Step inside any salon and you’ll soon realise that there’s certainly no shortage of shampoos, conditioners and at-home treatment masques that promise healthy, shiny hair. But if you’ve ever questioned whether your current routine is really living up to the hype, you’re probably not alone. Shinier, healthier, more manageable hair might be something we all yearn for but, according to Kérastase education manager Grainne McGlade, most of us are guilty of forgetting that great hair starts with a healthy scalp. “That’s where a lot of people make mistakes when purchasing hair care, they only think about the hair. They’re buying for their coloured hair or their dry hair.”
Realising that you have compromised scalp health isn’t always straightforward. McGlade says that it’s usually only when we notice dandruff or experience scalp tightness or itchiness that we think something might be wrong. “If people have dandruff flakes they will notice it straightaway. But you can have mild dandruff and not notice too much. It’s the same with sensitivity, you might have sensitivity but only really start to notice it when the scalp becomes itchy or really tight,” McGlade explains. Untreated, scalp problems can lead to a slew of hair problems including hair loss and a decrease in radiance and shine.
New frontier
“Our main approach when we’re trying to diagnose someone’s hair is that we look at the scalp first,” McGlade says. “If the scalp isn’t healthy, then the hair isn’t going to be in optimum condition.” Enter Kérastase’s latest innovation: the Kérastase diagnostic camera. And while it’s always been Kérastase’s focus to assess scalp health, the diagnostic camera, which has the ability to magnify hair up to 600 times, makes the job not only a whole lot easier and accurate, but personalised too.
“Essentially it’s like a microscope for your hair and scalp,” explains McGlade. “For your scalp, the key things we are always looking for is dandruff, excess sebum and sensitivity.” While the naked eye might miss mild scalp irritation and sensitivity, which could become a bigger problem down the track, by using the camera your stylist is then able to assess exactly what’s going on.
To paint a full picture of your overall hair health – and to prescribe the best hair-care routine for you and your locks – your stylist will also take a photo of your strands. Hair strand diameter is measured and hair fibre health is assessed for erosion, dryness and shine. “We look at erosion to assess damage which could be from a chemical process such as colour or it can be mechanical damage, from hair dryers or heated tools,” explains McGlade. “When the hair gets damaged those cuticles start to lift and that’s when more damage can get inside.” Once the diagnosis is complete – which only takes around five to 10 minutes – the tool recommends an at-home hair-care prescription and can also recommend a Fusio Dose treatment to suit your needs.
Bespoke service
Kérastase’s in-salon Fusio Dose treatment takes personalised hair care a step further. Forget a one-fix-for-all approach: the quick treatment is whipped up according to your own hair concerns and needs, explains McGlade. With 20 different treatment combinations made up from four different concentrates and five different boosters, there’s not a hair type that Fusio Dose isn’t right for. Concentrates address primary hair concerns and the boosters address secondary concerns. Colour-treated hair, dry hair, weakened hair, frizzy hair and thinning hair can all be treated using Fusio Dose. And if your hair is already in healthy condition, the treatment is perfect for adding some extra shine and moisture.
Fusio Dose treatments start at $40. Visit hair-salons.kerastase.com to find your nearest Kérastase salon.