Expert Hair Care With Trichologist

Ms Pooja Chhabra - Trichologist at Trichokare

Meet Pooja, one of the trichologists at TK TrichoKare. I was very lucky to be able to have a consultation with her during my last appointment with TrichoKare and I was very happy to finally have an expert examine and advise me on my hair loss issue from a more scientific and biological point of view.

As per usual, the consultation began with a scan of my scalp and she was very happy that my scalp was very clean (compared to the previous appointment). I was happy that my twice-a-day shampoo habit has paid off. She also pointed out that she could see that my veins were quite close to the scalp, indicating that I have sensitive scalp/skin. That is true, which is also why I'm quite particular about what products I use. Nevertheless, I am still suffering from hair loss.

What causes hair loss?
A variety of reasons cause hair loss, including:

• hormones
• stress
• genetics
• scalp infections
• certain hairstyles
• oily scalp with clogged hair follicles

In my case, it was a combination of both genetic and hormonal issues. Pooja explained that chemically speaking, the main culprit for baldness is DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), a derivative of the male hormone testosterone which can be found in the oil glands of every hair follicle. As women's hormones change every month and even more drastically during pregnancy, DHT is triggered more so with us because the balance of hormones keep changing. We all know how a teeny tiny bit of hormone change can really wreak havoc in our bodies and (now we know) hair. This DHT is also the cause of hair loss in men but it is often a lot easier to treat because men's hormone levels do not fluctuate as often as women's.

Pooja told me not to give up hope as my clean scalp has shown that there is still a chance to work on the follicles to ensure that they get more nutrients required for healthy hair growth. She then customised the treatment for me and explained that I was going to get a hair mask to soothe the sensitive skin while also balancing it so that it will be less oily. After that, an ampoule which contains extracts from herbs that clinically show improvement in hair growth and to nourish the hair follicles will be applied onto my scalp. It's as if I'm going for a facial but instead of my face, I'm treating my scalp!

Too much white hair!

Another problem plaguing me is the amount of white hair that I have on my head. Lucky me, I was given a preview of their colouring services before it launches in April! My hair was coloured before the hair mask and since TrichoKare is the hair care experts, naturally the hair dye that they use did not contain ammonia and uses natural ingredients.

Indeed, no nasty chemical smells while my head was smothered with the dye. I did not experience any itching on my scalp while waiting for it to set either! During the wash, my consultant switched from their usual conditioner to another one which was more moisturising and targeted at grey hair. This was simply because she realised that although my scalp was oily, the ends of my hair were very dry. I've got to say that I love the personalised treatment.

Ampoule used for the treatment

The ampoule was sprayed onto my scalp with something that reminded me of an air-spray gun. It felt really cool on the scalp and the massage that followed after was amazing! Besides being very relaxing, the head massage is also meant to promote blood circulation to the scalp and therefore, encourage nutrients to reach the follicles. Pretty similar to what my cold laser is supposed to do.

After the blow dry, my head was given the infra-red treatment by what I'd like to call the 'octopus' and Pooja explained that this is to kill off any bacteria on the scalp as this too would affect the health of your hair.

After colouring

I'm also glad that the hair colour covered all my grey hair! The consultant then added some of their Hair Coat which immediately added shine to my hair without it feeling oily. I also noticed that it helped with the frizziness too! When I touched my hair, it was really soft and a far cry from how it was when I walked into the salon.

At the end of the treatment, it was back into the consultation room for a review scan. The hair colouring has helped to show where there are empty hair follicles and Pooja was optimistic that new hair can grow back from them.

Unfortunately, I could not get the hair growth treatment straightaway. Pooja explained that the herbal extracts used for hair growth would be rendered useless if the scalp and hair follicle were still clogged with oil and toxins as the growth factor would not be absorbed. Which is why it is normally recommended for clients to do 6 to 8 cleansing Trichological Scalp Treatments before going onto the hair growth treatments. Hair growth also differs from person to person because of our natural hair cycles as well as the cause(s) of each individual's hair loss.

I decided to buy some of TrichoKare's fabulous hair care products so that I can continue having great hair after leaving the salon. I was so grateful that Pooja was around because what went into my bag was also per her recommendation. My shampoo (it's called Purifying Bath) is meant to be strong enough to wash off oil from my scalp so that I no longer need to wash my hair twice a day. In my bag also went the Hair Coat and Black Shine, both contain proteins and nutrients that were blended by trichologists to repair damaged hair while moisturising it. I also got an ampoule for at-home treatment.

