From “Health Loss” to High-Tech: How Functional Trichology and Exosomes Are Changing Hair Thinning Services – Wellness

 

Hair thinning and hair loss used to be considered something that only happened to older folks, especially men. It was thought the only thing clients could do was grin-and-bear it, adopt a comb over, or reach for a wig. But as thinning concerns and density issue have been acknowledged as a more democratic concern, impacting people of all ages, sex, and ethnicities, treating these issues has become its own service category.

Today, salon professionals, who are often the first to notice that skimpy pony or widening part, have more options for helping their clients, from product recommendations to treatment protocols. Some professionals have opted to focus on hair loss, to become certified in trichology or to apply their skills to educating fellow pros on available remedies. 

Here’s how two industry educators, trichologist Ky Smith and global education leader Tracey Hughes, see the future of hair-loss services in the salon and beyond. Smith specializes in functional trichology which reframes hair loss as “health loss,” while Hughes is working with new exosome-based technologies that give salons a high-performance tool for in-salon protocols and at-home care. 

 Hair Loss as “Health Loss”

When clients say, “My hair is suddenly thinner,” it rarely “just happened.” Functional trichology zooms out and asks why not just where.

“We’ve normalized androgenetic alopecia (which is characterized by progressive thinning, rather than sudden shedding) so much because we’ve been taught it’s just a sign of aging,” Smith explains. “But it’s far from normal. It’s often implying something greater is happening with the body.”

Smith says most salon pros will repeatedly see four main categories of hair loss:

1. Androgenetic Alopecia (Pattern Thinning)

This is the one that plays tricks on the eye. There are no obvious bald patches at first, just a wider part, more visible scalp, and a feeling that the hair “isn’t as dense as it used to be.”

“The follicle is still there,” Smith says, “but the hair coming back after each shed is smaller in diameter. That process is called miniaturization. It doesn’t happen overnight; it’s progression over years.”

Clients may swear it “just started,” but under magnification you’ll often see miniaturized hairs, fine, wispy fibers mixed in among normal ones, especially around the part and top of the head.

2. Telogen Effluvium (Excessive Shedding)

This is the client who says, “It’s coming out in handfuls.” Stylists see more hair in the shampoo bowl or on the floor. Triggers can include:

• Surgery and anesthesia
• Major stress or grief 
• Childbirth (postpartum shedding)
• Nutritional shifts or deficiencies
• Illness or rapid weight changes (Both COVID infections and GLP1s have been linked to hair loss)

“In telogen effluvium, more follicles than normal are pushed into the resting phase at once,” Smith explains. “The client feels like it’s coming out everywhere.”

3. Traction Alopecia (Tension + Styling Stress)

From tight ponytails and braids to extensions and buns, anything that chronically pulls can lead to thinning and breakage along the hairline margin.

The good news: this is often preventable and reversible if the styling habits (and sometimes chemical overuse) change early enough.

4. Cicatricial Alopecia (Scarring Alopecia)

Cicatricial alopecias involve inflammation in the deeper layers of the skin and can permanently destroy the follicle.

Two types Smith sees often:

• Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) –typically starting at the crown and expanding outward.
• Lichen Planopilaris – another inflammatory, scarring condition that may present with itching, burning, and visible redness.

“Clients may describe an itch they can’t scratch away, tenderness, or soreness,” Smith says. “You might see broken fibers, erythema [redness], or areas where hair slides out easily when you gently tug. That’s a sign the follicle is no longer well anchored because of inflammation.”

In these cases, Smith urges stylists to pause before proceeding with any chemical service.

“You can’t shampoo this away. The inflammation isn’t just on the surface—it’s in the dermal layer where the follicle lives. You have to work within the body to address it.”

Meet the Trichoscope, the Tool Every Stylist Should Have 

7 Signs It’s Time to Refer Out

1. The scalp looks angry, not just dry

• Persistent redness
• Heat or obvious inflammation
• Shiny, tight-looking skin

2. You see pustules, crusting, or open areas

3. You see or hear about sudden, dramatic shedding

• Client reports “handfuls” of hair in the shower or on the pillow
• Rapid change over a few weeks
• Shedding all over the head, not just in a pattern

4. Visible scarring or shiny, empty patches

What you see:

• Bald areas that look smooth, shiny, or “scarred”
• No visible follicle openings under magnification
• Client reports pain, burning, or intense itching in those areas

5. Hair that won’t tolerate normal services

What you see:

• Hair that snaps with low-level lightener or gentle processing
• Extreme fragility despite professional care
• Texture and strength not matching the client’s history

6. Emotional distress around hair loss

What you see/hear:

• Client cries or becomes visibly anxious when discussing thinning
• Avoids looking in the mirror

7. Your gut says, “This is out of my lane”

What you feel:

• You’re unsure what you’re seeing
• You’re hesitant to apply color or chemicals
• You’re second-guessing every step

Pro Tip: Build Your Referral Circle Before You Need It

• Identify one trichologist, one dermatologist, and one primary-care or functional practitioner in your area who welcome referrals from salons.
• Keep their cards at your station and add them to your salon’s digital notes.

