Interview with Vladimir Vavilov

Doctor-thrichologist, PhD in Medicine, member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology, member of the board "Professional Trichologist Society".
Blog: Hair Care Tips |
1. Many women over 30 y.o. (every second) begin to deteriorate the condition of the hair - loss, thinning, loss of vitality. What are the main reasons? In what cases is it worth contacting a trichologist, and when can you wait out?
It is better to immediately seek help from specialists if a person notices excessive hair loss. The causes of loss among women can be completely different, but, commonly, this occurs because of hormonal changes. The predominance or production of male sex hormones in a woman's body (for example, due to the use of steroids) usually stimulates the growth of hair on the body, however, the opposite situation is on the head: the head follicle reacts paradoxically to the male sex hormone, as a result of which loss occurs. The older a woman gets, the tougher the hair loss can be, as the production of androgens (male steroid hormones) becomes more active. Also, the lack of vitamins, building elements in the body, stress factors - can harm hair health. 
2. For the first time, many women face the problem of hair loss after childbirth. How long does it take to restore hair after childbirth? What tools and procedures would you recommend to speed up recovery?
Abundant hair loss is natural during pregnancy and after childbirth, and is even called "innocent hair loss". The recovery process is individual and can take from 8-9 months. It even plays a role in whether the pregnancy is natural or is it IVF. Also, when restoring hair for a woman who has given birth, most medicine should be avoided, since she is lactating. Thus, the range of recommendations is narrowed, as it is unsafe for a nursing mother. Often vitamins prescribed by the gynecologist only contain the elements necessary for the restoration of the woman's body, including hair. There are also various complexes, like Nurkrin, based on proteoglycans, which can be consumed by nursing mothers. 
3. What cosmetics should be used to combat hair loss and thinning? Does shampoo affect hair growth and how to choose it correctly? Or is it worth using more "advanced" products, such as serums, etc.?
The shampoo has no time to effect hair growth because it is applied to the scalp, and then quickly rinsed off. The follicle is located deep enough in the skin and shampoo does not have time to penetrate and produce any effect. The shampoo function is to create favorable conditions for the action of other medicinal substances and to remove excess sebum, normalizing the scalp flora.
Therefore, when choosing a shampoo, first of all, you should focus on ensuring that it has an excellent cleansing effect. As a rule, trichologists include sulfate shampoos with a seborrheic effect in the care to provide competent cleansing. For example, Valdoré Revitalizing Shampoo combines these qualities: it cleanses gently and efficiently while having a mild composition. Few such shampoos maintain a balance of gentle form and competent cleansing.
 
4. What, in your opinion, are the most progressive components in the composition of hair cosmetics that work?
What is of particular interest are the molecules of Prokapil, Copexil, Biotenol - everything that is in the composition of Valdoré products is relevant among the newest formulas.
 
5. What ingredients should be avoided in hair care products?
Globally, there is no specific “stop list” for the use of hair products. Several substances can cause irritation or an allergic reaction, such as betaine or Cocamidopropyl. But this is purely individual. Usually, these substances are not used in hypoallergenic shampoos.
 
6. Among hair product consumers are ardent opponents of silicones and sulfates in cosmetics: are they that harmful?
There is now a tendency to avoid sulfates. When, in fact, there is no harmful effect in them, sulfates are active surfactants that trap dirt particles. Sulfates were not very fortunate as they were the first active substances to be used in shampoos. Before they arrived, people used to wash their heads with soap, which made the hair dull, gray, and heavy due to heavy metals when combined with water. This combination made the hair heavy.
Later, sulfates appeared, but society always strives for something new, and the old proven method with sulfates has turned into anathema. Initially, sulfate-free shampoos were created for baby use as they are softer in composition. However, these shampoos are incapable of cleaning an adult head.
Silicone, in turn, is a conditioning agent. If you buy shampoos that have conditioning properties, as volumizing shampoos, they will contain silicone. It creates aeration of the hair and makes combing easier after washing. Actually, they do not harm your hair.
 
7. There are very controversial statements about hair oils. Do they help restore hair? And if so, which ones are most effective? How would you recommend using them?
It is essential to be aware that any herbal component as oil can be a potential allergen. Oils are used to facilitate combing and to externally improve the condition of the hair shaft. You should not expect a medicinal, therapeutic effect from them. It's one thing if we talk about oil extracts in the product formula composition, and it's quite another thing for pure oils. There are refined oils that are less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Although products created using dwarf palm oil extract are gaining popularity, it is true that here we are talking about processed molecules that have antiandrogenic effects.
The active rise in oils popularity can be explained by the popularization of "bio" hair-care products. And I strongly recommend being careful with it, as no one knows for sure how oils reflect human health.
 
