A Hairy Revolution: Hair Loss Then and Now

The Early Modern Period

Back in the mid-1500s, a bacterial infection spread across Europe causing open sores, rashes, blindness, dementia and hair loss. This bacterial infection is known today at syphilis. At the time, the link between baldness and syphilis had grown so intertwined that the sight of hair loss would cause great public embarrassment. This is why for nearly two centuries the powdered wig, periwig and peruke, in ribbon and curl, full bottom and a foretop, became all the rage.[1] 

Today

We might not necessarily equate a full head of hair to wealth, stature or need it to maintain a patriarchal appearance like in centuries past, however, today we value a full and thick head of hair to maintain a more youthful look. Hair loss has many different causes aside from diseases like syphilis. Your state of nutrition, stress hormone levels, lifestyle habits and genetic predisposition will all contribute to male and female-pattern baldness. Not to fret! Shears and a ball cap don’t have to be our only modern solutions to hair loss. 

Advancements in robotic technology have made it possible to offer an efficient treatment that redistributes hair while causing minimal damage to follicles. The extraction tool actually maintains an ideal temperature and moisture level automatically in order to achieve great retention results, because follicles are too sensitive and too plentiful to be handled by hand.

Famous hair transplants of the past decade

The professional English footballer, Wayne Rooney shared news of his hair transplant procedures back in 2011 when he comically announced to his fans that he had a bad case of premature balding at 25. Even years later, it remains evident that the typical look that presents itself with male-pattern baldness had been well adjusted for Wayne so that he wouldn’t see a receding hairline.

Calum Best, the British-American TV personality, underwent hair transplantation multiple times since 2015 when he appearing on Celebrity Big Brother. He claimed to have been losing hair since his early twenties and knew that the procedure would change his life. He first corrected a receding hairline and then fixed up a later balding patch in 2018.

Another celebrity well known for his hair, the caring and opinionated TV chef Gordon Ramsay also underwent follicular transplantation back in 2011 and has undergone extra procedures to keep his appearance up for the cameras. Sporting such a shaggy look might make it hard to tell the difference but he certainly thickened up the view from the front.[2]

What else can help hair loss?

General advice to help maintain health of hair includes:

• Get a check-up to determine the cause of your hair loss

• Rinsing conditioned hair with cold water to retain moisture and reduce excess shedding and breakage[3]

• Take vitamins and drink mineral water to regain nutrients you know that you lack

• Meditate or learn a breathwork routine to decrease mental stress

• Skip or limit heavy styling that could pull or tug at hair follicles

We understand the value of hair at our clinic. This is why we have implemented only the latest and most effective technology into our treatment plans for hair loss. Schedule a consultation with us today to get started.

Sources:

[1] Reilly, Lucas. “Why Did People Wear Powdered Wigs?” Mental Floss, Minute Media, 29 June 2012, www.mentalfloss.com/article/31056/why-did-people-wear-powdered-wigs.

[2] “Celebrity Hair Transplants: Joe Swash, Wayne Rooney, Louis Walsh & More.” HELLO!, Hello Ltd., 15 July 2020, www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/hair/2020071593496/celebrity-hair-....

[3] Viviscal Hair Expert. “Can Hot Water Cause Hair Loss?” Viviscal Advanced Hair Health, Viviscal Limited, 3 Aug. 2017, blog.viviscal.com/can-hot-water-cause-hair-loss/.