I must say that I really enjoyed this treatment and it's mostly due to the good advice of the trichologist who customised the treatment from start to finish. With so much stress, pollution and diet issues  (not to mention how some of us change hair colour like we change clothes) nowadays, it is important to take better care of your scalp like how one takes care of our face.

Which is why, if you have hair problems but do not know where to start, do make an appointment with TrichoKare's trichologist for your first time consultation. If you just want to try out TrichoKare's Scalp Treatment, SWAG Guide is happy to say that we've managed to get a special price for you!

Book your trial Scalp Treatment for only S$48 (w/ GST) instead of S$138 here.
You can also book your appointment with the trichologist at S$91.60 here.

It's free to join SWAG Guide as a member to enjoy these promotions and say 'YES' to healthy, beautiful hair!

Reasons for thinning hair, how to fix them and what to eat for healthier hair

Read these 2 articles on Oprah.com and decided to combine them into one because it is not only important to fix problems but to also maintain the good. My additional comments will be in italics.

You're Noticing: Thinning Along the Hairline 

Likely cause: Regularly yanking your hair back too-tight
Why it leads to thinning: Putting tension on the hairs at the front of your scalp can make them fall out. There's even a name for this type of thinning: traction alopecia. (Going overboard on hair extensions can also cause traction alopecia wherever the extensions are attached, says Doris Day, MD, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York.)
How to fix it: First, be gentler to keep the problem from getting worse. If your go-to look is a ponytail or bun, use your fingertips to feel around your temples and crown and make sure you can move your hair a little. Minoxidil (the only FDA-approved topical treatment to regrow hair) can help fill in the sparse areas.

You're Noticing: Your Part Seems to be Getting Wider

Likely Cause: Female-pattern hair loss due to aging, changing hormone levels (hello, menopause!) or a family history of thinning 

Why it leads to thinning: It's not clear why but this type of thinning generally affects the part first and expands from there. Hair follicles start to shrink, producing shorter and finer hairs than they used to before they stop producing hairs at all. It generally doesn't lead to serious balding though. 

How to fix it: Minoxidil is your best option. As of 2014, 5-percent-Minoxidil products are available for women in addition to the standard 2 percent (the former used to be approved for use in men only). Your doctor may also recommend laser treatments aimed at stimulating hair growth.

I have been using HairMax Laser Comb for the past seven months and although I don't see new hair growing, it certainly has helped with the oil control on my scalp and current strands are not thinning at the root.

You're Noticing: Diffuse Thinning All Over Your Head

Potential cause: Major stress
Why it leads to thinning: Physiological stress, whether it's from a breakup, the loss of a loved one or a traumatic physical event (childbirth is a classic example), can shift hair follicles into rest mode, where they stop producing hair. It's called telogen effluvium, and it's very common, says Pamela Jakubowicz, MD, a dermatologist at Montefiore Medical Center, in New York. Because of hair's growth cycle, you'll notice thinning roughly 3 months after the stressful event.
How to fix it: Telogen effluvium generally resolves on its own. You should notice improvement about 3 months after stress levels return to normal.

Potential cause: Medications
Why it leads to thinning: Some drugs are known to cause hair thinning. Prime examples: hormonal birth control, isotretinoin for acne, blood pressure medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs and certain antidepressants.
How to fix it: Minoxidil may help, but if your hair loss is affecting your well-being, Sejal Shah, MD, a board certified dermatologist in New York, recommends asking your prescribing doctor if there are other medications you can try that don't have that as a side effect.

Potential cause: Frying your hair with hot tools
Why it leads to thinning: High heat creates air bubbles within the hair shaft that can cause breakage. If tools get too close to the root, they can damage the hair follicle.
How to fix it: Medium heat is best—if your hot tools have an intensity range between 1 and 10, for example, set them at 5. Keep hot styling tools at least an inch or two away from your scalp to protect the follicle.