8. Is it possible to stop hair loss without complex use, only with the help of medical cosmetics?
It all depends on the type of hair loss of each patient. In some cases, whatever the potential of products against hair loss is, it will not work without additional nutrition and vitamins. This approach may work for mild, stressful forms, where cosmetics are more likely to function as a stimulant. But if a person has an iron deficiency, he will not improve the situation except by replenishing this component. With seasonal hair loss, cosmetics, of course, can play a leading role in the care.
 
9. If medical cosmetics in conjunction with vitamins and proper nutrition do not give results, what procedures could you recommend today?
The treatment course may not help the patient in a case when the specialist's recommendations are not efficiently respected. Otherwise, it is the treatment that may not be competent. Sometimes it is undoubtedly complicated to find an ideal course at once. The treatment process is also a scrupulous, individual selection of the most suitable remedies for everyone. There are many procedures like meso and plasma therapy, stromal-vascular fraction, but you always need to understand a person's diagnosis and the specificity of his clinical condition.
 
10. Many girls are now doing additional procedures for hair and scalp care: botox and keratin. What do you think about the effectiveness of these procedures? And are there any nuances in the selection of cosmetics after these procedures?
Such procedures are more likely to moisturize the hair shaft, which refers more to the hairdressing business than to the medical part. They can smooth out the consequences after staining or any other aggressive action on the shaft. The hair treatment process is quite complicated as hair is a very slowly growing structure. The process of growth in the active phase on average lasts from 5 to 6 years.
Therefore, I doubt that these procedures can solve the problem of crucially damaged roots. It is more about a visual, external effect than about solving the problem from the inside. Keratin and botox treatments provide a temporary moisturizing effect, smoothing hair scales, but this will not last long, and unlikely to be a panacea.
To choose products for a damaged hair shaft means using more delicate sulfate-free shampoos. The complex should include after-washing elements to facilitate combing: either a rinse-off form, like a mask, or an indelible form like a serum.
 
11. Can men and women use the same hair loss products? 
Often, hair loss products for men and women are different. What is the difference between the approach to the treatment of alopecia for men and women? Can men and women use the same hair loss products?
The difference lies only in the way of attracting customers. the marketing aspect is more in priority since the growth stimulants are the same for both men and women. For example, if we take Minoxidil drug, for women we use the 5% form in the same way as for men, just the dosage is slightly different: in the case of men, the use of this substance is estimated twice a day, whereas women take it once a day.
Dosages may vary, and in general, men and women may use the same alopecia remedies. However, there are groups of drugs that are contraindicated for lactating women.
 
12. There are many anti-hair loss products on the market, which only consist of natural compounds. And some products combine "naturalness" with high-tech synthesized components (for example - copexil). What do you think are the advantages (or disadvantages) of both products for hair loss treatment? Should you focus on naturalness?
Frankly, there are no natural products. After all, we do not "smear ash on our heads", which is called natural "bio". As well as there are myths about masks with burdock oil, the effectiveness of which is very doubtful.
Any natural bio-ingredient preserved in a container has a certain amount of chemicals and preservatives. It is impossible to get rid of the chemical composition as everything reacts and interacts. Therefore, in scientific trichology, we focus on the effectiveness and safety, confirmed by clinical studies. As well as we count on the data which has a scientific basis. From this point of view, it is hard to objectively assess the productivity of the super-natural compilation of essential oils. Therefore, in scientific meaning, high-tech molecules are more relevant for us.
 
13. How do you feel about the use of stem cell technology in cosmetics? How effective can they be in treating hair loss?
Discussing stem cells in cosmetics, we mean meristem cells, plant cells. Being donor cells in plants, they carry some biological potential that they can transfer to animal cells. Several types of research have demonstrated that apple and other plants' meristem can produce a protective function on skin cells. Therefore, I believe that this is a promising direction in medicine and cosmetology.
 
14. What do you think of Valdoré products and the composition of the Valdoré Intensive Hair Loss Program?
I have a highly positive impression of the Valdoré collection, as it contains several very relevant items. They are plant meristems (stem) cells that carry a stimulating function on hair growth. The composition contains Copexil and Prokapil. Due to its antiandrogenic effect, Prokapil reduces the negative influence of male hormones on the follicle but does not hurt the body like many antiandrogens.
Copexil, in turn, performs protective and stimulating functions, and also affects the vascular link around the follicle.
Therefore, I appreciated your composition and the products themselves are very appealing and relevant. Valdoré care has a scientific basis and experimental history, which is valuable. It is significant for trichologists to have in their arsenal cosmetic products that we can offer to our patients, either as an addition to the main therapy or as an alternative to therapy when it comes to mild hair loss.
But for Valdoré Intensive Hair Loss Program, medications like minoxidil can be avoided.
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