Hair loss and thinning – the common condition that women don’t talk about

hair lossIt will happen to half of all women at some point in their lives, but now a new poll of more than 4,000 people in the UK* suggests hair loss and thinning is the ultimate taboo.

The research by Viviscal hair supplements, reveals the lengths men and women will go to in disguising their hair loss. Tricks include colouring in their scalp with a pen and rubbing coffee into their scalp to hide the tell-tale signs.

The main causes of hair loss are thought to be lifestyle factors, such as stress, crash diets, hair extensions and also pregnancy.

The research also reveals the impact that our hair has on our lives with four fifths (80%) saying a good hair day would affect their mood, while a third (34%) say a bad hair day would make them feel self-conscious.

Despite more than half of those questioned saying they feel their hair loss makes them more self-conscious, more than two thirds (69%) have never used any treatment to help them with their thinning hair.

A new statistically significant clinical study in to Viviscal’s drug and hormone free marine supplements has shown promising results for people who experience hair loss or hair thinning, with the trial showing that a two-a-day supplement reduces hair shedding and increases hair thickness, and that women on the trial saw improvement in overall hair volume.**

*Stress is the most common cause of female hair loss, accounting for 34% cases, followed by the hormonal changes after pregnancy, accounting for 22% cases.

**25% of women say they spend 15 minutes on their hair every day, while one in ten (12%) take 30 minutes and 3% even admit to taking an hour.

Most Common Job For Women ‘Same as in the 1950s’. Progress? What Progress?

charlize theron oscars 2013

Today may be International Women’s Day but nothing proves we still have a long way to go than the results of the latest US Census. Being a secretary is still the number one job for women in the US. Four million Americans are working as ‘secretaries and admin assistants’ and 96% of those are women.

Nothing is more depressing for equality than the fact that the most common job for women is the same than in the 1950s. Only 16.6% of women in America hold board-level jobs. In fact, globally, only 10% of workers in executive position are female. A rather depressing statistic.

It is not much better in the UK, which this excellent article from the BBC highlights. They say:

Fewer than a third of the UK’s most influential jobs are held by women, figures compiled by BBC News show.

Women occupy on average 30.9% of the most senior positions across 11 key sectors analysed by the BBC, including business, politics and policing.

The armed forces and judiciary have the fewest women in top posts – 1.3% and 13.2% respectively – while secondary education has the most (36.7%).

Campaign group the Fawcett Society said progress was still too slow.

“Men outnumber women by four to one in Parliament and only a third of local councillors are women,” the group’s Preethi Sundaram said.

“When we look at the top quarters of power in the political world there are only five women there out of 22… It’s quite an appalling fact really.”

According to the BBC News website’s findings, women represent

1.3% of brigadiers (or their equivalent) and above across the Army, Navy and RAF
13.2% of the most senior judges (High Court and above, including Senators of the College of Justice in Scotland)
14.2% of university vice-chancellors
16.6% of the most senior staff in the police (Acpo ranks and above)
34.7% of the senior civil service

This should be highlighted today and not forgotten. How many articles have you read with a successful women and they always ask them how they juggle having kids with a career, or if it is possible to? They don’t really ask men this question. That is the main problem. Women are still expected to do the bulk of childcare. To have it all and be everything to everyone. A women who puts her career first is judged, but it takes two parents to raise a child.

I think it is time for a change. What do you think?