New to Van Clarke? Subscribe to our newsletter for 15% off your first order. Start your haircare journey today.

How to Get Thicker Hair - Part 3

September 22, 2023

How to Get Thicker Hair - Part 3

If you want more of something it’s normal to think about what needs adding. But in hair, the biggest gains come from stopping the losses. As Lord Weinstock stated when asked his best investment tip for getting rich, he said, “don’t lose money”.

For most healthy people, most of the time, the quality of hair growing from the scalp is the best it’s going to be, and the most important thing is to hold onto that. Many things in modern lifestyles deplete hair – weakening the protein structure and dehydrating the hair shaft. This leads to a slow shrinkage in girth, and a loss of flexibility leading to breakage, splitting, and to thin wispy flyaway frizzy hair.

Whilst I’m not suggesting we hide away and live in a nunnery, there is a spectrum of harm with lifestyle habits from no damage or very little with good techniques and care, to devastating with carelessness or lack of knowledge of better technique. How far along the spectrum are you?

1. Colouring and Chemical Services

Let’s face it, with blondes and redheads being slowly bred into oblivion by dominant dark-haired genes, it could all be looking a bit flat and monochrome tonsorially speaking. Thank heavens for great colour products and techniques. And when I say great technique, that’s well thought out strategy and precision application with minimal repeat colouring over the same pieces of hair. Read the blog: Everything You Wanted to Know about Colour

2. Excessive Heat Styling

Sorry to bang on about this but it’s probably number one for hair damage with home technique and incompetent styling. Read the blog: Do You Make these Mistakes when Blowdrying

3. Aggressive Products

High alcohol, heavy oils, silicones, plasticisers can make the hair look lovely today but come with a sting in the tail as they often deplete the hair and shrink it faster. Read the blog: Haircare Dirty Secrets #1

4. Sea Water

If your hair is short, it will be replaced soon enough, but for longer hair where condition is important the salt in seawater is corrosive. The weft on the left was protected with LifeSaver UV Leave-in Treatment

5. Chlorinated Pool Water

Swimming in a chlorinated pool without protecting the hair is giving the hair a diluted peroxide-wash each time. Blonde hair can become green quite quickly. These wefts started out as one piece the same colour 7 days before the image. The right weft was protected with LifeSaver UV Leave-in Treatment.

6. UV Light

Sunlight weakens the internal bonds of the hair and dehydrates it. Clouds may only stop 20% of the rays. Sun protection for skin is understood, only the most savvy are conscious of the same need for hair. LifeSaver UV Leave-in Treatment protects while leaving the hair feeling silky and smooth. Cleanse with UV Protective Shampoo & Conditioner. Read the blog: Could this be the Answer for Your Hair

 

All these lifestyle impacts take out. For your best healthy hair you have to give time to put back.

Regular LifeSaver Prewash Treatment feeds and protects to radically reduce shrinkage, breakage and split ends. Three to choose from: Original, Ultra and Deep Sleep.

 Michael Van Clarke





Also in Blogs

Gaby's Bakery - Hamantaschen
Gaby's Bakery - Hamantaschen

February 01, 2025

Beginners in origami will like this one. Hamantaschen or hamantash, are triangular pocket-filled pastries associated with the Jewish holiday of Purim. The pastry texture can range between biscuit and cake but I prefer a more biscuity quality.

Continue Reading

How do You Handle Chaos?
How do You Handle Chaos?

January 31, 2025

It was a good question, and one that many clients have asked in different ways over the years while watching the drama of their hair transformation.

Through the mirror, it may appear to lack method in the waving arms and the madness of swirling hair. But it is highly complex and technical. The difficulty in carving shapes in hair as opposed to

Continue Reading

In the Chair - Real Models Real Hair - Linnea
In the Chair - Real Models Real Hair - Linnea

January 31, 2025

A model’s life is tough on hair. Our industry problem is that some hairdressers only care about today – once you’re home it’s your problem. It’s bad enough in salons with stylists and colourists only concerned with impressing you now.

Continue Reading