Potential cause: A thyroid disorder
Why it leads to thinning: Thyroid issues lead to hair loss because follicles can't get resources they need to produce hair, says Jakubowicz. In hypothyroidism, it's because your whole system is moving slower; in hyperthyroidism, it's likely because your body is depleting resources faster.
How to fix it: If your dermatologist suspects a systemic condition like a thyroid problem is causing your thinning, they'll refer you to your internist for testing and treatment, which should also help with the hair loss

You're Noticing: You're Losing Hair in Patches

Potential cause: Skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis
Why it leads to thinning: Scaliness and buildup of skin cells on the scalp can lead to hair loss, explains Shah. (Scratching to relieve itching can make it worse.) Seborrheic dermatitis, an inflammatory condition that mainly affects the scalp and causes scaly patches, red skin and dandruff, can also trigger hair loss.
How to fix it: Treat the skin issue and hair should start to grow back on its own. Topical steroids, antifungals and medicated shampoos are often the first steps, and your dermatologist may recommend stronger options like phototherapy or oral and injectable medications if you need a more aggressive treatment.

Potential cause: Alopecia areata
Why it leads to thinning: This autoimmune condition is relatively rare, affecting roughly 2 percent of the U.S. population, but it's very noticeable because it starts with quarter-sized patches of hair loss. It often begins in childhood as the immune system attacks hair follicles.
How to fix it: There's no cure or official medications, but your doctor might recommend treatments approved for other hair-loss conditions to try to stimulate growth (cortisone injections are one option, says Day). Your dermatologist will confirm the condition first (often by pulling out a hair or two and examining them under a microscope or doing a skin biopsy of the scalp) and proceed from there.

You want: Help for your thinning hair

Try eating more: Vitamin D and iron

Too little D could be contributing to your thinning. Researchers from Cairo University in Egypt compared serum ferritin (a way of measuring your body's iron stores) and vitamin D levels in women with hair loss with women who had healthy heads of hair and found that levels of the vitamin were as much as 121 percent lower among those with thinning. About 25 percent of people over the age of 1 included in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2001 and 2006 were at risk of having inadequate levels of the vitamin. To get more D in your diet (the RDA is 600 IU, or 15 mcg), try fish sources like salmon, sardines or canned tuna, or fortified dairy sources like milk and yogurt (look for ones specifically labeled as fortified with vitamin D).

If you're meeting your iron RDA (18 mg for women 19 to 50 years old and 8 mg for women 51 years and older), increasing your intake probably won't make a big difference. But if blood tests show that you're deficient, adding more iron to your diet may lead to a change for the better. When Korean researchers compared the serum ferritin levels of women with female-pattern hair loss to those without hair loss, they found that levels were an average of 45 percent lower among women losing their strands. Study author Jong Hee Lee, MD, at the department of dermatology at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, wrote in an email that his hair-loss patients have seen improvement with increases in iron intake. Your body absorbs iron from meat better than iron from plant sources, which is why the RDA for vegetarians is almost twice that for meat eaters, and beef is near the top of the list for iron content. Chicken and turkey are also good sources. For plant-based options, try beans, lentils or tofu. And keep in mind that it takes time for nutrient intake via food to affect hair growth, so stick with it for at least a few months to see any results, says Amy McMichael, MD, a professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

You want: More growth, and some shine wouldn't hurt 

Try eating more: Probiotics 

Inflammation can interfere with normal hair growth, and there's some research with animals suggesting that controlling inflammation by feeding your gut the right foods can counteract those damaging effects. A study in PLOS One reports that mice fed probiotics had more robust fur growth and shinier fur than mice in the control group, who didn't get any beneficial bacteria in their diets. Whitney Bowe, MD, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, in New York, recommends three servings per day of probiotic-rich foods and drinks like miso paste (found in miso soup), yogurt with live active cultures, kefir and kombucha. Or if you could also supplement that with Bios Life Probionic which contains 2 servings.

You want: A thicker head of hair 

Try eating more: Healthy fats and antioxidants 

A recent study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology suggests that the combination of essential fatty acids and free-radical-fighting antioxidants may have more benefits than either on their own. Of the 80 women who took a nutritional supplement containing a mix of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and antioxidants including vitamins E, C and lycopene, more than 87 percent reported having more hair on their heads and more than 86 percent said their individual strands became thicker at the sixth-month mark. (The researchers excluded women with nutritional deficiencies or health disorders that may have been a factor in subpar hair growth or might have interfered with the study's results.) Several researchers on the study came from a company co-created by L'Oréal that manufactured and marketed beauty supplements, but their findings bolster Bowe's advice: A diet that includes healthy fats and antioxidants can only mean good things for your health—and your hair.
It's not easy to watch the amounts of tomatoes (for the lycopene) or anti-oxidants plus omega fatty acids one consumes so I find it easier to just drink a Reserve Gel Pack a day as it contains tons of anti-oxidants as found in dark cherries, blueberries, grape seed and a lot more.

