There is no better feeling than when you're having a great hair day. If your locks look full and lustrous, and your hair is shiny and strong - you feel bullet proof. However, one in three women are not so lucky and good hair days are few and far between. Editor Trudi Brewer investigates a new once daily hair foam that promises to thicken your mane within months.

Hair loss is a common issue for women, and it can strike at any time. In fact, one in three women notice hair thinning or hair loss over the age of 30. According to Sydney-based dermatologist, Dr Eleni Yiasemides hair loss is a very emotional issue for women, with stress being the greatest contributor to this painful beauty dilemma. "There is a lot of shame associated with hair loss. However, it's common, I see women day in and day out in my practice experiencing thinning hair, and while there are cosmetic shampoo's and vitamins designed to address this issue, unfortunately they offer poor results."
Yiasemides says the common causes of female pattern hair loss are heredity, (polygenetic from both your parents), or telogen effluvium, a temporary hair loss caused when the hair is pushed out from the follicle and starts to shed. "Telogen effluvium is simply increased shedding, more than normal, the good news is that this type of hair loss will grow back." She says we lose around 100 hairs per day, from a normal scalp and hair growth cycle. "It's often caused by hormonal changes, stress, pregnancy and breastfeeding or if you have stopped taking the contraceptive pill." She adds that there are some common myths associated with hair loss that are simply not correct. "Diet, exercise and brushing your hair too often have no impact on hair thinning. In fact, many women avoid brushing their hair when it thins, thinking they will exasperate the issue. Not true, brushing is an excellent way to stimulate hair growth. The key thing to remember when hair is shedding is that it's not falling out it's being pushed out from the follicle," says Yiasemides.
Today there is some hope for women wanting to restore thick, lustrous locks. Women's Regaine Once a Day Foam is the latest scalp treatment to hit pharmacy shelves, and according to Yiasemides the active ingredient has shown some excellent results. "Women are great at camouflaging the look of thin hair with products and clever styling. A topical product that contains Minoxidil 5% is one option for reactivating the hair follicles to increase the hair growth phase, which encourages longer and thicker hair follicles over time." Women's Regaine Foam, is a once-a-day hair treatment, is a mousse-like consistency that you apply to dry or towel dry hair and massage it into the scalp and then style as normal. It's fast drying and doesn’t interfere with your regular hair care or styling routine. It's suitable for anyone, except those under 18, or if your hair has suddenly fallen out or scalp looks patchy. Also if your scalp is red, inflamed, irritated, or painful to touch, and if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

Women's Regaine Once A Day Foam

Women's Regaine One A Day Foam available in two-month supply, $86 or four-month supply, $130. Available at pharmacies nationwide including Life Pharmacy

How to style limp, fine hair

For anyone who craves volume in fine, lifeless hair Frenchie & Co stylist and co-director, Hannah Willmer shares her favourite tips.
1. Backcombing and teasing the roots of your hair adds volume, but using your straightening irons to create 'texture setting" takes that volume to the next level. You want to set your iron on a low to medium heat, take sections of hair throughout the top, or wherever you want a lift, and then backcomb the hair slightly. Next, clamp your iron on the hair close to the roots for a few seconds. Finally, add some volumising powder to add grip to the roots or hairspray, and using your fingers. finish your style, This technique will add lift and set your style for the day.
2. Having a shoulder length cut with some textured layering is a great way to boost volume in your style. With colour, balayage or highlights create deeper roots against lighter hair, which instantly gives the illusion of density in hair.
3. Look after your hair to retain your natural volume. Choose the right hair care products for your hair type help reduce limp, flat hair, and always use a heat protection product before using hot tools. Finally, avoid over washing or bleaching the hair as this will increase the chance of breakage.

Understanding how your hair grows

Without blinding you with science, hair is made up of a protein called keratin. The hair follicles in our scalp produce new hair cells, which push the old cells out through the surface of the scalp at the rate of about six inches a year. The average adult head has around 100,000 to 150,000 (depending on your ethnicity) what you may not know is that your hair naturally sheds up to 100 a day, and this is normal. Each follicle has a life cycle or phase which is known as the growth cycle. These include:
Anagen: This is the active hair growth stage and lasts between two to six years.
Catagen: Known as the transitional hair growth that only lasts between two to three weeks.
Telogen: This is the resting phase that lasts around two to three months. It's at the end of this stage that hair sheds and a new hair will appear, this is when you feel short little fluffy hairs close to the scalp. After these three phases this cycle starts all over again.