Life after extensions

Patience has never been my number one virtue. So during the awkward cockatoo phase of my haircut, I decided to put on some extensions. After all, Keeping Up With The Kardashians is my new bellwether of style. It seems like I’ve been bitten by the Hollyweird bug. In just four hours, my hair went from a depressing shag to a lionized mane. I enjoyed how the extensions looked but I could not help but feel its tug... Literally.

As I said, patience has never been my best virtue, so instead of having my extensions retouched every month I went rogue for three months. By that time my scalp had started bleeding.

So I promptly had the extensions removed and I’ve never seen such a hot mess. Sections of my hair were knotted in determined balls and my scalp had lost any sensation because of poor blood circulation. After my Kardashian phase I was actually happy to see my mere mortal hair grow to a very long bob. Reality has never been so chic.

The joy was short-lived. A few days later my scalp started flaking and my hair fell off of the chemo-clump. My hair has gone into rebellion and has let its intentions be known by leaving my head. I went to Svenson upon the abdication of my crowning glory.

I had a consultation with one of their hair and scalp experts who immediately chastised me for my eff up. They put me on a two-month program that included thrice weekly hair treatments using two wonderful hair serums that were massaged in and left my head feeling soothed and cool. I was addicted. Each hair treatment lasted for 15 minutes with a divine head massage and shoulder rub to boot. It is a great way to wake up a sleepy head in the morning or a great way to end a stressful day (it closes at 6 p.m. on weekdays).

The treatment includes serums and massage. You can also go in for a thorough shampoo, which every scalp deserves.

The serum acts as a soothing agent that calms the scalp and encourages it. The formula is a secret of Svenson London. Hair fall is also a result of stress and hormonal changes in the body. It can affect people at any age, using a gentle shampoo and an able detangling conditioner helps.

For more serious cases, like mine, the Revage hair treatment is prescribed. Revage uses strong laser to penetrate the scalp and stimulate hair growth. The weekly treatment is fit to tailor along with the scalps response to its magic. It’s internationally acclaimed and has the Allure magazine stamp of approval, which is the only seal of approval that matters in the beauty world. It’s hailed as miracle cure for balding (I hate that word now I know how my dad feels) and is great for men and women.

You know that feeling when men come in salons to get their nails cleaned? It’s actually acceptable but it still feels weird. The same stigma can be felt in hair loss. It’s a guy thing! Stress, hormones, along with age and hair and scalp abuse (yes, perms and bleaching, I’m talking to you!) chooses its victims based on their bad decisions or frantic lifestyles — not on their gender. So as appealing as it is to have that lion-like mane seen in reality tv shows, it is grounds for your hair to divorce you.

You can also take vitamins like biotene to pump up hair growth. Although nothing beats a Svenson treatment using the serum and Revage machine.

Two months to the day, I have shiny hair that has decided to stay with me. The hair growth has been magical,  I felt some shedding in the early stages. This is simply the damaged strands making way for healthy hair. When the hair sprouts it can look a little awkward so it’s wise to smooth it down with a nurturing hair product like Khiel’s styling cream.

For damaged relationships there is couples therapy; for damaged hair and scalp there is Svenson therapy.

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For more information log on to www.svensonhair.com