You want: More hair staying on your head 

Try eating more: Protein 

Most iron-rich foods are also good sources of protein, so if your iron intake is adequate, odds are your protein consumption is, too. But if you're getting a lot of your iron from relatively low-protein picks, like certain iron-fortified breakfast cereals, white rice or white bread, that may not be true. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, your body goes into rationing mode when protein intake is too low, and one of they ways the body cuts back on its protein needs is to shut down hair growth, resulting in hair loss. Once you get your protein intake back on track, your strands will follow suit. "It can take a little while to notice the effects of a lack of protein, but I see clients all the time who did a juice cleanse a month or two before they see me and now their hair is falling out," says Bowe. "And it's because there's usually no protein in those cleanses." Meeting the recommended intake of 46 grams per day for women is likely enough to maintain hair health. Getting a mix of lean meats (a 3-ounce piece of chicken, beef or pork generally has about 20 grams), eggs (a large one has 6 grams of protein), Greek yogurt (one non-fat container can pack up to 17 grams) and nuts (a small handful of almonds has 6 grams) will help you reach that goal.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/style/Best-Foods-For-Healthy-Hair#ixzz3yY5uRdAB

WellnessYogi RESET 2015 is over!

On 11 July morning, it started drizzling at 6.30am and we organisers were praying really hard that the rain would dissipate by the time it came for the Sunrise Yoga session at 8am. Thankfully, the heavens heard our prayer and it was a lovely morning!

Sunrise Yoga Instructor, Fen Leong

The event kicked off with our Sunrise Yoga session, led by Fen Leong, who has been teaching yoga and pilates for the past 10 years. It was definitely invigorating as our participants went through a series of sun salutations as well as some pilates moves throughout the one and a half hour session.

After the yoga session, the audience were treated to juice tasting by Daily Juice and learnt about how juicing helps to cleanse the body of toxins by introducing more vitamins and minerals. Good news for our members and readers, you can get 10% off Daily Juice with the promo code wellnessyogi_DJ_10.  You can purchase online at www.dailyjuice.sg and choose whether to pick it up from their store or delivered to your place.

Dr Satnam Tripathi

Did you know that Yoga can be used to treat certain health conditions? While sipping on the juices, the attendees learnt how certain poses are used to help improve conditions such as asthma and even heart diseases! The audience listened with rapt attention and were busy asking questions as they too would like to prevent certain diseases from occurring while also coping with certain existing ones.

As the day went on, the temperature also increased and we were saved by the delicious ice cold Soyato - a premium non-dairy ice cream that is guilt-free as each mini tub was only 100 calories! Our kind friends at Soyato gave us an assortment of flavours such as Cookies & Cream, Salted Butterscotch and Red Velvet! Fret not if you didn't get a chance to sample these during WellnessYogi RESET as Soyato is kindly extending a 20% discount to our readers. Promo code and link can be found below:

The events went back in full swing in the afternoon when our Make up artist, Mia Yeh, came to talk about how to use make up to Reset One's Youth.

One of our attendees was even given a make 'over' on the spot. Wouldn't really call it a make over because she was gorgeous to begin with but Mia managed to show how 'natural' effects can be achieved but yet enhanced through make up. As she always says, "The natural look is actually the hardest to achieve with make up."

Senior consultant from Trichokare, Alysha Ng

Besides the face, you need to reset your youth with your crowning glory too! Senior consultant from Trichokare, Alysha Ng, then continued the afternoon beauty segment by talking about hair care and why hair loss occurs as well as how to prevent it. There was a quiz segment where some of our lucky attendees walked away with prizes after answering a few questions on hair.

Taiji session

The day eventually cooled down and we had a breezy Taiji session led by Master Sim Pern Yiau of Wu Tu Nan Taiji and when he saw the lovely view of the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade, Master Sim decided to abandon the stage and faced all the participants towards the waters. Young and old joined in the session and the young were most intrigued when they physically felt their own 'qi'!

The taiji ended just as the National Day Parade Preview started and we could see the jets and helicopters fly above us. At 7.30pm, we were treated to wonderful firework display while all of us ate our dinners under our tent.

Night soon came and it seemed like our little session attracted a lot of onlookers! Our YOGA sign also received a lot of attention as both our participants and passers by starting taking photos with it.

