The Business Of Reversing Hair Loss! How Does Traya Fit Into The Wellness Landscape?

In conversation with BW Businessworld, Saloni Anand, the co-founder of Traya Health talks about her startup journey, myths and trends prevailing in the industry and the responses garnered from their customer base.

A digital answer to India’s hair fall troubles, Traya Health is revolutionizing the wellness sector with its offering of combining Ayurveda, Nutrition, and Dermatology to target the root causes of hair loss.

1. When and why did you decide to make the Traya Offering completely digitized? What are some of the benefits and challenges of being a completely digital service?

Traya Offering was completely digitized ever since we started out in 2020. We treat hair fall by combining 3 sciences - Ayurveda, Dermatology and Nutrition and to bring out all these 3 in a clinical setup would not be possible. In the midst of a pandemic, being a completely digital service was the ideal thing to do to make the entire process hassle-free, quicker and easily accessible to all. The biggest challenge would have been to switch the notion of people from a physical clinic to an entire treatment curated by an online diagnosis. On the bright side, we were able to cater to people facing hair fall issues anywhere in the world.

2. What is it that ties Ayurveda, Nutrition and Dermatology together so as to make it the most effective combination of remedying hair fall?

For starters, hair fall is not properly understood. Hair fall is used as an umbrella term for breakage, tangles, split ends which make shampoos and serum seem like the best possible solution. Even when you ask most people what is the reason behind their hair fall, they will list out things like harsh chemicals, weather changes, hard water, pollution, etc. While all these reasons are superficial, the truth is that hair fall triggers (whether genetic or not) are due to internal factors 90% of the time. This includes hormonal changes, irregular sleeping patterns, nutritional deficiencies or even underlying health concerns like thyroid or PCOS. Even shampoos and serums cannot help to manage these issues. Hence, Ayurveda allows us to take a preventive approach for all these internal triggers, while clinically proven medications from dermatology works on follicle health to promote regrowth. Lastly, a highly nutritious and well-balanced diet allows our customers to transition towards mindful eating habits that in turn enhances hair growth. 

3. Are women more at risk of hairfall than men? If not then why do you think most of the hairfall oriented products and commercials are targeted at men?

While the levels of testosterone drives obvious baldness in men, hair fall problems are even more common among women especially those who suffer from hormonal imbalances. Some of the common hair loss induced due to to hormonal issues occur as women go through pregnancy, childbirth or menopause. However, 50% of women customers at Traya also face hair loss due to the fact that they are either anemic, suffering of thyroid disorders or PCOS/PCOD. Hair fall in men is much more noticeable with a receding hair line and balding at the crown or top of the head in comparison to hair fall in women where their hair grows thinner each cycle accompanied by a widening partition. This could probably be the reason behind hair fall oriented produced and commercials being targeted more towards men.

4. Do you think that the men’s haircare sector is a booming industry? Are only Metrosexual Men partaking this segment or have you witnessed traction coming in from other tiers as well?

From relying on trending ingredients like biotin and argan oil to creating a blend of kitchen ingredients like onion and rice water, the hair care industry is definitely one of the arenas where evolution is happening. This is possible because the current generation is experiencing hair loss as early as 20s and 30s in comparison to the previous generation’s late onset of hair fall - post their 50s. 

Metrosexual men partaking the segment could have been true in the past but ever since ‘work from home’ came into the picture, we don’t think metro cities specifically see higher cases. What might be a factor is the work industry and the cities with hard water. Banglore, Chennai, Delhi and Pune are few among the many cities that definitely see much higher rates of hair loss.

5. How would you say the customer reaction has been so far for your product, in terms of customer retention and reviews?

Traya reviews speak a lot about how we as a brand look after our customers throughout the course of their hair growth journey. Unlike other hair care brands, Traya reviews are based on how every customer’s personal hair coach guides them and understands their concerns while also motivating them to stay on track with monthly updates. If our reviews are anything to go by, they have given us a 93 percent success rate.