After countless years of hair loss-related angst, anguish, and uncertainty, answers would finally arrive on the fifth floor of Harrods, just past Shoe Heaven, in the chic studio of Ricardo Vila Nova.
For over 15 years, Vila Nova has been working tirelessly—and, as many would attest, magically—to gain the reputation of “hair whisperer” among women in the know. A former skincare expert turned trichologist, he applies skincare techniques to hair health, bringing a nuanced, science-driven approach to scalp and hair restoration. In doing so, he’s gained a legion of diehard fans that now includes yours truly.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been whacked across the head with societal messaging that a glossy, thick mane equates to good health, fertility, beauty, and moral purity. Growing up, shampoo ads flaunted impossibly thick, silky locks—a completely different species from the thin, wispy blonde hairs that decorated my scalp. In Disney films and fairy tales, heroines were often depicted as having flowing, lustrous hair, while villains appeared with sparse, scraggly strands. Consider The Witches, where scary child-hating women are bald under their wigs, or more recently, the palpably unsettling thriller, The Substance, where Demi Moore’s eerie ‘MonstruoElisaSue’ character is seen meticulously curling a single strand of hair before a big night out. It’s a far cry from the Rapunzel’s of the world.
Thick, long hair has held deep cultural significance across history, symbolising femininity, power, and status in various societies. Figures like Mary Magdalene, Lady Godiva, and Botticelli’s Venus used their hair as symbols of modesty and purity. For the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, long hair represented status and knowledge, while in Sikhism, it reflects respect for divine creation.
In Western history, long, thick hair became a marker of femininity, health, and class, reaching a peak in Victorian Europe, where women’s long hair was tied to notions of superior hygiene and leisure—often achievable only with help. Figures like Empress Elisabeth of Austria took this to extremes, with famously thick, waist-length hair that required hours of care. This fascination with thick hair continues in modern culture, where it’s not only an aesthetic ideal but also represents vitality, youth, and health—a beauty standard that has endured throughout history. Despite evolving ideals around body image, thick hair has remained a steadfast beauty standard today. As Vogue recently put it, “hair that oozes sex appeal” is “voluminous and thick.”
But I digress. We’re not here to talk about thick hair—we’re here to talk about what happens when it starts to thin and fall out. If eyes are the window to the soul, hair is the map to underlying health. Hair is also a deeply personal, identity-laden feature—something we can hide behind, use as an accoutrement, and switch up to signify major life changes. Losing it feels not just like the loss of beauty but also a part of oneself. Vila Nova understands this well, telling me that “female hair loss across all ages is on the rise. Historically, women’s hair loss was often diffuse, meaning it was easier to disguise, but now it’s starting to mimic male-pattern baldness, making it more visible. It’s a growing concern.”
There are countless reasons why hair loss happens, and many, desperate to find a solution, resort to impulsive decisions. “Unfortunately, this desperation can lead people to make impulsive decisions, which sometimes worsen the issue,” Vila Nova tells me. “I always tell my clients: if you have a thyroid imbalance, for example, you’ll test different medications under your doctor’s guidance to find the right one. But with hair, many people just buy products, hoping for the best, without properly testing or diagnosing the issue. You wouldn’t self-prescribe for a thyroid issue or cartilage pain, so why do that for your hair? People tend to jump between products without realising that hair health often requires a more structured approach. Yes, you can try different shampoos or serums, but for anything beyond cosmetics, you really need expert guidance.”
My trip to Vila Nova’s studio began with a detailed analysis of the hair strand and cuticle under his state-of-the-art microscopic scanner. For him, hair isn’t just about appearance but also about what it can tell us about underlying health. “When women come to my clinic with hair loss, we first run a diagnostic scan of the scalp,” he explains. “We assess protein synthesis, vitamin and mineral levels, pH balance, gland function, toxins, inflammation, and other conditions like eczema or psoriasis.” The scan looks beyond blood test results, as “normal” levels don’t necessarily mean optimal for hair health.
After examining my strands, Vila Nova explains that my protein levels are fine, but my hair’s short cycle suggests another issue. Large swathes of hair around my hairline had begun to renew too quickly, a phenomenon known as effluvium. This metabolic irregularity meant that while my hair roots were active, the cuticles were on an accelerated renewal cycle, causing hair around my hairline to shed too soon, resulting in a “transparent” appearance. Though the hair was there, its shortened length—or miniaturisation—kept it from creating volume. No amount of castor oil is coaxing those babies to grow.
The primary cause, he explains, isn’t genetic, autoimmune, or, as I’d suspected, hormonal due to my endometriosis. Instead, it’s “purely metabolic; a malfunction of the body” and likely a result of my nervous system having triggered excessive shedding at some point, followed by a “hair memory” where the cycle fell into a repetitive pattern of shedding and renewal. “It’s almost like the body has established a ‘memory’ of fast renewal,” he says. “Every cycle results in shorter hair lengths, and it’s become systemic.”
In his experience, standard supplements or dietary changes aren’t enough to address this kind of cycle. Although it’s essential to consume protein-rich foods for good hair health—like eggs, lentils, spinach, and animal products, all of which contain iron, B12, folic acid, and biotin—the cuticle requires a more targeted, cellular approach. Vila Nova emphasises that sometimes, hair, like muscles or bones, needs tailored support.
My treatment plan is focused on rebalancing the cuticle growth cycle with growth factors and peptides applied at the cellular level. By integrating growth engineering, Vila Nova aims to extend the hair cycle naturally, helping it reach optimal length without forcing it through hormonal treatments, like minoxidil, that can lead to dependency. “Dependency treatments may restore length temporarily but only for a limited time,” he explains, cautioning that this approach is too drastic in my case anyway. “Using growth factors instead has the benefit of avoiding dependency. Working on the cuticle’s renewal allows us to measure optimal extension without making the body reliant on treatments.”
To this end, derma rolling—a technique that stimulates cellular regeneration at the follicle level—is part of the regimen, along with peptide treatments to encourage sustainable growth. “When it’s about growth engineering, you either amplify when hair falls or extend the cycle’s length,” he explains, “but if you rely on hormonal conductors, even if you go on a permanent cycle of meds, there’s only so much length you can achieve. Instead, we focus on engineering a sustainable growth pattern.”
To get my scalp in peak condition before starting derma rolling, Vila Nova begins each treatment with a bespoke scalp treatment, a luxurious hair steam, and shampooing—a pampering ritual that reminds me there’s literally nothing better on this earth than a head massage.
In my case, the goal is to restore the full four-to-five-year growth phase, gradually allowing hair to achieve its intended length. Fare thee well, baby hairs! While the cycle may reset over time, results are gradual. I’ll be returning to the studio for treatments every 4-6 weeks for the next six months, then periodically after that for check-ins and top-ups.
Stepping out of the studio, I feel buoyant—not from the promise of instant results, but from finally having a treatment grounded in something more than hope. Armed with a bespoke three-step routine (shampoo, scalp ointment, and scalp lotion), I’m ready to jump off the hamster wheel of quick fixes and expensive tonics in place of something far more reassuring: a science-backed plan. At one point I’d have traded Harrods’ entire Shoe Heaven for Rapunzel-esque curls, but for now, every inch of growth under Vila Nova’s expert guidance feels like a win.