The end of the fireworks display also marked the start of our highlight and final programme - the Kalari yoga.

Amanda brought her 'tribe' with her to demonstrate on stage and she definitely brought a flow to the crowd. There was a certain hum and peace to the whole yoga experience but yet the participants were definitely energised. As an organiser, we merely soaked in the atmosphere and were eternally thankful that it ended with such aplomb. Several participants went up to Amanda after the session to tell them how much they enjoyed her flow. Great stuff!

We're so grateful to everyone who made this event a success! We definitely could not have done it without all of you. Onto our next event - Beauty Week in November!!

Jonsson Protein - Sometimes, Persistence Is Not Key (No Hard Sell For Me)

It's the 3rd or 4th time that I've received a call from Jonsson to redeem a free trial hair care session and the 'excuse' this time round was SG50. See...I told you that more people were jumping onto the SG50 bandwagon.

Pardon the horrible photo above. Don't know why it didn't turn up as landscape. Anyway, I finally caved in for this session at Jonsson for 2 reasons: I wanted to do a comparison between as many hair loss treatment centres in Singapore and the telemarketer assured me that there wouldn't be any hard selling. She also told me that it would take only 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs.

I arrived at 11.15 am and it started off well enough with the usual procedure where they take your profile and ask you tons of questions regarding your hair history:

• Have you sought other treatments? Yes, I've gone to Trichokare, Yun Nam, Bee Choo and am using Phyto shampoo and cold laser.
• When did you start noticing your hair loss?
• Do you like spicy and oily/fried foods?

Yadayadayada...anyway, onto the scan!
  

Compare the above to the one that I took at Trichokare:

Me wonders whether the sales consultant at Jonsson zoomed in onto the thinning portion on purpose. After the scan, I heard the usual spiel about how my scalp is oily and that I need to control the oil before hair regrowth could be tackled. So far so good.

I then listened for the next 45 min (yes, I looked at my phone's clock) about how hair follicles work and how Jonsson uses a special protein named VE protein to target hair regrowth. Apparently, the VE protein molecules are so small that the hair follicles will absorb them upon application. Cue the eye roll because as we all know, protein can only be 'absorbed' by being broken down into amino acids and then your body decides where the amino acids are going to and what sort of proteins it'll build. If the protein in this serum is really 'absorbed' by the hair follicles, I reckon its more like nutrients rather than protein.

So...in that 45 min "consultation" period, there was a bit of naysay-ing against Bee Choo by the sales woman (Bee Choo might be quite irritated to know that said sales consultant said that Bee Choo uses henna) before I was marketed a package of 10 sessions for the grand price of $1.5k or so. I gave my usual line of "it's too expensive" and they countered by asking me to get 5 sessions instead. To which, I replied that I don't like make up my mind even before the trial treatment is finished! A little more back and forth before she relented the hard selling (I was starting to get a bit pissed off) and brought me to the treatment room at about noon.
 

Oh look! I've got my own private room! I later learnt from the assistant consultant that they have a couple of private rooms for Muslim females who do not want to reveal their hair to the public/men and it's also useful for those who just want to sleep while their heads are getting massaged and steamed. I found this really thoughtful! This is something that I have yet to see at the other places that I've been to.

This consultant gave me a really awesome shoulder and head massage *thumbs up*, which helped me really start to relax after the slightly distasteful hard selling by her senior. This was their special shampoo to cleanse the oil from the scalp.

After the shampoo was washed off, a serum of sorts was applied onto my scalp with a brush before I went under the steamer.

I was quite amused by the boxy steamer which has a cloth 'wrap' and again, the design made sense because this eliminated dripping along my face.

For refreshments, I was served a glass of their protein drink and the nice consultant naively told me that the protein in this drink goes immediately to the hair. If you have a stunned face before breaking into laughter, that was me (minus the laughter) and I went on to explain to her the basics of digestion of protein to amino acids etc. Despite my scientific explanation, she didn't believe me. I wonder what they've been teaching their consultants and then to their clients...what a sharp contrast to what Trichokare's senior consultant, Alysha Ng, said during WellnessYogi RESET on Saturday.

Everything was really fine until they took this moment of my head being steamed to try and hard sell me once more! The sales woman tried to sell me the package again and said things like "I know that money is an issue so I've spoken to my manager and we can get you a smaller package where each session is only $56." Dodgy, no? How are you able to suddenly drop your session from $150 to $56 if there's no special promotion?

