November 2000

DaySpa Magazine

Why pass up a chance to offer millions of potential clients a much-needed service?

Kathy Walsh, owner of P.K. Walsh salon in Wellesley, Massachusetts, noticed her hair was thinning when she was just 16 years old. "It's because you have too much stress in your life", said one doctor. " Possibly a poor diet," concluded another. After years of self-deprecation and plenty of snake-oil remedies, Walsh was correctly diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia - female pattern baldness - a form of hair loss that typically worsens with age. "When my hair started to become noticeably thin, I felt I was the only girl in the world with this condition," recalls Walsh. "But it didn't take long for me to realize that I had plenty of company.

According to the Women’s Institute for Fine and Thinning Hair, 50 million Americans are currently experiencing hair loss, and 21 million of them are women. Hair loss afflicts some teenagers and young adults, but women typically begin seeing signs of thinning between the ages of 35 and 55. Two-thirds of all men have noticeable baldness by age 50. ‘When I opened my salon for thinning hair, people thought I had lost my mind," says Walsh. "But I knew I was doing the right thing. The number of people suffering from hair loss represents a huge business opportunity that has been largely untapped by the professional beauty industry." Demand for products to lessen hair loss is expected to reach $910 million by 2003, a 20% increased yearly from 1998, according to Cleveland-based Freedonia Group. 

Hair loss can he caused by a number of conditions:

• genetic predisposition
• hormonal fluctuations due to birth control pills, pregnancy and menopause
• autoimmune deficiencies
• hypothyroidism
• Parkinson’s disease medications and cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation 
• emotional and physical trauma 

Age is also a player in many different kinds of hair loss, and diet has recently become suspect due to the observed increase of hair loss in Asian countries that have adopted more Western-style cuisine.

Because hair loss is rarely considered a serious medical condition, most cases go untreated. This is unfortunate since in our culture great hair is synonymous with beauty and strength," says Jana Bru, Ph.D. psychologist and owner of J's Day Spa and Holistic Therapies in Chandler, Arizona. "Hair loss-especially significant hair loss-can evoke feelings of vulnerability and even alter ones self-image." 

In 1992, researchers at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, surveyed 145 men and found that 84% of those with signs of balding were preoccupied with their hair loss. They described themselves as filled with self-consciousness. helplessness and envy of men with full heads of hair. Single men who began losing their hair in their early 20s were even more likely to suffer from extremely low self-esteem. 

The male’s preoccupation with hair loss appears to have been around for ages. Hieroglyphics dating back to 1150 B.C. describe how Egyptian men smeared their pates with fats from lions, crocodiles, serpents, ibexes, geese and hippos in an effort to stave off hair loss. And now in the 21st century, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the daunting task of investigating thousands of claims made by companies about miracle ingredients that promise to successfully treat thinning hair. To date, though, the FDA has approved only two drugs: minoxidil for women and men, and finesteride, which is for men only.

SPA ROLE

"Once you become tuned in to thinning hair, you see it everywhere," says Mercedes Anderson, hair loss director of Noelle Spa for Beauty & Wellness in Stamford, Connecticut. It afflicts the 20-something salesman, the Leisure World set and all ages in between. Note the people who sit next to you in restaurants or have services in your spa; you're sure to see several candidates for services.

Howard Murad, M.D., president and CEO of Murad in El Segundo, California, says: "On a medical level, physicaians can prescribe cortisone pills for alopecia-typified by patchy baldness- but this medication has unwanted side effects. Prescription-strength Rogaine (minoxidil) is frequently prescribed for androgenetic alopecia. Since this drug stimulates scalp circulation, it increases nourishment to the hair root. And Propecia (finesteride) is the newest oral medication for men. It inhibits the conversiin of testosterone to dihydro-testosterone, the culprit believed to be ultimately responsible for most cases of hair loss."

"Any time you look in your sinks and see little hair creatures curled up in the traps, you’re looking at the future of your hair business going down the drain," says Doug Cox, a vice-president at Nioxin, Atlanta. "Treating hair loss is a wonderful opportunity for spas because the whole environment is designed to rebuild and reassure the overall health of clients. Nurturing clients, touching them and helping their hair look great is just as important as a skincare or body service."

On an esthetics level, there are also several effective ways to treat hair loss. These include the use of nonprescription Rogaine, as well as more natural products containing ingredients like niacin; amino acids; and saw palmetto, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor similar to finesteride.

Special massage treatments using thinning-hair serums, deep-conditioning treatments and extraneous services to make the hair and scalp look radiantly healthy are also included in most programs. Favorites of the latter include protein-based hair glossings and scalp conditioners rich in essential oils to help moisturize and balance the skin.

"Because thinning hair is typically fragile, using a prescribed home-care regimen is essential to any hair-loss program," says Anderson. "This normally includes serums, shampoos, conditioners and styling aids that plump up the thickness of each individual hair strand." Food supplements or vitamins offered by companies specializing in fine, thinning hair are also routinely recommended to nourish the hair root.

BEYOND TREATMENT

"The right treatments can frequently help slow or even halt hair loss, but it may take up to several months to see results," says Murad. "Unless clients have a transitory condition like alopecia areata, they must also remain on some sort of program for life to keep hair loss at bay. This requires a great deal of commitment on the part of clients."

"We hay found there’s a certain percentage of clients who are unwilling to stick with our hair-loss program, even though they experience great results," says Anderson. "But we've also discovered that clients who do remain faithful are intensely loyal to our spa. They never miss an appointment and always use the products we recommend. If I go on vacation for even one week, for instance, I have to work them in before I leave or they'll panic." 

