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View Full Version : My Trichology Exam! [pics included]



lakhesis
October 14th, 2018, 02:37 PM
So, one hair care brand in my country offers a trichology exam, where you send 4 plucked hairs and some broken ones and they send back a video explaining what they see and what to do about it :) I thought this may be interesting for some, so I am sharing some screenshots from the video:

https://i.postimg.cc/3R4TWBB2/1.png

So already from here it's obvious my hair is bleached.

https://i.postimg.cc/rppc2cRn/2.png
And this is what bleach does to your hair - look at the difference in thickness! It looks almost transparent compared to my natural hair.

Next, look at the hair follicles:

https://i.postimg.cc/Vkg1h5v0/3.png
This is one of the more healthy looking ones, however the thing around it is excess sebum.

https://i.postimg.cc/Vkmm4Xfc/4.png

https://i.postimg.cc/Bvw3qyxq/5.png

Yeah, these are bad. Apparently the excess sebum clogs the pores and that thins out the hair around the follicle. And then later kills it when there is too much sebum (hence the black color?).


I am quite surprised, as I wash my hair twice a week with SLS shampoo and I don't consider my hair super oily. Also my hair doesn't really fall out that much, I doubt I even get those 50 hairs per day.
They will of course recommend me their products to clean the sebum out. I am actualy considering one of their scalp tonics because it's the first one I've ever seen without alcohol - but it's for dry skin, so I will see what they say :)

If anyone has any idea, opinion or advice about this, I'll be happy to hear that! :)

Zesty
October 14th, 2018, 02:44 PM
How very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I don't really have any thoughts on the "excess sebum" issue, but it seems like surely if you wash twice a week it wouldn't make your hair fall out?! What exactly does a scalp tonic do and how do you use it?

Joules
October 14th, 2018, 02:53 PM
Yeah, these are bad. Apparently the excess sebum clogs the pores and that thins out the hair around the follicle. And then later kills it when there is too much sebum (hence the black color apparently?).


I am quite surprised, as I wash my hair twice a week with SLS shampoo and I don't consider my hair super oily. Also my hair doesn't really fall out that much, I doubt I even get those 50 hairs per day.
They will of course recommend me their products to clean the sebum out. I am actualy considering one of their scalp tonics because it's the first one I've ever seen without alcohol - but it's for dry skin, so I will see what they say :)

If anyone has any idea, opinion or advice about this, I'll be happy to hear that! :)

If your scalp is oily and requires daily washing, twice a week might not be enough for you. Daily washing is normal if your hair needs it, 80% of people of childbearing age have oily scalps. That's what I heard trichologists say, anyway. You can try DIY scalp scrub recipes before splurging on their products :) I'm looking into scalp scrubs and peelings myself, it seems like a really cool and useful thing.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I wish we had free trichology exams here!

ravenskey
October 14th, 2018, 03:43 PM
YMMV and I'm no expert, but I have very waxy sebum and would probably be told to wash every day with SLSs to clean my scalp, however, I'm perfectly fine with once every two weeks washing, with no shampoo at all and if I did use sulfates daily then my hair would turn to straw and break off, plus my hair would never be dry at all - 8+ hours of wet hair twice a month is more than enough!

If your routine works for you then maybe change gradually/not at all. If it works don't try and fix it :shrug:

Natashap
October 14th, 2018, 10:47 PM
Wow ,amazing technology.

I have extremely oily scalp only,ends are dry.

I wash with sulfate free shampoo thrice a week. Once a week with sls shampoo.

I try to stay away from oils are conditioners on scalp area.

Try to manage with doc prescription shampoo and see if it helps.

Arciela
October 15th, 2018, 01:20 AM
This is very interesting! Thank you for sharing :) I'd love to see which products they suggest to you!

Joules
October 15th, 2018, 02:29 AM
YMMV and I'm no expert, but I have very waxy sebum and would probably be told to wash every day with SLSs to clean my scalp, however, I'm perfectly fine with once every two weeks washing, with no shampoo at all and if I did use sulfates daily then my hair would turn to straw and break off, plus my hair would never be dry at all - 8+ hours of wet hair twice a month is more than enough!