With my look of disbelief, Ms. Hardsell shoved me a book of all of their testimonials and the typical before/after photos. I honestly do believe that their treatments are probably effective for most of their customers and getting testimonials from them is a piece of cake. However, she forgot that she's trying to market to a marketer, which is something that I had blatantly told her right from the start when she asked me what my occupation was (Marketing Manager).

Now, I had 2 work crises happening at the same time at the very same moment although I was on leave. Moreover, I had promised to meet my biz partner at 1.30pm. It was already 1.15pm when they started bombarding me. Stressed me kept emphasising that I needed to leave and meet someone at 1.30pm and guess what was her reaction?

"That's why I'm here discussing with you while you're having your treatment. Just pass me your credit card and I'll process it for you. All you need to do is to sign and then once we're done you can just leave."

*Jaw drops*

Again, I told her that I didn't want to buy ANY package and that I prefer to pay each time I visit the store. I also mentioned that I was very stressed and therefore, was not in the right frame of mind to make any decisions when it came to this. Goodness knows how many times we both repeated our usual lines. What really took me off the edge was when she told me that I needed to "give myself a chance". My response? Yeah...I'm giving myself a chance, which is why I'm here in the first place? Moreover, I'm giving myself LOTS of hair regrowth chances by all the various products that I purchase. Oh...so she changed tactics and said that I needed to give Jonsson a chance. Uh huh...isn't the fact that I'm there trying out their treatment equaling the fact that I'm giving them a chance to prove their treatment's awesomeness to me? (-_-)

So...with my super black face on, she realised that there was NO way that I was going to buy a package from her so Ms. Hardsell decided to be really cute and tried selling me their hair tonic and shampoo. For the very lovely price of $190-something. Seriously?

She repeated her whole "give me your credit card..." line. I kept quiet. I thought my resting bitch face would be enough clue to her that I'm not buying that stuff. If you can't convince, then confuse - that was her final strategy. She went, "So ok? Just pass me your credit card and I'll pack this up for you." I was angry but I controlled myself as my hair was being blown dry by the young consultant. When I remarked that I really didn't like being forced to buy something, her reply was one of slight shock before going, "Not forcing!! Forcing is like putting a knife to you and making you buy!" Tell me...what's the difference with her hard selling/ guilt-tripping sales strategy and resorting to selling me tonics? Isn't it obvious that her bottom line was that she MUST make a sale then and there, whatever the tactic was? Aiyoh...how much is her comms? Maybe I should've told her, "I'll just pay you the comms to shut you up, ok?"

I had to make a phone call in the midst of her hard selling and the hair blowing to try and resolve one of the work crises. They finally left the room to give me some privacy. This made me also think whether that is why they put me in a private room - to try to sell me something and if I throw any tantrums, none of their regulars will be affected. Hmm.

Anyway, as it was already 1.35pm, I couldn't be bothered with my half-blown hair and proceeded to walk out of the room. To their shock, they asked me to go back to the room as they hadn't applied the tonic. I thought that she'd relent and stop with the hard selling but she persisted and still asked me to give myself a chance. *Groan* I've gotta give it to her for persistence though.

Honestly, this is pretty similar to a lot of spa salons and other treatment centres and the industry really needs to change their sales strategy! This is also another HUGE factor as to why I started Passhen. I want this hard sell culture to end. I want consumers to feel safe and free of hassle when they want to try quality services/products from merchants.

Needless to say, I'm not going back to Jonsson's anytime soon.

Jonsson Protein's website: http://www.jonssonprotein.com.sg/

Treats From Trichokare!

Specially for Passhen users as well as those on WellnessYogi's mailing list! Don't say that we don't share good deals! Head onto www.tk-hair.com/wellnessyogi to enjoy the super good deal!

What Is Pásshen and Why Did I Set It Up?

That's my new company's logo and it's pronounced like 'passion'. Not pass-hen. Interesting feedback on the name though. 5 people (the parents included) mispronounced it while 1 friend was even more appalled than I was at people mispronouncing it!

Anyway, back to the story behind Pásshen. As you've probably guessed, it is a play on the word 'passion' and 'pash' is a short form as well as a slang for passion too.

Be The Best Of You

If you head onto www.passhen.com, you'll realise that it's an e-booking system for all your spa, beauty and wellness needs. That tagline represents what I hope to achieve and that's my real passion. After going through my 1 month no-pay leave and making serious changes in my life, I realise that I  want to give women who are tired, stressed and feeling plain ole crappy, an avenue to easily find ways to unwind and just relax.

