IT has been said that ‘hair brings ones self-image into focus; it is vanity’s proving ground. Hair is terribly personal, a tangible of mysterious prejudices’.

Herein, perhaps, lies the justification for the willingness of so many to ‘shell out’ thousands of dollars for its care — whether for the purchase of the abundance of products available on the market or for the expertise of one who specialises in hair and scalp health.

Career & Education talks this week to just such an expert — trichologist Jennifer Mamby-Alexander. A medical doctor, first, the owner/operator of The Hair Loss Clinic of Jamaica made the switch to hair and scalp care specialist following her experience with cancer.

She lets us in on the details of her new specialisation — how to gain entry and the benefits to be derived from working in the field.

Who is a trichologist?

Trichologists deal with the problems of the hair and scalp. However, my type of practice consists of: medical consultation, biopsies, prescribing medications and treatments.

What is the value of the work that you do?

For adults, hair loss can be devastating, especially young adults and more so for women. Treating hair loss is important because it increases one’s physical attractiveness, self-esteem, body image, and overall quality of life. I am pleased when a woman who had hair loss says to me ‘I can finally get married’. I am pleased when I help people who (had) made the decision of committing suicide.

What prompted your entry into the field?

After being diagnosed with cancer, I underwent chemotherapy. I lost my hair then and I wore a wig for a period… The desire to regrow my natural hair to its beauty and helping others with hair loss was my motivation.

What are the academic requirements for getting into the field?

The kind of hair restoration I do first requires that one holds a medical degree. Then you will have to learn the procedure of micro-invasive hair transplantation. I went to the United States of America and learnt hair restoration using non-invasive methods. You have (also) to have a flair for it. My practice begun in the USA (and) it was there that I received training and did my first procedure transplanting hair follicles from areas of full growth to the thinning and balding scalp.

What do you enjoy the most about the work that you do?

It is extremely rewarding for me after I help others. Hair loss is a sign of age. People with hair loss do not feel that they promote a youthful image. They develop a low self-esteem and worry constantly that others are looking at their thin or balding heads. They feel less attractive than others in their age group by looking older than their actual age. I love helping others to restore their confidence level. I love going through the process of hair restoration with others.

What are the challenges that you face on the job?

The main challenge is that this is a relatively new kind of service being offered here in Jamaica. (Another challenge is that) many potential clients will come with histories of hair loss from 12 to 20 years. Most cases of hair loss are reversible when the history of hair loss is short. After a number of years, with increasing age, the response is slow and at times the loss has become irreversible. (Also), learning micro-invasive hair transplantation and hair restoration can be a very tedious process. My first procedure took me approximately 10 hours and required the removal and transplanting of 2,500 hairs into the balding scalp of a patient.

How much can one earn annually in this line of work?

Firstly, your annual income depends on the amount of patients who you are treating for the year and the patients’ problems. Each patient varies. There are different kinds and lengths of treatment as well. So the annual earnings will be based on different factors.

Trained as a trichologist, what employment options are open to you?

Treating hair loss opens you to opportunities both locally and overseas… You can conduct medical consultations, biopsies and micro-invasive surgical office procedure.

Why would you advise anyone to get into this line of work?

Hair loss is a silent epidemic that has a strong psychological impact. It affects the well-being of a person. Helping people to regrow their hair reduces low-self esteem. In others, it improves self-image and reduces suicidal thoughts.