If your routine works for you then maybe change gradually/not at all. If it works don't try and fix it :shrug:

Here's the thing: you don't know if it works or not. If you don't have obvious SD, you wouldn't even have an idea of any problem until it's too late. It took me 19 months of no-poo routine to develop issues. During the first year my co-wash-only routine seemed like it worked wonders, then my hair started falling out in chunks. It took me another 3-4 months to realise what exactly was the problem, I just thought I got full-blown alopecia, but the hairfall stopped the minute I took a bottle of shampoo into my hands. I alternated shampoo washes and co-washes for a while, for 4 years to be exact, until - you guessed it! I developed more issues. This time, thank God, I was a little better educated and caught potential problems in an early stage. So yeah, it took me almost 6 years in total to screw up my perfectly healthy normal-to-oily scalp while taking great care of dead keratin strings that grow from it.

Trichologists prioritize scalp health, because that's where your hair grows from. I finally decided to agree with them. I'm using sulfates regardless of my actual hair, I'll try my best to oil it and protect it from SLS, but if it gets dried out, then so be it. Besides, you don't know what trichologists would tell you. They might tell you to wash with SLS every day, they might not. Maybe they'll just advise you to use scalp peeling and a lotion.

Unless you haven't used shampoo in 10 years, I wouldn't make any bold claims about what works and what doesn't. People are different, some have dry and sensitive scalp, some oily, there's no one miracle product or routine that will keep everyone's scalp healthy. But I'm still inclined to believe that stretching washes and marinating your scalp in its own sebum is the least healthy thing you could be doing. This last passage is for everyone who hates shampoo.

I'm just voicing an unpopular opinion, I'm not trying to enforce it on anyone. After all only you can decide what to do with your own body. It's just something I wish someone had told me back when I was ~17 and hated shampoo, who knows, maybe I could have saved myself a lot of trouble and developed a better routine sooner. I used to think my hair was dry and fragile and SLS would make it break, 8 years later it turned out my hair was coarser and stronger than I had imagined, it was always extremely dry because it was prone to buildup, and all it needed was some good ol' oils, nice leave-ins and correct method of washing. I also used to think cones were evil, when I just needed to use specific ones in moderate amounts.

lakhesis
October 15th, 2018, 02:56 AM
How very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I don't really have any thoughts on the "excess sebum" issue, but it seems like surely if you wash twice a week it wouldn't make your hair fall out?! What exactly does a scalp tonic do and how do you use it?

I had some other scalp tonics few years ago, most of them are mostly alcohol with some herbs that claim to speed up your hair growth. I did have a feeling it worked though and when I tried to research it, the alcohol is indeed stimulant and it could help, but of course, it dries your hair.
The tonics from this brand are supposed to dissolve the sebum and they have this video on their website where they show how the tonic dissolves a glob of duck fat (yup, people cook with that in my part of the world).


If your scalp is oily and requires daily washing, twice a week might not be enough for you. Daily washing is normal if your hair needs it, 80% of people of childbearing age have oily scalps. That's what I heard trichologists say, anyway. You can try DIY scalp scrub recipes before splurging on their products :) I'm looking into scalp scrubs and peelings myself, it seems like a really cool and useful thing.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I wish we had free trichology exams here!

I am indeed considering washing more often, but I am still waiting for their response. However I washed my hair more this summer because I went swimming often and my hair was a dry mess - but it could have been the chlorine or salt water. I have a scalp peeling, but I don't think I used it for long enough to see a difference. Oh, and the exam wasn't free, but I was curious enough to pay those 10 euros, I think that is a good price anyway :)


YMMV and I'm no expert, but I have very waxy sebum and would probably be told to wash every day with SLSs to clean my scalp, however, I'm perfectly fine with once every two weeks washing, with no shampoo at all and if I did use sulfates daily then my hair would turn to straw and break off, plus my hair would never be dry at all - 8+ hours of wet hair twice a month is more than enough!

