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So what type of holiday will you have this year? Lazing on the beach? Hiking in the hills? Running around after the kids?

Travelling with your hair system can present some challenges you may not experience at home. Depending on the activities you plan to take part in and the amount of time you will spend outdoors, wearers may experience some (or all) of the following:

• Oxidation – fading or changing of their hair colour
• Changes in the texture of the hair
• Tangling or matting of hair
• Melting of synthetic hair or adhesive
• Rising or “lifting” of the hair system

The main culprits giving rise to these problems are salt; sun; chlorine; wind and perspiration.

The sun can cause damage to the hair shaft, as the outer layer of follicles begins to peel back. If you are unlucky, this may result in a loss of green pigment in the hair, giving a reddish tint to the strands. Even if this does not happen, your colour could fade, resulting in uneven patches of different colours of hair around the hair system. Chlorine and salt can also damage the hair membranes, leading to oxidation and colour changes.

Spending time in salt water or swimming pools may also affect the texture of your hair. These both dry out the strands, giving a “crunchy” texture or feel. As your hair system in not moisturised by natural scalp oil, it is easier for this area to dry out than others on your head. This could bring about patches of brittle hair surrounded by moisturised hair. If you are wearing hair extensions, the weight of the water may put stress on the attachments if you swim frequently.

Taking part in many outdoor activities may mean that your hair is exposed to more wind or breeze than you are used to. This could lead to tangled or matted hair which may be difficult to comb or brush, resulting on pulling on the hair system. Salt and hairspray can also activate tangling.

The increase in activities can give rise to more perspiration from your head than usual. In some wearers, this might give rise to loosening of the adhesive and a “lift” in your hair system. Jacuzzis and saunas are particularly problematic, as the extreme heat may cause adhesive to drip, and could even melt synthetic hair. Many of us enjoy a drink while on holiday. However, alcohol is eliminated from our bodies through perspiration, and could be damaging to the adhesive bond.

So should you give up and stay at home?

Of course not! Everyone with a hair replacement system can enjoy a full range of holiday activities as long as they are prepared in advance and follow these tips:

Make an appointment with your technician before you pack your bags

Have your system serviced just before you go away. This will ensure that it is in peak condition and is more likely to withstand the greater exposure to the elements and movement. Your technician can also advise you about which activities your system will cope well with and give you some tips about what to pack to ensure the system stays looking at its best. They may even give you a “care card” – information about the limitations of your hair system; how to care for it and what to do in case of emergencies. If you are especially concerned, you could find the addresses of hair replacement centres that are close to your destination and include these in your “care card”.

Stock up on products and tools and pack wisely

Once your stylist has advised you, you can then make sure you are equipped with the products and tools you need for every eventuality. Items you shouldn’t leave home without include:

• Your “care card”
• A swim cap
• A sun hat or scarf
• A satin pillowcase
• Anti-oxidant shampoo and conditioner
• A detangler, comb gliding spray or hair serum
• A wide-spaced plastic comb
• Leave-in conditioner for swimming in the ocean or pool
• Sunscreen for your hair system
• A small spray bottle that you can fill with water
• Pins and elastics to hold up longer hair
• Adhesive, tape or clips in case you need to repair your hair system
• Alcohol and small sticks to remove any adhesive drips

Remember, if you are flying, you should pack any liquids or gels in bottles of over 100ml in your check-in luggage. If you wish to carry on smaller containers, you should pack them in a clear plastic pouch not exceeding one litre in size.

Look after your hair during activities

Before you start an activity, follow a few simple steps to protect your hair. Ladies with long hair would be wise to tie up their tresses to avoid tangling or matting. Everyone should use sunscreen to protect their hair system, followed by a hat. If you choose to wear a baseball cap, make sure it is not too tightly fitting as it could lead to dents in your hair system. If you are going to be in water, use a leave-in conditioner before you swim and remember to wear a swim cap.