You can only treat what you can see. Smith is adamant that every stylist who wants to work with thinning hair should invest in a trichoscope, essentially a handheld microscope.

“You can get a simple one online for around $30,” she says. “It magnifies what the eye can see by 10 to 50 times. The key is learning what you’re looking at.”

Under magnification, you can spot:

• Miniaturized hairs (pattern thinning starting)—Each growth cycle, the hair is coming back finer, shorter, and weaker
• Variation in fiber sizes (healthy vs compromised)
• Vacant follicles (extended resting phase or permanent loss)
• Redness and scaling (inflammation or scalp conditions)

You don’t have to become a full trichologist to benefit from a scope.

“You just need enough training to know: is this likely temporary or permanent? Is it inflammatory and scarring, or is this a non-permanent shedding pattern?” Smith says. “That alone changes how you cut, color, and treat someone’s hair.”

• It also tells you when to refer out. If you see pustules, crusting, or broken skin → dermatologist
• If you see suspicious patterns but intact skin → trichologist or medical partner
• If you’re unsure or uneasy → always err on referral

“Sooner is better than later,” Smith says. “What you don’t know can hurt both you and your client. Partner with trichologists and dermatologists in your community so you’re never working blind.”

Enter Exosomes 

While Smith takes a full body approach to help clients identify what’s happening, most stylists are going to focus primarily on the scalp: it’s what they can see and what they work with every day. 

Tracey Hughes has been in leadership positions in global companies, educating and inspiring thousands of hairdressers over the years, and today she is helping bring advanced scalp technology to the salon bowl.

As global general manager for the haircare division of ExoGrow by DermapenWorld, she is helping us understand exosomes, a new ingredient in haircare and skincare and how it can benefit clients experiencing hair thinning.

“Right now, there’s so much talk around scalp health and a major concern about hair loss, especially accelerated loss from stress, hormones, chemo, and even weight-loss drugs,” Hughes says. “We’ve spent decades caring for our faces; now it’s time to really care for the scalp.”

What Is an Exosome?

Encyclopaedia Britannica defines exosomes as “nano-sized vesicles secreted by cells that contain biomolecules and mediate intercellular communication, with interest as therapeutic and diagnostic tools.” 

The National Library of Medicine, in an article on The Roles of Exosomes in Regulating Hair Follicles, states: “Given their unique and newly discovered biological characteristics, exosomes have become a hot topic of intensive investigation. Recent studies have shown that exosomes promote hair growth, making them an innovative treatment choice for alopecia.”

And while definitions of “exosomes” and “exosome technology” can sound very complicated and medical, Hughes keeps it simple in her description.  

“I think of exosomes as little intelligent messengers that talk from cell to cell,” she explains. “They’re not stem cells, but they’re extracted from stem cells. They carry information that tells your cells, ‘We’re here to help with repair and regeneration.’”

Exosomes are designed to be immune tolerant, so the body recognizes them as helpful.

In hair and scalp products, exosome technology means products incorporating them us these messenger packets, designed to be compatible with the human body, to support the scalp environment, encourage healthier follicles, and help hair grow stronger and fuller over time.

Building Confidence for the Stylist Through Education 

Both Smith and Hughes keep coming back to one central idea: the stylist is the first responder in hair loss.

Clients open up in your chair long before they make an appointment with a doctor or specialist. 

“We want to arm stylists with simple, powerful language so they can explain exosomes and scalp health without feeling intimidated,” Hughes says. “It’s not about selling a shampoo. It’s about providing a solution and helping someone feel like themselves again.”

For More Education, Follow These Two Experts: 

Ky Smith, FT, CN, HHP
Smith is a Certified Functional Trichologist, holistic health practitioner, and founder of the American Academy of Hair & Scalp Diseases (AAHSD), an online education platform that certifies beauty professionals to lead in hair-loss recovery (aahsd.com). She also runs the Hair Loss Management Center of Houston, a virtual clinic serving clients nationwide, and leads WEHL (Women Eradicating Hair Loss), a 120-day trichologist-led program. A frequent educator and keynote speaker, including at MODERN SALON Boot Camp, Smith equips stylists and owners to identify root causes, deliver holistic, lasting solutions, and build sustainable specialty practices.

Tracey Hughes
Hughes is a multi-award-winning educator, former salon owner, and global education leader who now serves as global general manager for the haircare division of ExoGrow by DermapenWorld. DermapenWorld is known as the world’s #1 microneedling brand, operating in more than 100 countries. With ExoGrow, they’ve channeled their medical and aesthetics expertise into a professional hair-loss range powered by exosome technology, designed for both in-salon protocols and at-home maintenance.