If your routine works for you then maybe change gradually/not at all. If it works don't try and fix it :shrug:

On their web they say that actually most people have their follicles clogged - and they show pictures much worse than mine. I want to see how long my hair can actually grow in its full potential so I will try to change something, plus they offer a free follow up exam after 3 months if I want to see if their recommendations are working :)


I browsed their blog and they list these as culprits of clogged follicles:
- shampoos with silicones
- hormonal changes
- side effects of some medicine
- stress, infection, flu, lack of sleep

And honestly, my skin tends to break out if I am stressed, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's the same for me with the hair follicles.

lapushka
October 15th, 2018, 06:04 AM
Wondering what the results will be. :) Seems interesting! :D

ravenskey
October 15th, 2018, 10:10 AM
Here's the thing: you don't know if it works or not. If you don't have obvious SD, you wouldn't even have an idea of any problem until it's too late. It took me 19 months of no-poo routine to develop issues. During the first year my co-wash-only routine seemed like it worked wonders, then my hair started falling out in chunks. It took me another 3-4 months to realise what exactly was the problem, I just thought I got full-blown alopecia, but the hairfall stopped the minute I took a bottle of shampoo into my hands. I alternated shampoo washes and co-washes for a while, for 4 years to be exact, until - you guessed it! I developed more issues. This time, thank God, I was a little better educated and caught potential problems in an early stage. So yeah, it took me almost 6 years in total to screw up my perfectly healthy normal-to-oily scalp while taking great care of dead keratin strings that grow from it.

Trichologists prioritize scalp health, because that's where your hair grows from. I finally decided to agree with them. I'm using sulfates regardless of my actual hair, I'll try my best to oil it and protect it from SLS, but if it gets dried out, then so be it. Besides, you don't know what trichologists would tell you. They might tell you to wash with SLS every day, they might not. Maybe they'll just advise you to use scalp peeling and a lotion.

Unless you haven't used shampoo in 10 years, I wouldn't make any bold claims about what works and what doesn't. People are different, some have dry and sensitive scalp, some oily, there's no one miracle product or routine that will keep everyone's scalp healthy. But I'm still inclined to believe that stretching washes and marinating your scalp in its own sebum is the least healthy thing you could be doing. This last passage is for everyone who hates shampoo.

I'm just voicing an unpopular opinion, I'm not trying to enforce it on anyone. After all only you can decide what to do with your own body. It's just something I wish someone had told me back when I was ~17 and hated shampoo, who knows, maybe I could have saved myself a lot of trouble and developed a better routine sooner. I used to think my hair was dry and fragile and SLS would make it break, 8 years later it turned out my hair was coarser and stronger than I had imagined, it was always extremely dry because it was prone to buildup, and all it needed was some good ol' oils, nice leave-ins and correct method of washing. I also used to think cones were evil, when I just needed to use specific ones in moderate amounts.

I did say "I'm no expert" and "maybe".
I'm not saying that washing daily is a bad thing merely that I wouldn't work for me. I only gave up sulfate shampoo this year which is why I can say with certainty that I could run my nails over my scalp 24 hours after a sulfate wash and have waxy sebum under them - I would sometimes shampoo/condition/shampoo to try and stop it and all it did was trash my hair, I still got sebum :shrug: When I was little my parents would use Head and Shoulders, Neutrogena T-Gel - it all irritated my scalp more.

As far as I can see I just have to live with it and as it doesn't itch/cause irritation or cause any excess shedding (most of the time I don't even get the 50 hairs per day) that's fine with me.

I don't have any problems with silicones/sulfates, I just don't use them because I only use vegan and cruelty-free products and around where I live, that means silicone free.

I'm just explaining my point of view and don't want to cause any problems/offence.

xoAshley
October 15th, 2018, 01:54 PM
:shocked: wait, does this mean that your scalp getting greasy before wash day is a bad thing?? now I'm so confused. I thought your natural oils to some extent were supposed to be a good thing.

Halp. :bigeyes:

lapushka
October 15th, 2018, 02:27 PM
Don't panic! I let my hair get oily each week. And I have SD (seborrheic dermatitis). I can go a week without washing, without causing myself issues. My hair usually starts to get oily on a Friday, and Sunday is my wash day.

I'm sure it's fine!

xoAshley
October 15th, 2018, 02:29 PM
Okay, thank you Lapushka! I thought that was the general idea around here... that "some" oil is good.. :flowers:

Joules
October 15th, 2018, 02:36 PM
:shocked: wait, does this mean that your scalp getting greasy before wash day is a bad thing?? now I'm so confused. I thought your natural oils to some extent were supposed to be a good thing.