Avoid styling hair after activities

Away from the formal environment of work, you can leave your hair looking natural and relaxed. Leave your hairdryer, curling iron and hairspray at home and embrace the holiday mood. Use your wide-spaced comb with gliding spray to detangle your hair before washing. Especially avoid metal bristles which may pull on your hair. Rinse your hair as soon as you have finished an activity to remove all the products you have used along with any chlorine or salt. Wash with a deoxidising shampoo and use a leave-in conditioner to moisturise your tresses. For those of you with shorter styles, you can mist water over your system using a small spray bottle, comb and leave your hair. When the water dries, it will lock in your desired style without using any drying hairspray. When you sleep, you may like to slip a satin pillowcase over the hotels’ one to reduce friction on your hair system. You could also consider wrapping your hair in a scarf to avoid lift and tangling while sleeping.

Visit your technician again when you return

Once you are back at home and in the swing of daily life once again, it is easy to forget your hair system. But after all that activity, it is a good idea to get your technician to check your system and make any adjustments necessary. You might even want to schedule a complete maintenance session.

So what’s it to be?

Beach in Bali?…..Hiking in Hokkaido?……Kids club in Cairns?

No problem, now you know how, with the help of our guide to holidaying with your hair system.

The science

Creating a custom-made hair replacement system involves a series of detailed steps which are light years beyond those of the original wigmaker.

Step one – measurements and mould

Firstly, the designer produces an exact contoured pattern of the area to be covered. This is the most important part of the process, as accurate measurements ensure that the finished system sits well and blends with the existing hair. Along with measurements, the designer also takes tracings and photos of the hairline. They may even ask to see old photos to make sure that the system matches the natural pattern of the client’s hair.

From these, the designer is able to carefully create a physical mould of the head, often from either foam or plaster of Paris.

Step two – crafting the cap

The second step to a personalised system is to craft the cap that will hold the new hair. Technological improvements in caps mean that they can now blend with the client’s scalp, and look natural no matter which way the hair is parted. A range of tones to suit every skin type mean that they are undetectable, even when the hair is wet. Caps are in general made of one of three types of materials:

Lace

This is the gold standard in the industry as it doesn’t lose shape and allows for
the most natural-looking hairline to be fashioned. It is also the best material to
use for hand-tying of the hair, which is more versatile as it allows the hair to
move in any direction. The main disadvantage of lace caps is that they are
delicate and may be harder to maintain.

Nylon mesh

This material is very popular because of its unique staying power. In fact, its durability has made it the industry standard in the production of caps. As it may look a little less natural than a lace cap, many designers are now combining nylon mesh with lace at the hairline or parting to give the client the ideal combination of durability and a natural look.

Polyurethane

One of the most recent developments in the production of caps is the use of the easy to mould polyurethane. This makes for a very natural look and they are so lightweight that you hardly even know they are there. While more durable than lace, this material is slightly less breathable and may even melt if hot styling tools touch it.

Step three – inserting the hair

Once the customised cap has been crafted, the designer is now ready to add the hair. Matching the hair texture and density of the client is a precise procedure which requires a trained eye. Many female clients prefer human hair as it can easily match their own wave, shine and volume. Synthetic hair can be more practical for men as the colour never oxidises and the hairstyle retains its exact shape.

Once selected, hairs are inserted into the cap one at a time with a microscopic needle and tied with a tiny knot to prevent them from sliding out. Thousands of hairs are inserted and knotted until the system is finished. Hand tied systems can take up to fifty six hours to complete and look more natural as the hair can move in any direction. This is a meticulous job needing patience, expertise and a delicate touch on the part of the designer.

This precise process, using technology that is advancing rapidly, requires up-to-date knowledge of the latest materials and procedures, as well as technical skills, accuracy, and an eye for detail.

But is creating a hair replacement system really just about science?

The art

Once the hair has been tied, it’s time to create the frontal hairline. This is a key part of the design, as Cynthia Turner-Primus, a senior design consultant of HRS in Atlanta, USA points out “it’s the first thing people notice when you walk in the door.”
Recreating as closely as possible a client’s original hairline demands a skilled artist who has a strong vision and is able to realise it.

Once the hair replacement system is ready, it is fitted to the client’s head and is styled in a specially fitted out studio. Customers are able to choose from dozens of styles following the latest trends, including perming, colouring and waving as well as cutting. Here the artist really is at work, crafting a design that will give the client a whole new look.

So are hair replacement systems really about art or science?

Creating a personalised, natural-looking system which meets the needs of the individual client has become over the years a blend of both skilled artistry and proven technology. Selecting a studio with experienced designers using the latest in technology and stylists who have the artistic skills to create designs their clients feel comfortable and confident wearing is essential. Only by doing this can clients ensure that they have a system which is natural-looking, lightweight and moves like their own hair.

