"I regularly get my hair colored, permed, and straightened at a hair salon, but can I also receive treatment for thinning hair or gray hair?" 
"Is there a way to balance fashion and medical treatment?"
This is one of the questions we receive very frequently from patients during actual consultations, and it may even be a point that many people who visit our clinic are concerned about at some point.
These kinds of concerns are a serious issue for people who regularly style their hair for fashion or work.

In this article, we will provide a clear explanation from a specialist's perspective on how to combine salon treatments (such as coloring and hair straightening) with treatments at our clinic, including when to avoid certain treatments (appropriate scheduling) and ways to minimize stress on the scalp.

Is it okay to color or straighten my hair?

To begin with, let me state the conclusion first.If I were to express my ideal as a doctor, my honest opinion would be that "all treatments that involve applying chemicals to the scalp, such as hair coloring, perms, and hair straightening, put some degree of stress on the scalp, so it's best to avoid them if possible."

It's important to be aware that performing treatments that put stress on the scalp can lead to a cycle where "even if the hair improves with treatment, it regresses again when stress is applied." Therefore, compared to patients who receive treatment without any coloring or straightening treatments, the speed of improvement tends to be slower.

Differences in approaches to hair and scalp

What's important here is that the target and purpose of addressing problems are completely different between "hair salon treatments" and "clinic treatments."

■ Treatments at a hair salon (approaches to hair care)
Target: Hair that is already growing
Purpose: To make hair look nice, change color, straighten frizz.

■Treatment at Dr. Touhi Clinic (Approach to the scalp)
Target: The foundation (scalp and hair follicles) from which new hair will grow.
Objective: To improve the scalp environment, promote healthy hair growth, and replace old hair with new, healthy hair.

In other words, The difference lies in whether you're "improving the condition of the hair you currently have" or "improving the health of the hair that will grow in the future."
Therefore, even if the condition of the scalp improves with scalp treatment, if treatments that put a strain on the scalp are repeated at the same time, as mentioned earlier, the speed of improvement will inevitably be slower compared to those who have not received any treatment.

Of course, improvement will occur, even if it's gradual, and many people actually combine treatment with cosmetic procedures. We also completely understand the desire to improve one's appearance for work or to make one's hair look nice right away because of concerns about gray hair or frizz.
What's important is not whether you "do it or not,"It's important to understand that "caring for the hair that's currently growing" and "nurturing the foundation for future hair growth" are two different things, and to use them together while correctly understanding their respective effects.

▼What only a specialized hair clinic can do

Appropriate schedule

Many patients say it's difficult to stop coloring or straightening their hair right now, and many others continue to come to our salon while combining treatment with fashion.
So, what should you do if you actually want to use them together?
In that case, the important thing to keep in mind is how you schedule things.

■ After receiving injection treatment to the scalp, refrain from coloring, perming, or straightening treatments for "one week".
If you receive scalp injections of iPS cell culture supernatant or similar at our clinic, we advise you to refrain from coloring, perming, or straightening your hair for one week after the procedure.
this is,
• To repair scalp damage caused by the treatment 
• To avoid irritation 
Because the injection leaves tiny needle holes in the scalp, there is a risk that strong medications may sting or penetrate deep into the scalp and cause skin problems until the wounds have completely healed. Therefore, we strongly recommend waiting at least one week after the procedure.

■ Pre-treatment coloring and precautions regarding color fading
Some patients come to the clinic after getting their hair colored at a hair salon on the day of or the day before their injection.
The coloring before the injection itself is not a problem, but there is one point to be aware of.
If you choose to receive our "Medical Head Spa" as part of a set treatment at our clinic, we will thoroughly remove dirt from your pores using high-concentration carbonated water and other methods.
Therefore, if you dye your hair immediately after getting it done at a hair salon, the color may fade more easily.
If you are concerned about the color fading, we recommend waiting a period of time before treatment.

Balancing fashion and treatment

After hearing all this, some of you might be thinking, "Do I really have to put up with this?"
However, what I always tell my patients during consultations is that completely stopping is not the only correct solution.

If you can't dress stylishly at all, your motivation will definitely drop.
The important thing is not to stop everything, but to gradually reduce the burden on your scalp within a reasonable range, according to the severity of your concerns, and find a balance.
For example,
• Reduce the frequency of hair straightening treatments from "once every six months" to "once a year," or slightly increase the time between treatments.
• Extend the interval between coloring or gray hair dyeing, such as from "monthly to every 2-3 months."
In this way, simply reducing the pace (frequency) of treatments with the intention of protecting the scalp, which is the foundation, can significantly reduce damage to the scalp.
Even these small, cumulative efforts can definitely change the burden on your scalp, and especially for those with more severe hair concerns, the condition of your scalp, which is the foundation, will have a significant impact on your hair quality and graying in the future.

The important thing is to find a balance without putting too much strain on your scalp.
Let's find ways to enjoy fashion while cherishing both "our current appearance" and "the future of our hair."

▼ About the effects of hair dye on the scalp

Reduce the burden through daily care

It's often overlooked, but daily care is also extremely important in order to fully realize the effects of scalp treatment.

■Approach it with the same mindset as your daily skincare routine.
Just as those undergoing cosmetic facial treatments perform meticulous skincare every day, daily home care for the scalp also significantly impacts the effectiveness of treatment.
Instead of relying solely on regular injections at a clinic, it's important to maintain a healthy scalp by continuously moisturizing and protecting it with scalp serums and other products on a daily basis.

▼【Things to try before treatment】Scalp care with scalp serum

■Tips you can try at the hair salon
Furthermore, to protect your scalp from damage caused by salon treatments, you need to be mindful of what you order at the salon.

• Have the medication applied slightly away from the scalp.
Tell your hairdresser that you are currently undergoing scalp treatment and ask them to apply the medication as close to the roots as possible.

• Instead of dyeing the entire hair, opt for "retouching" (partial dyeing).
Even if you dye your gray hair every two to three weeks, you don't need to dye your entire head each time.
By focusing on highlighting only the most noticeable areas, such as around the face or along the parting, and only coloring the inner sections that aren't visible unless you lift your hair, about once every three months, you can reduce the burden of coloring your entire head every time. This simple shift in mindset—focusing on only the necessary areas—is a crucial point in reducing the overall burden.

▼ How to reduce stress on the scalp

Protect your scalp with pre- and post-treatment care.

Taking good care of your scalp before and after going to the hair salon is also key to minimizing damage.

• Just before going to the hair salon
Apply a scalp serum thoroughly the day before or the morning of the treatment to create a protective barrier on your scalp beforehand.

• After returning from the hair salon
After coloring or straightening treatments, the scalp is severely damaged by the chemicals, becoming dry and delicate.
After the treatment, be sure to apply plenty of scalp serum and perform thorough moisturizing and aftercare.

In particular, the scalp is more damaged than it appears after treatment, so careful care is extremely important.
It's crucial to focus on allowing the body to fully recover, rather than simply returning it to a "do-nothing" state.

▼Scalp serum based on regenerative medicine for at-home care

Summary

This article explained how to manage hair coloring and hair straightening treatments while undergoing treatment for thinning hair and gray hair.
While hair treatments at a salon inevitably put some stress on the scalp, it is entirely possible to combine them with treatment by adjusting the techniques, schedule, and pre- and post-treatment care.

Even small adjustments or differences in awareness can significantly alter the effectiveness of treatment, so if you have any concerns, please feel free to consult with us, including about the timing of your visits to the hair salon.
We will provide individual advice on how to adjust the frequency of your salon visits and what kind of home care you should incorporate, based on your specific hair concerns and the progression of your hair condition.