Hair Health Starts Long Before the Shower
When most people think about improving their hair, the instinct is to reach for a better shampoo, a richer mask, or a new treatment.
And while topical products absolutely matter, there’s a truth that becomes clear once you’ve spent enough time behind the chair.
Hair health doesn’t start in the shower. It starts in the bloodstream.
Hair is not essential for survival. When the body is under pressure, whether from stress, illness, hormones, medication, or nutritional shifts, it becomes one of the first places the body diverts resources away from.
The result may appear slowly at first:
More shedding than usual.
Hair that feels weaker or finer than it used to.
A ponytail that gradually feels less dense.
Hair that feels weaker or finer than it used to.
A ponytail that gradually feels less dense.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen more and more clients experiencing these changes. Sometimes it’s subtle shedding. Other times, the change is far more confronting, including dramatic bald patches triggered by an autoimmune response, such as conditions like alopecia areata.
Hair loss is rarely simple. It’s usually the body responding to something deeper happening internally.
Which is why we’ve introduced Glowwa Hair Food to Common Thread. Because sometimes the missing piece isn’t another product. Sometimes it’s internal support.
When It Happened to Me
Recently, I experienced hair shedding myself.
I had been dealing with some skin issues and was prescribed a long course of doxycycline. A few months into the treatment, I began noticing something that every hairdresser quietly dreads.
Running my hands through my hair and seeing strands left sitting in my palm.
If you’ve ever experienced shedding, you’ll know that moment. When you start wondering if you’re imagining it… and then realise you’re not.
When you already have fine hair, losing more can feel particularly confronting.
Even though I understand the science of hair loss, that moment is still unsettling.
Hair shedding can happen for many reasons:
Hormonal shifts
Postpartum recovery
Illness or medication
Nutritional deficiencies
Major stress
Perimenopause and menopause
Surgery or being under anaesthetic
Postpartum recovery
Illness or medication
Nutritional deficiencies
Major stress
Perimenopause and menopause
Surgery or being under anaesthetic
Often it isn’t one single factor. It’s the body responding to a perfect storm of internal changes.
Why Hair Sheds in the First Place
Hair growth is controlled by a complex system involving hormones, blood supply, immune responses, and the nervous system.
One particularly fascinating piece of the puzzle is the sympathetic nervous system, which forms part of the body’s stress response.
This network of nerves actually wraps directly around parts of the hair follicle. When the nervous system is affected, it can send signals that push hair prematurely into the shedding phase of the hair cycle.
This is why people often notice hair loss several months after periods of:
High stress
Illness or surgery
Emotional trauma
Hormonal shifts
Illness or surgery
Emotional trauma
Hormonal shifts
At the same time, hair follicles require a steady supply of nutrients to produce strong strands.
Hair is made primarily from proteins and amino acids, supported by vitamins and minerals that allow cells to grow and function properly. If those nutrients aren’t consistently available, the body simply prioritises other systems first.
Hair becomes optional.
A Pattern We’re Seeing More Often in the Salon
Something else we’ve quietly begun noticing behind the chair is an increase in hair shedding linked to GLP-1 medications, which are increasingly prescribed for weight management and metabolic health.
These medications can be incredibly effective for their intended purpose. However, rapid weight loss and shifts in appetite can sometimes change how the body processes and absorbs nutrients.
Hair follicles are extremely sensitive to these changes.
For some clients, shedding begins a few months after starting medication. The first signs are often subtle:
A part line that seems more visible than it used to be.
Hairlines that look lighter than they used to.
Strands turning up on clothing, pillows, and hairbrushes more often.
Hairlines that look lighter than they used to.
Strands turning up on clothing, pillows, and hairbrushes more often.
As hairdressers, we’re often the first people clients talk to about it. Not because we’re doctors, but because we see hair every day and we notice when patterns start appearing across many different people.
When the body stabilises and adjusts to the changes, the hair cycle usually resets, and new growth begins again.
Supporting the body nutritionally during this period can make a meaningful difference to how the hair recovers.
Why We Introduced Glowwa Hair Food
When we bring anything into Common Thread, whether it’s colour, treatments or retail, we look at it through a simple lens.
- Is it effective?
- Is it safe?
- Is it aligned with our clients’ lifestyle?
Glowwa stood out immediately.
The formulas are designed to support hair, skin, and nail health from the inside out, using carefully selected nutrients that nourish the systems responsible for healthy hair growth.
Another reason we love the range is that it’s iron-free, which means women with iron conditions can safely use it.
At Common Thread, we stock two options:
Glowwa Hair Food
Designed for women under 35 looking to support hair growth, strength, and overall hair vitality.
Glowwa Hair Food Meno
Created specifically for women over 35, supporting the hormonal shifts that often influence hair density, texture, and shedding.
Both formulas support the internal systems that influence hair health rather than simply treating symptoms.
Other Nutritional Support We Often Recommend
Supplements are never a replacement for good nutrition, but they can help support the body when extra demands are placed on it.
Alongside Glowwa Hair Food, two nutrients we often recommend clients discuss with their healthcare professional are:
Vitamin D
Low vitamin D levels are increasingly common and have been linked to hair shedding and immune system regulation.
Tyrosine
An amino acid involved in the production of proteins and pigments, which also plays a role in the body’s stress response and hair structure.
In combination with a balanced diet, these nutrients can help support the systems that promote healthy hair growth.
Who Hair Supplements Can Support
Hair supplements can be helpful for women experiencing:
- Increased shedding
- Fragile or weak hair
- Hair changes after illness or medication
- Postpartum hair loss
- Hormonal shifts
- Hair that feels dull, thin, or lacklustre
- They’re not about replacing great haircare.
- They’re about strengthening the foundation that hair grows from.
How Long Do Hair Supplements Take to Work
Hair growth operates on a slow biological cycle. The hair growth phase lasts months rather than weeks.
Most people begin noticing early changes around the three-month mark, often in the form of stronger strands, improved shine, or reduced shedding.
More visible density and regrowth tend to follow with consistent use over time.
Like skincare, supplements work best when they become part of a regular routine rather than a short-term experiment.
The Bigger Picture of Hair Health
Beautiful hair rarely comes down to one product. It’s a system:
A healthy scalp.
An intentional colour and cut.
Supportive haircare.
And sometimes the right nutritional support.
Supportive haircare.
And sometimes the right nutritional support.
Because hair isn’t just what you see in the mirror.
It’s the story your body is telling beneath the surface.
If you’ve been experiencing shedding or noticing changes in your hair, Glowwa Hair Food and Hair Food Meno are now available through Common Thread to support hair health from the inside out.
If you’re curious whether it might help you, you can explore the Glowwa range through our online store or simply ask us about it at your next appointment.