"Women are more likely than men to remain loyal to a hair-loss program because of the social 
pressures they mustface everyday." says Bru. "Male balding is considered a natural aging process. Men can polish their bare pates or defiantly shave their heads and be considered cool. Yet, hair loss in women is really one of the last beauty taboos. It’s impossible for a woman to expose her baldness to the world without experiencing serious social repercussions."

Hair treatment programs have helped immensely in this area, but for many people they’re still not enough. Walsh, for instance, turned to hair-replacement services after her hair became too sparse to manage. "This was quite a few years ago," she explains. "Back then, the only place I could receive this type of service was at a men’s hair-replacement center. There I was, a young girl in a man’s world-a den filled with beefy-sounding services if you will-and feeling totally out of place. My main motivation for opening my own salon was to provide the right environment for women to receive hair-replacement services."

Today there are several high-quality salons and spas across the country offering programs that combat thinning hair. DePasquale the Spa in Morris Plains, New Jersey, for instance, has a hair-loss department complete with a private room where women can receive wig fittings and hair-augmentation services without feeling as if they’re on display. 

And Patty Gentry, owner of Young Hair in Springfield, Ohio, reports her hair-augmentation services are in such high demand that she has many clients-including high-profile celebrities-who come from all over the country to receive integration, weaving and even fusion services at her salon. "We’ve been doing this for five years now, and our business is absolutely booked to the max," says Gentry.

SPA REWARDS

"Selling these services is easy because clients are already committed to your product," comments Joanne Simone, operations manager of DePasquale the Spa. "Most people experiencing hair loss are willing to make a serious investment in their appearance. The retail cost of full wigs, for instance, ranges from $200 to more than $2,000. depending on workmanship and whether 100% human hair, a synthetic fiber or a blend of both is used. All look very real, but only human hair can be chemically treated. This means you can write some very large retail tickets for your spa while providing incredible care for your clients."

There are potentially large financial rewards for stylists who do augmentation services. They can offer clients a variety of solutions, including hair fusion-the latest hair augmentation method, which involves affixing tiny strands of hair to existing hair. "Fees for hair-augmentation services range anywhere from $500 to $3,500, depending on the workmanship and guarantee," says Gentry. "If done properly, the effect is completely natural-looking and doesn’t impede clients’ lives in any way. When 100% human hair is used, we can even do coloring I and relaxing services without having to remove the hair additions."

In recent years, beauty professionals have also learned how critical spa services are to women suffering from hair loss. This is true whether it means having a European facial or a massage to provide an hour of high-touch relaxation. "By adding skin and body services to our menu, we’ve definitely been able to provide our clients with a better sense of beauty, wellness and self-esteem," says Walsh. "This part of our business has grown so quickly, in fact, that we’re currently scouting a larger location so that we can expand our spa department."

Therapists at DePasquale the Spa also strongly encourage women with thinning hair to receive spa treatments and offer custom packages that combine hair-augmentation and pampering services. "Caring for the entire person is what we’re all about," says Simone. "This may mean offering a hair-integration service and a body wrap, or a scalp treatment that’s done in a hydrotherapy tub. We’re always willing to do whatever is necessary to enable women worried about thinning hair to walk out of our spa feeling better about themselves."

MARKETING STRANDS

Professional opinions about how to actually reach this special group of clients vary. Anderson, who emphasizes treatments for thinning hair, reports her entire department has been built by word of mouth. "We haven't placed a single ad about our services." she says. "Clients talk about us,and the next thing you know I'm servicing their sisters, aunts, uncles and neighbors."

Walsh, who strongly focuses on replacement services, offers an entirely different point of view. "When you care for a regular hair client, she’ll tell 10 of her friends about how great you are," says Walsh. "But when you do a hair-augmentation service, referrals are slim to none. We’ve found that a woman typically keeps one of our ads in her purse for up to four years before mustering enough courage to call us for an appointment. The last thing she’s likely to do is tell her friends how well you handled her problem."

Walsh attributes her busy salon to always delivering a quality service. "Many clients with thinning hair are so desperate they’re vulnerable to all sorts of sales pitches," says Walsh. "You really have to make sure that you don’t disappoint them by repeating company claims that aren’t true. To ensure that we never fall victim to this, we personally test all treatments and products on a select group of volunteers for a full year before recommending them to our clientele. This may seem extreme, but with all the snake-oil remedies and inferior hair attachments that have flooded the market over the years, it’s important always to make good on your promises to improve thinning hair." 

MARKETING TOOL 

Periodically distributing a questionnaire concerning fine, thin hair to your clientele will give you the opportunity to talk to many of them about the various treatments available.
Here are some sample questions:

1. Have you noticed a change in the thickness of your hair over the past several years?
2. Have any of your immediate family members (male or female) experienced thinning hair?
3. Are you noticing more hair than usual in the shower drain, on your pillow or in your hairbrush?
4. Check the size of your ponytail. Is it smaller than it used to be?
5. Do the hairs on your crown tend to grow in shorter or finer that the rest of your hair?
6. Do you struggle to make your hair look full?
7. Do you find yourself trying to camouflage certain areas of your hair-your crown, perhaps, or temporaral area?

At the end of the questionnaire, add the following note:
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, we recommend you make a consultation appointment with one of our hair-thinning specialists. There are treatments and products available to improve your situation.

RESOURCES

The American Cancer Society www.cancer.org
The American Hair Loss Council www.ahlc.org
National Alopecia Areata Foundation www.naaf.org
The National Cosmetology Association www.nca-now.com
Nioxin Research Laboratories Medical Hair Loss Center www.nioxin.com
Women’s Institute for Fine and Thinning Hair www.womenshairinstitute.com

J. Elaine Spear is a DAYSPA contributing editor based in Santa Fe, NM.