Something the wigmakers of the seventeenth century would be amazed to discover.

We would like to thank in particular Colin and Richard for their emails and support.

This award, conferred by the Small Medium Business Association and supported by judges from well-established Singapore universities, is based on rigorous judging criteria, including:

1) Leadership;    2) Innovative concepts;   3) Consistent business performance;    4) Value for clients;  and    5) Future potential.

The management and staff of iAremyhair are particularly excited to have been chosen for an award which fits so well with the organisation’s three core values of innovation, integrity and caring.

Peter Lim, Director of iAremyhair says: “we are delighted to have been selected for this award, and that we have been recognised as the leader in hair replacement in Singapore. That this has happened in our tenth anniversary year makes it even more special for us.”

A look back on our journey of a decade…

We set out on our journey as iAremyhair for the first time in 2002. Although we started small, with just one stylist and only 15 clients, we were committed to helping people regain self-confidence through quality, personalised treatments from the start. Over the last ten years, we have grown from strength to strength. We have served thousands of clients, from Mediacorp artistes to ordinary people, from a range of countries and all walks of life. Our staff numbers have swelled to seven and we have expanded our facilities to allow us to serve four clients at a time. We have grown our operations to include a franchise in Thailand as well as a strategic partnership with Hair Work in Shanghai. As we write, we are in the final stages of negotiation to open two more franchises, in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur. It has been, and still is, rewarding to see our brand name becoming more widely recognised and our reputation for friendly and expert service spreading.

Throughout this time, we have maintained our passion for people and for hair. Through determination, hard work and dedication to our philosophy, we have been able to set the standard as one of the leading hair replacement companies in Singapore and beyond. The cornerstone of our philosophy is made up of our three core values: innovation; integrity and caring.

Innovation because we pride ourselves on keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and products. We continually carry out research which means that we have in-depth knowledge of the industry. Our staff are then able to use this to help you, our customers experience the best service and products the market has to offer.

Integrity because from day one, in an industry which is known for hard sell, over-inflated claims and gimmicks,  we have been committed to an honest, credible approach, offering practical advice based on scientific facts. Though the last ten years have brought numerous challenges for us to overcome, we have grown stronger as a result and continue to do so even today. Sadly, we have been forced to resort to legal action against former employees and other hair loss replacement companies. We will continue to take action against such people to ensure the public is aware that we always act with integrity and to maintain the credible image we have worked hard to develop.

Caring because we understand that hair loss is an emotional event and that our customers need to be treated sensitively to regain their former confidence. We also place a lot of emphasis on getting to know each client personally, to better understand their needs and provide them with a personalised solution. Through this, we really build relationships with our customers, many of whom have become personal friends.

Milestones on the journey

The last ten years have been filled with exciting events and achievements for the staff of iAremyhair. From working with Mediacorp artistes, through showcasing the latest in hair replacement technology to winning awards, our small company has made great strides.

Our numerous accreditations and awards mean that our customers can feel certain that they are being served by a credible, quality provider. Early on, we gained membership of the National Hair Society in the USA; we were the first hair replacement studio in Singapore to achieve CASE Trust accreditation and we proudly achieved TrustSG accreditation for our e-commerce store. In 2007 we were honoured to receive the Professional Enterprise Award and delighted to become a Certified Achiever in recognition of Organizational Excellence.

The last decade has also been one of many firsts in terms of product and technological innovations. In association with our Japanese strategic partner, we developed a new type of especially light synthetic hair, PET. In 2009, we released the scientifically developed Sensi-Graft hair replacement system, offering the most natural look and feel to our clients. We also believe in using the latest technology to enrich our clients’ experience and make their lives easier. To this end, we developed Singapore’s first ever e-book detailing the process of hair replacement; we carried out the first public official survey on hair loss and we were the first to develop an app for the iPhone.

We also strongly believe in building relationships and giving back to the community here in Singapore. During the last decade, we have gone out to meet the public at hair shows and fairs. We were the first to perform “live” makeovers and virtual reality demonstrations, showing how we can make a difference to people’s appearance in a short time. As part of our commitment to the community, we have sponsored both the NKF Cancer Fund “Make-a-Wig” donation drive and the National Cancer Centre’s public forum “Restoring a Positive Image after Cancer”. We are proud to supply wigs to the National Cancer Centre, helping restore patients’ self-confidence at this particularly difficult time.

