Between alopecia, hormonal changes related to pregnancy or birth control, and just plain old stress, women make up 40 percent of hair-loss sufferers. The good news is that there are styling tricks you can use while you wait out any temporary losses—or you and your dermatologist search for a long-term solution. We asked hairstylist Mia Santiago of Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger in New York City for her best tips.
For a Bald Patch at the Crown
One thing Santiago sees often, especially in clients who wear extensions, is traction alopecia—hair loss at the crown of the head caused by a gradual pulling at the roots. Her advice: a well-placed updo is the best disguise. "Alopecia acts similarly to a wild cowlick in that your hair will want to split open right where the trouble spot is," she says. "The easiest solution is to choose a style that's going to keep hair over the spot that's balding. Try a side braid, low ponytail, or a top knot, whichever would best cover your thinning area."
For a Widening Part
"Moving your part or adding bangs might change your look dramatically, but if you're still seeing scalp, Color Wow Root Cover Up can be amazingly helpful," says Santiago. "It's a brush-on powder color that I advise clients with wider parts or multiple bald spots to use to fill in gaps." The product won a 2013 Allure Breakthroughs Award for its tenacious camouflaging abilities. "It won't drip if you sweat, and you don't have to worry that if your hair moves, you'll be exposing your problem areas." Toppik, another powder that adds thickness at the roots by lacing in keratin fibers, will also do this job for a lot of hair textures, says Santiago. If Color Wow or Toppik don't come in your color, there's a more creative option, too: "I had a client with wild red hair who had some problems finding a color match," Santiago says. "She went to M.A.C. and got a reddish eye shadow instead!"
For Thinning Hair
"Overall thinning is the number-one complaint of my clients with hair loss," says Santiago. If you miss your old thickness, the solution is to use the right products. Santiago's new favorite product combo is Sally Hershberger 24K Root Envy Ultimate Root Boost and Sally Hershberger 24K Supreme Body Volumizing Mousse. She says, "This duo is going to give your hair lift, body, and the appearance of greater thickness—it'll really fill out a ponytail." Dry shampoos (Santiago likes old-school Pssst) also offer strategic volume that makes hair look fuller. "Plus, Pssst doesn't leave a white residue on dark hair, which is rare in a less expensive dry shampoo," she says.
For Severe Loss
Think extensions are the answer to major hair loss? Nope. "Don't just shove in clip-in or glue-on extensions—that's going to damage your hair further," she says. Instead, Santiago recommends using a hair fall that wraps around your head, explaining that it is like a veil that you wear underneath a layer of your own hair, which is then brushed over the strings that hug the scalp. "I like the falls from Halo Couture. They're so much more gentle because they go around your head like a halo. They're not pulling at any roots, and they can be styled along with your actual hair, so they blend in quite naturally," says Santiago. "You can also get a Halo ponytail piece that wraps around your ponytail; it only needs a bobby pin to stay secured."