Halp. :bigeyes:

Trichologists advise washing hair "when it needs it", aka when it starts to look oily, so you're bound to accumulate some excess sebum by the time wash day comes. That's ok. Stretching washes on a regular basis, trying to "train" your scalp to be less greasy (powering through the oiliness and trying to hide it), using shampoos that aren't cleansing enough for your scalp type or going completely no-poo is what's not good for you at all. Bacteria and fungus love sebum, clogged follicles isn't even the worst thing that can happen.

(Of course allergies, hormonal imbalances and pre-existing skin conditions are a different story, I'm talking about regular healthy people with regular healthy scalps who read a few articles online about how the cosmetic industry is trying to kill us with SLS and decided to experiment. I kinda used to be one of those people.)

lapushka
October 15th, 2018, 03:38 PM
Okay, thank you Lapushka! I thought that was the general idea around here... that "some" oil is good.. :flowers:

Yes, some oil is indeed good. I can feel that in my own scalp. I just don't let it get to "greaseball" status, because that is where I know my scalp will protest.

Garnetgem
October 15th, 2018, 06:50 PM
Interesting and i have just bought a microscopic scalp camera to use at home,i too am prone to the clogged follicles hence why i purchased the camera to check myself from time to time,i tried many tonics over the years lots contained salicylic acid and messed up my hair big time,i was told it was stress being the most likely cause of my excess sebum,

anyway no tonics or shampoo helped but then i was told to add fruit daily to my diet and after a few weeks all changed the oil production stabilised and no more clogging,if i stop eating fruits then its back to how it was in a week or two,i felt at first when told it was a silly suggestion but i had nothing to lose apart from my hair which i was anyway with the clogging,i used to have terrible powdery sebum but it improved so much my scalp appears clean,just a suggestion thought i would mention it to you,anything is worth a try,


other option i had was a deep clean of the follicles in a tricholigy clinic,it involved sitting under infra red lamps to open up the pores,then they put a special vibrating massager to shake out the sebum plugs out of the now open pores,this worked so well for me but was pricey,it was also painless too..so there are options to try..

lakhesis
October 16th, 2018, 12:54 AM
UPDATE: I got a response :)
So first I received a list of their products that should help me - their shampoo, scalp tonic, scalp peeling, chlorella and collagen.
The shampoo contains ALS (ammounium lauryl sulfate) instead of SLS, he explained that the molecules are bigger so it doesn't irritate the skin as much. I use shampoo with SLES (sodium laureth sulfate) and you can usually find the exactly same reasoning why SLES is better than SLS. I will get the scalp tonic, this one is without alcohol. I already have scalp peeling and I already take chlorella. No chance of me taking collagen.

So I replied with more specific questions and got answers - I shouldn't necessarily wash more often, but as the excess sebum will be cleaning out, I will probably need to. Same as Joules said - I should wash when I need it. He didn't really answer if I should use 'harsh' or milder shampoos, just explained that theirs have ALS and that ALS can be used bio cosmetics. Then he confirmed that the scalp tonic I am considering should be as effective as the other ones with alcohol in cleaning out the sebum.
So I will order the scalp tonic then :)

lakhesis
October 16th, 2018, 01:03 AM
Interesting and i have just bought a microscopic scalp camera to use at home,i too am prone to the clogged follicles hence why i purchased the camera to check myself from time to time,i tried many tonics over the years lots contained salicylic acid and messed up my hair big time,i was told it was stress being the most likely cause of my excess sebum,

anyway no tonics or shampoo helped but then i was told to add fruit daily to my diet and after a few weeks all changed the oil production stabilised and no more clogging,if i stop eating fruits then its back to how it was in a week or two,i felt at first when told it was a silly suggestion but i had nothing to lose apart from my hair which i was anyway with the clogging,i used to have terrible powdery sebum but it improved so much my scalp appears clean,just a suggestion thought i would mention it to you,anything is worth a try,


other option i had was a deep clean of the follicles in a tricholigy clinic,it involved sitting under infra red lamps to open up the pores,then they put a special vibrating massager to shake out the sebum plugs out of the now open pores,this worked so well for me but was pricey,it was also painless too..so there are options to try..