Which is the same principle as to why my friend and I started WellnessYogi RESET. It was not easy when we first started this project but now that the schedule has fallen into place, I must say that I'm heckulluva proud of ourselves! I wanted the programme to be holistic. Not only focusing on yoga, although it was key, but also reaching out to people who need a day to themselves. So...the schedule is now like this:

8am        Sunrise Yoga
9.30am   Chill out with juice
10am      Learn how Yoga can be used to treat illnesses
12 noon  Picnic lunch with non-dairy ice cream
2pm        Make up workshop
2.45pm   Hair wellness workshop
5.30pm   Taiji intro workshop
8pm        Kalari Yoga

Some people need to feel good on the outside before it shows on the inside while others need to feel good on the inside before it shows on the outside. Therefore, our programme is for everyone!! Haha...

Anyway, because I feel so strongly about this, I've got GREAT news for all of you. If you sign up as a member of Pásshen (it's FREE btw), you'll get 20% off WellnessYogi RESET!

How does this work?

1. Go to www.passhen.com and sign up as a member
2. Book an 'appointment' for WellnessYogi RESET
3. An email with the discount code with the discount link will be sent to you

So...I'll see all of you on Sat, 11 Jul at the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade!!

Pampering & Relaxing Hair Care with TK Trichokare

In my quest for more hair, as I've mentioned in another post, I've got a full on strategy on how to combat my hair loss problem and I figured that there's no harm in trying out another herbal remedy that's available.

TK Trichokare has been in Singapore since 2005 and unlike their competitors Yun Nam and Bee Choo (both of which I've gone to and still occasionally go to), Trichokare uses European herbs instead of Chinese herbs. Also, they have a group of Trichologists who work with them to train their staff as well as validate the efficacy of the chemicals and ingredients used in their treatments.

I was invited to try out their Puri-Scalp treatment (S$69.99 for 1st timers but my readers can get it at S$59 here) and you know that their business is booming when it was soo hard to fix a weekday night appointment with them. I finally managed to get a slot last Wed at their Orchard Gateway branch.

When you step in, you realise that it does not have any distinctive herbal smell. In fact, it smells too...normal? The decor definitely sets it apart from the very utilitarian set up of both Yun Nam and Bee Choo.

Was led into a consultation room with a computer and scanner. This is where I normally will have my guard up and be prepared to be hard sold on how hair follicles work and how unhealthy my scalp is yada yada yada....

My consultant and therapist, En En, was really nice and I was totally upfront with her about my recent trip to Bee Choo on Sunday to colour my grey hair as well as to help curb the hair loss. In fact, she was so cool about it and there wasn't any bitching about the competitors or the typical "what makes us different is ____" speech.

This is the result of my 1st scan. Top left scan showed that I do have some oil blocking up some hair follicles and some areas of my scalp was really greasy. Also, I was quite amazed at how the herbs from Bee Choo was still staining my scalp!

The consultant then told me that oily scalp and hair loss is quite common and for most clients, she recommends going for weekly scalp treatments (if you're already on a hair treatment programme) to first stablise the oil glands on the scalp before they go into the hair growth treatment. Rationale is this: if you don't get rid of the oil/dandruff, your follicles are not going to be able to absorb the treatment and hair loss will still continue.

Good news is that my follicles are generally healthy. Only issue was the greasy scalp plus the baby hair growing is getting thinner and thinner because of the oil clogs. So...it is important for me to have a clean scalp!

I then went on about my Hair Max and cold laser (yes...I am so honest...just to catch people off guard) and I was pleasantly surprised when En En said that Trichokare used to use it but stopped for reasons unbeknownst to her. She then told me to use it immediately after I've applied my hair tonic (yes, she knew that it was from Bee Choo) to encourage further absorption of the tonic.

I also asked what's the usual "package" (oops...kinda bordering on being a trick question) where she said that it depends on individual clients' needs as well as response to the treatment. Most important was to first regulate the scalp before working on strengthening the hair and then increase density.

With that, it was onto the treatment area!

Looks like a typical hairdresser salon, no? But what struck me was this: no herbal smell! My therapist told me that it's probably because instead of boiling down the herbs and fermenting it, Trichokare products are made from the extraction of the herbal essences. In other words, they extract what actually helps with the hair growth and prevents hair loss from the herbs instead of using it lock, stock and barrel.

