Celebrity hair colorist Rita Hazan has had a busy year. There’s the ridiculously popular pop-up at Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach, the long list of celeb clients (Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Katy Perry, Sydney Sweeney and Mariah Carey, to name a few), and the not-so-small-gig of running her eponymous New York salon and brand. With a million professional and personal tasks on the agenda (she also has a young son), the hair guru has no other choice but to be running at full speed.
One minor speed bump in the road this past September: Some “very serious hormonal hair shedding,” as she describes it. At the first onset of her experience, the hair expert turned to another hair expert: New York hair-restoration specialist Benjamin Paul, MD and the AlmaTED machine. Using ultrasound-based innovation that has proven results for the scalp and new hair growth, Hazan walked us through the experience, which she truly believes is the best option for those experiencing something similar.
When did you first realize you were losing hair?
There’s a big difference between hair that is breaking and hair that is shedding. I was busy and traveling and life gets in the way…I didn’t really pay attention to it. Then, come September, I was like, you know what, “I have to call Dr. Paul and see what is happening.” He told me to come into the office to see what we could do. That’s when he introduced me to the AlmaTED machine.
I was totally down for it and it wasn’t painful. I was like, “Okay, this is a no-brainer. You don’t have to numb my head. This is going to make a big difference. I’m definitely down for it.”
How long did the treatment take?
It took a half an hour. I went into the office and it was all very simple and easy. It was also completely noninvasive. The doctor explained that it is good for hair loss—from Ozempic, postnatal or hormonal menopause, everything like that. I did it about two or three weeks ago and since then, there’s been a lot less shedding. Some of the hair is still shedding, but not like before. Before, my brush was full of hair. And, so far, it’s a lot better. Dr. Paul said it promotes hair growth, too. I’m excited for that.
That’s amazing. How many treatments in total will you get in the future?
He said every three months, I’ll come back for another treatment.
How else does that work? Do you need to wait to color it? Do you need to use a special shampoo or anything?
This is super noninvasive. Nothing in your life changes, which is kind of crazy. They just asked me to wash my hair that night before I went to sleep. Then, you come in with your hair clean, no product. Dr. Paul did that little machine on the whole head and that was it—no numbing, nothing. Then, he rinsed my scalp with saline after. That was it. I just pulled my hair back in a bun, left and was fine. No pain, no weird reactions, nothing!
That all sounds very simple. How did you feel emotionally when you realized you were losing your hair?
I’m like, “Here we go, now it’s my turn!” I see it all the time. It’s so common in the salon. I was like: “Okay. Let’s fix this. There has to be a solution.” Sometimes, my hair would shed a lot for a week, two weeks, a month—but this just was relentless. It was different. It just wouldn’t stop. I knew it was not just some seasonal thing. If your hair is falling or shedding for two weeks, that’s normal. Sometimes, you have to shed some hair, but if you feel like it’s just not stopping like I did, yes, it freaks you out.
I knew that, at some point, my hair would be thinner. If I didn’t do something, it was going to get too far away from me. I was afraid if I didn’t do something quickly, I might not be able to reel it back in.
That makes sense. Did you try anything else before you went to the doctor?
I have to be honest; I don’t think vitamins always help. I think it helps if you have good hair and you just want to maintain what you have. I think if you have a situation like I did, where it is really shedding, vitamins are not necessarily going to help. At that point, seeking medical attention is smart.
I know I’m not the only person dealing with this right now. It happens to a lot of women and men also. But, I think for a lot of us women, it’s hormonal or stress-related or if you’re taking medication. I guess it’s safe to say anything that is a shock to the system will cause hair loss, but we don’t like talking about it. We should talk about it! The truth is, sometimes, you need a little bit of medical attention. My best advice is to see a dermatologist or a hair specialist if you are dealing with this.