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GETTY IMAGES Explore your benefits at ahphair.com 49 Ask a trichologist what separates people with healthy curls, springy coils, and voluminous 'fros from those who seem permanently stuck with lifeless, hard- to-grow hair and the answer is rarely genetics alone. For most of us, the key to healthy hair growth and longevity is truly just successful hair preservation. Contrary to popular belief, the diff erence isn't how fast the hair grows. ( at process is controlled by genetics, health, and hormones.) e diff erence is how long each strand survives intact. at survival is a function of the duration of the hair's anagen (growth) phase and preserving the length accumulated within that timeframe. Hair growth is a biological process that happens at the scalp, but hair preservation is a materials-science problem that plays out along the fi ber itself. For clients with textured hair, the hair-preservation odds can feel stacked against them. Every natural bend and turn along the hair fi ber is a new opportunity for hair breakage. Beating the odds requires a working knowledge of what hair is, what damage does to it, and what products can and can't fi x. For years, I've traveled the country and spoken to rooms full of people about their hair. Diff erent cities, same stories: "My hair just won't grow," "It reaches my shoulders and stops," "I'm a product enthusiast—I've tried everything." When we talked through it, the truth was almost always the same: eir hair was growing on schedule; it simply wasn't surviving. ose conversations taught me that preservation is the missing chapter in most discussions about hair care. As salon professionals, you're expected to be "hair whisperers." Some clients understand that regular maintenance is the best way to preserve the hair, while others only run to the chair a er they hit the panic button. Either way, they expect you to have the answers. Let's discuss how you can help how their hair looks, feels, and survives.