My therapist soon came along to slather my scalp with the scalp purifying solution with what looks strangely like a paint brush. The solution had a very light floral herbal scent from the European botanicals. Think more Ricola as opposed to Hock___ Herbal Medical Hall. After which, I was given a very relaxing head massage before I was left to my own devices for the next 10 min.

When bored, take selfie with horrible hair. Haha...anyway, I felt a slight itch on my scalp after a couple of minutes. According to the therapist, it is normal and some clients even described it as tingly or stinging. Why? Apparently, this scalp purifying treatment is working on the oil on my scalp as well as the oil globules coming out from the glands under the skin.

Soon, it was off to the washing area to shampoo this all off and that's where the pampering began. My hair was shampooed twice and each round came with a head massage. 3 massages within a short span of time! Can't complain. My therapist also took a lot of time to use her fingers to separate my hair before conditioning it. It was not rushed and she really took her time when she encountered any knots.

Back at my seat, the pampering continued by a warm herbal 'pillow' (with a few drops of essential oil) that wrapped around my shoulders and my therapist gave me a shoulder massage while waiting for the towel to absorb more moisture from my hair. Those pillows are imported from overseas and you can purchase one from the shop for S$129 and enjoy some warm relief on the shoulders at home.

She thoroughly dried my hair before adding tonic as she mentioned that you should ensure that you apply tonic to a dry scalp so that it's not diluted and fully absorbed by your hair follicles. When she felt how dry my hair tips were, she even added serum!

While this was all going on, she told me how many of her colleagues were former hair stylists before moving to learn more about hair wellness. Thus, if you find out that your therapist is one of these former hair stylists, you definitely can ask them for tips on cutting certain hair styles to better cover up those bald spots while looking sassy, ;)

My therapist definitely learnt quite a bit from her colleagues because her blow dry techniques were very professional. Quite a contrast to the random drying I keep experiencing at Bee Choo and had experienced at Yun Nam (don't talk to me about how some of the YN therapists messed up my hairstyle).

After making my hair perfectly straight and bouncy, I was wrapped by the octopus of anti-bacterialism. Ok, that's not a proper word. I just coined it. This contraption is to kill off any germs and bacteria because we all know how much they love water and how they're evil to hair follicles. 'Nuff said.

It's back to the consultation room after the treatment for another scan. The top 2 images are the before while the bottom 2 are the after pictures. As you can see, their puri-scalp treatment got rid of the oil and brown stain from my scalp, something that my shampoo could not do for the past 3 days! Unfortunately, some stubborn oil blobs are still on my scalp but that's why it takes about a month or so for the scalp to be perfectly clean and balanced before further treatments can take place.

Besides the pampering and relaxation, the best thing about my trip to Trichokare was that there was NO hard sell. They let you know your options and that they scan your scalp at every session so as to track your scalp progress and customise your treatments.

A day after the treatment, my scalp was visibly less oily throughout the whole day! I was warned that the opposite may happen because the herbal solution sometimes is very effective at extracting oil from the oil glands, encouraging expulsion so that it can be washed away through shampoo. My scalp was less itchy and I saw fewer strands of hair in the shower! Needless to say, I am very happy with this trial session and I might have to visit them again. Especially when I can get another session for $39 and the following one at a $90 discount. Details below:

Trichokare is a Gold Sponsor at WellnessYogi RESET on 11 July where they will talk more about Hair Care and wellness at their 2.45pm workshop. In addition, they have a few special treats for attendees:

1. Early birds will get a complimentary Puri-Scalp Treatment AND the chance to win $500 worth of Capitaland Vouchers when they fill in the lucky draw form on the day itself!
2. Full Day Pass holders will get a $90 discount voucher for the Puri-Scalp Treatment + Detox + Scalp Therapy (U.P. S$388) and a free home care kit with an anti-static hair brush

If you're not going for the workshop, join us at the Wellness Bazaar that is open to the public as Trichokare will also have special prices JUST for the day! Instead of the usual S$69.99 as mentioned earlier (as well as on their website), you can get a trial session of Puri-Scalp Treatment + Detox + Scalp Therapy for only S$39!

For my readers who can't make it down to the event, fret not. You'll get a discount too. You can also get a trial session of the Puri-Scalp Treatment + Detox + Scalp Therapy for S$59 when you click this LINK.

Go on...challenge the science behind hair growth and start your own hair and scalp care regime.