You have your own camera, wow!
I just checked the ingredients in the tonic, no salicylic acid :) I already eat so much fruit daily, so for me is probably just the stress. I even have some kind of vibrating scalp massager, I thought it can only help with stimulating hair growth, I will use it more then :D Although I probably need the lamp.

Thank you so much, it's good to know that you have been able to get it under control!


ETA: Actually, may I ask what kind of camera did you get? I just did a quick search on aliexpress (I am cheap :D ) and one of the cameras is only 16 euros, might be good enough for just checking at home.

Garnetgem
October 16th, 2018, 06:10 AM
You have your own camera, wow!
I just checked the ingredients in the tonic, no salicylic acid :) I already eat so much fruit daily, so for me is probably just the stress. I even have some kind of vibrating scalp massager, I thought it can only help with stimulating hair growth, I will use it more then :D Although I probably need the lamp.

Thank you so much, it's good to know that you have been able to get it under control!


ETA: Actually, may I ask what kind of camera did you get? I just did a quick search on aliexpress (I am cheap :D ) and one of the cameras is only 16 euros, might be good enough for just checking at home.

Mine is a USB digital microscope endoscope,it magnifies x 1000 so you can really see whats going on,it was very cheap and i was not expecting much for the low price i paid for it,but to my surprise its very clear and you can even capture the image,i got it off ebay but they are available off amazon too,oh just checked with euro to sterling converter and that is the price i paid for mine 16 euro(£14),hope this is of help to you.

xoAshley
October 16th, 2018, 07:04 AM
Trichologists advise washing hair "when it needs it", aka when it starts to look oily, so you're bound to accumulate some excess sebum by the time wash day comes. That's ok. Stretching washes on a regular basis, trying to "train" your scalp to be less greasy (powering through the oiliness and trying to hide it), using shampoos that aren't cleansing enough for your scalp type or going completely no-poo is what's not good for you at all. Bacteria and fungus love sebum, clogged follicles isn't even the worst thing that can happen.

(Of course allergies, hormonal imbalances and pre-existing skin conditions are a different story, I'm talking about regular healthy people with regular healthy scalps who read a few articles online about how the cosmetic industry is trying to kill us with SLS and decided to experiment. I kinda used to be one of those people.)

This makes perfect sense. Thank you <3

lakhesis
October 16th, 2018, 08:31 AM
Mine is a USB digital microscope endoscope,it magnifies x 1000 so you can really see whats going on,it was very cheap and i was not expecting much for the low price i paid for it,but to my surprise its very clear and you can even capture the image,i got it off ebay but they are available off amazon too,oh just checked with euro to sterling converter and that is the price i paid for mine 16 euro(£14),hope this is of help to you.

I totally just ordered one! :D Thank you :)
I love the idea of being able to check it myself

Garnetgem
October 16th, 2018, 10:07 AM
I totally just ordered one! :D Thank you :)
I love the idea of being able to check it myself

Yes its very useful to check progress and such,its so fascinating i keep looking at my follicles lol!

HazyMoon
October 20th, 2018, 12:03 AM
Trichologists advise washing hair "when it needs it", aka when it starts to look oily, so you're bound to accumulate some excess sebum by the time wash day comes. That's ok. Stretching washes on a regular basis, trying to "train" your scalp to be less greasy (powering through the oiliness and trying to hide it), using shampoos that aren't cleansing enough for your scalp type or going completely no-poo is what's not good for you at all. Bacteria and fungus love sebum, clogged follicles isn't even the worst thing that can happen.

(Of course allergies, hormonal imbalances and pre-existing skin conditions are a different story, I'm talking about regular healthy people with regular healthy scalps who read a few articles online about how the cosmetic industry is trying to kill us with SLS and decided to experiment. I kinda used to be one of those people.)

Wait, I didn't even know that professionals were advising this...that's actually great news. I've been washing my hair daily my entire life and I've been told so many times that "It's bad for my hair" but I haven't noticed any issues with my hair texture or noticed any excessive damage. Also, the amount of oily and itchiness is just really unpleasant.

blesseddamozel
October 20th, 2018, 02:45 PM
Wow, these are some very cool pics!!! Interesting to see bleached vs non-bleached hair up close

Kat-Rinnč Naido
October 21st, 2018, 06:27 AM
Wow! This was interesting. Thank you for sharing!