new shoes. Many keep their hair loss problems in the closet too.
It may be surprising but hiding new shoe purchases in the back of the wardrobe or under the bed or cheating on a partner is so yesterday - when it comes to one of the biggest secrets UK women are trying to hide from their husbands, partners and boyfriends.
"One lady in her early thirties came to her first two appointments for hair loss treatment and then threatened not to come back anymore unless I provided a back door entrance to enter the clinic. She was worried and adamant she did not want her husband to know she was losing her hair and didn't want to risk someone recognising her coming into the clinic just in case they told him!"
"I offered to send her hair loss treatments in the post direct as an alternative but she was too scared just in case he opened the parcel. She now sends her friend in regularly to pick up her hair loss treatments", reveals a Trichologist.
Women seeking help and professional advice for hair loss problems is the new hidden purchase most females want to keep top secret from their other half's. In desperation, women are going to extremes to avoid being seen with their Trichologist.
One in three women, over the age of 16 suffer hair loss in the UK at some time in their lives - the most common age ranging from 25 to 45-year old.
Mrs Salter from the West Midlands said "I applied for a credit card especially to pay for my hair loss treatment bills, so my husband wouldn't see the Trichology clinics name on our joint bank statements."
"It is like having an affair but with my Trichologist", she adds.
Trichology is a professional field under-exposed and which few people are familiar with, even though it has been around since 1902 in the UK. The professions name originates from the ancient Greek work Trikhos meaning hair and is defined as the 'Science of scalp and hair in health and disease'. It's no wonder; women are finding it so easy to conceal their embarrassment from their partners to hide their hair loss treatments.
There are less than 50 full time Trichologists in practise across the UK who professionally advise on hair loss problems and scalp related issues in both men and women. Problems Trichologists can help with include; Alopecia Areata & Totalis, Diffuse Hair thinning, Female Pattern Baldness, Telogen Effluvium, Seborrhoeic Dermatitis, Scalp Eczema & Psoriasis, Seborrhoea, Scalp Itching and Hair Breakage & Damage.
Is women's hair loss treatment the new Botox? When botox was first introduced in the early 1980's it was an unspoken whisper between females who wanted a treatment or cure for their wrinkles. Now, women are almost proud to admit they have popped out to have their latest Botox injections or a little chemical peel in their lunch hour. So will treatment for women's hair loss ever be accepted as topic of conversation on a girls night out or between girlfriends and their husbands? Or are woman going to continue to go to extreme lengths to cover up their relationship with their trichologist?
Hopefully the day will come when women are proud to grace a Trichologists office and be open about their hair loss treatment with loved ones and partners.
Women go to great lengths to try and conceal their Trichologists appointments; they might as well be having an affair. The fact is these women are having hair loss treatment for a problem which can get better or sometimes even be cured with professional help. If more women opened up about their hair problems to their friends and husbands, then more women would know where to find help and be more confident about seeking hair loss treatment.
In some cases hair loss cannot be treated or hair density may have been poor for so many years it has become irreversible. However, even when thin hair has become a long-standing problem, there are still cosmetic products that can help a woman's confidence. Camouflage products exist to blend the colour of the scalp into the hair cosmetically masking the problem. Many women who use these products would no more go out of their house without their 'magic powder' than they would their handbag!
My advice is not to give up when it comes to hair loss; there is professional help available from qualified Trichologists. A huge percentage of women who suffer hair problems do not even know they exist. The most important thing I would tell any woman who is suffering hair loss, is do not be ashamed, you are not alone. At my own clinic I see around 250 new female patients a year, it is a really common problem. Hair loss is certainly not a 'dirty' word, tell your partners because they can help with the support which is needed at home. If a woman's husband, boyfriend or partner really loves them, they will support them and help them.
The next question is, are husbands and boyfriends ready to accept their partners relationship with their trichologist and more importantly their hair loss problem.
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About the Author
Sally-Ann Tarver MIT.LTTS
The Cotswold Trichology Centre
You can visit the Cotswold Trichology Centre website for more information about hair and scalp problems or to contact Sally-Ann for advice at http://cots-tri.co.uk
Sally-Ann Tarver has a wealth of experience in helping people with their hair and scalp problems. The Cotswold Trichology Centre was set up in 1998 and is Worcestershire's only full time dedicated hair treatment centre and scalp clinic. Sally-Ann first took an interest in this rather obscure profession after suffering severe injuries in a motorbike accident. The trauma of the accident caused her acute hair loss which initiated an interest in a career in Trichology. She realised that there were many other people suffering hair problems but there no qualified Trichologist's within the closest five counties (Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, West Midlands) to advise them and began her 3 year study of with the Insitute of Trichologists.
She has practised on the world renown Harley St, London. Appointed president of The Trichological Society 2008-2010 she is also a member of the Society's ( http://hairscientists.org ) governing council.