Reaching the end of the first decade of iAremyhair marks a major milestone in our journey. A journey which has been made possible by you, our loyal customers. And for your steadfast support throughout, we are all truly grateful. We are excited about setting out on the next stage of our journey and to continuing to serve our customers with dedication, differentiation and distinction in the next decade.

Hair loss is a gradual process. By the time someone notices that they are thinning, they have likely already lost 50% of the density in the affected area.

That’s why your first priority when a man or woman consults you about their hair loss, is to help them KEEP THE HAIR THEY STILL HAVE. Of course, they should explore all the replacement solutions available to them, but while they are weighing their choices, they need your help to protect the valuable hair they still have.

Revivogen stimulates fine, miniaturized hairs to become thicker and fuller. Which is precisely what your clients need. If you look at the physiology of androgenetic alopecia you will see that large, mature hairs slowly shrink, lose their pigmentation and miniaturize. That’s where Revivogen comes in. Revivogen stimulates the miniaturized or baby hairs into maturity to create fuller, thicker looking hair. This is the reversal of the hair loss process.

Revivogen works through the same mechanism as the FDA approved treatments for hair loss using natural ingredients.

This article is based on an interview with Alex Khadavi, MD, CEO, and Founder of Revivogen that appeared in the Winter 2002 Edition of the National Hair Journal. Dr. Khadavi is a medical doctor and dermatologist specializing in hair loss and skin can-cer treatment. While still a 21-year-old undergraduate at UCLA, Dr. Alex Khadavi began to lose his hair. A con-fident premed student and cancer researcher, he found no solution to his problem in the established medical community, so he embarked on a pro-gram of systematic research and clini-cal trials that eventually led to the cre-ation of Revivogen, a topical solution to control and combat hair loss.  Similar to Finasteride, Revivogen uses all-natural ingredients to effectively inhibit DHT production.

According to a study published in Biochemistry and Pharmacology Journal, among multiple natural ingredients that have the potential for inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase activity, Octyl Gallate and Dodecyl Gallate have the greatest inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase activity in both cell-free and whole cell assays in vitro.

The significance of this finding is that not only Octyl Gallate and Dodecyl Gallate inhibit both forms of 5- alpha-reductase enzyme (type I and type II), but more importantly they can penetrate the cell membrane and inhibit the enzyme while the cells are in culture.

Since 95% of DHT is produced inside the cell the ability of these ingredients to enter intact living cells is vital for effective inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase enzyme and reducing DHT production.

After further investigation, Octyl Gallate and Dodecyl Gallate were proven to be safe, effective and able to enhance the results of Revivogen. Revivogen is the only product that contains these natural Anti-DHT ingredients in addition to other ingredients proven to block the androgen receptor and stimulate the hair follicle’s growth.

Revivogen is formulated by Board Certified Dermatologist, Alex Khadavi, MD, who also developed Clearogen for the treatment of hormonal acne.

The average person’s head has up to 150,000 hairs. This includes bald people, whose hair has not disappeared but thinned to near invisibility.

Each hair grows between 0.3mm and 0.5mm a day and measures between 40 and 140 millionths of a meter across.

Children lose an average of 90 hairs per day. This increases to 120 by old age.

Hair color is decided by the combination of two molecules – pheomelanin for red and yellow, and eumelanin for brown and black – which are made by the pigment-producing melanocytes in the hair bulb.

Hair is the second fastest-growing tissue. Only bone marrow grows more quickly.

Hair can turn white from shock, but it takes about 13 days for any newly white Grey hair is coarser than pigmented hair.

Africans and Caucasians are more prone to baldness than Asians.

L’Oreal has compiled an atlas of hair types by shaving the heads of more than 500 people from across the world. It shows there are three basic types of hair: low-density, slow-growth, typical of Africa; low-density, fast-growth, typical of China; and high-density, typical of Europe.

Hair density is greatest among the French (226 hairs per square centimetre) compared with Chinese (175) and Africans (161). Chinese hair grows faster than French hair, which in turn grows more quickly than African hair. Over a year, Asian hair will have grown 5cm more than African hair.