Saloni Anand is a techie-turned-marketeer. She has completed her Computer Science degree from Cummins College. Prior to Traya, Saloni worked for the healthcare firm Castlight for three years, after which she got an MBA in marketing from IBS Hyderabad. She has also headed a SaaS product startup, Upshot.ai, for three years.

All about Traya Health

Saloni says, “Traya is all about managing hair loss in a very unique way. Traya means the trinity of three sciences – Allopathy, Ayurveda, and Nutrition. In our platform, we bring the science of Allopathy, Ayurveda, and Nutrition together to manage hair loss. Hair loss is a complex internal issue and not a cosmeceutical problem. 

The current hair industry looks at it very superficially. An oil, shampoo, or serum alone cannot solve the problem of hair loss. In women, the most common cause of hair loss is low hemoglobin or anemia. In Traya, we work on the root cause, we work on internal health to get the best results.”

Saloni adds, “We have achieved an efficacy rate of 93%. Stress, lack of sleep, energy, digestion, PCOS, thyroid, deficiency are some other causes of hair loss. And nothing in the current hair industry addresses all this. Genetic hair loss condition affects the rate of balding. The average age of Traya customers is 27 years. The effectiveness of hair loss treatment depends on the time at which it is being presented. Therefore, for better growth results, treatment needs to be done at an early stage while they have some hair. Hair loss needs to be managed just like any other chronic disease. We have seen great results in regrowth and male pattern hair loss.”

Genetic hair loss

Saloni emphasizes, “In case of genetic hair loss, there are two factors that determine whether Traya can help you or not

1. Age 

2. Stage of hair

We have done more than 1 lakh tests in the last 1 year. We have built a prediction algorithm that all our platforms will tell the customer whether Traya can help or not. If yes, how many months it will take for the results to come.”

USP of Traya

Saloni expresses, “The hair industry is divided into two parts – 

1. Product companies like Indulekha, Keshking.

2. Clinics like Dr. Batra’s.

The problem with the product company is there is no efficacy. An oil or shampoo might resolve your hair fall for a few days but balding will continue.

Genetic hair loss is manageable. In Traya, we provide diet plans, ayurvedic herbs, allopathy products that are FDA approved. Patients have to follow their prescribed regime for the given time period. We appoint dedicated Ayurvedic Dermatologists to every individual. Here we give doctor-prescribed holistic treatment. We have a 93% efficacy rate for genetic male pattern hair loss.”

Male pattern hair loss

Saloni mentions, “Male pattern hair loss is the most common type of hair loss found in men. 70% of Traya customers have male pattern hair loss. The body’s testosterone gets converted into DHT. In some patients, this DHT hormone attacks the hair follicles resulting in thinning of hair. The process of thinning continues with every cycle of hair which further results in the stoppage of new hair growth.

In male-pattern hair loss, the hairline gradually moves backward (recedes) and forms an 'M' shape. A circular area at the back of the head often thins and expands in size over time. Eventually, the hairs become finer, shorter, and thinner. The speed of this receding hairline depends upon your sleep, energy, and digestion factors.”

Stages of balding

Saloni describes, “There are seven stages of male pattern hair loss. Stage 1 starts with receding hairline and stage 7 is complete baldness. Traya caters to customers of stages 1-5 because, for stages 6 and 7, their treatments are not effective. Stage 6 and 7 customers can go for hair transplantation.

The body's regenerative state is good in the 20s and 30s. So, if you are in your 20s, 30s, and below 45, Traya can help you with nutrition and herbs to activate the body’s metabolism for better regrowth results. The patients start seeing their results in 4-5 months. Hence the effectiveness of treatment largely depends on age and stage of hair loss.”

Traya’s customer base

Saloni states, "Traya is a very young company, we have treated almost 15,000 Indians in 1 year who have completed their treatment and have seen results. Before this, we have launched a diagnosis test, the Hair test to determine the root cause of hair loss, its stage, and types and more than 1 lakh people have taken this test.” 

Traya’s fund's utilization

Saloni informs, “We have raised seed round by Kae Capital and Whiteboard Capital. We have closed the pre-series round led by Fireside Ventures. We utilize our funds to strengthen our Tech. We have onboard Psychologists who use behavioral tactics to ensure that customer follows their regime throughout the period. We provide a dedicated hair coach to all our customers. Coach stays in touch with the customer to ensure that they stay consistent with their treatment and dietary recommendations. Secondly, we utilize funds in research in terms of formulations, R&D, and products. As we try to solve the root cause of the problem (which is generally the internal health), we have products for other health-related issues as well.”

Traya’s expansion plans

Saloni voices, “We are launching in Dubai. The Indian market itself is vast. Expansion in the Indian market is going to be the primary goal. Research is also going on for other health-related issues through which we can add more value to our customer's life.”

Traya’s revenues of FY21

Saloni mentions, “We are running at about 12 crores ARR revenues and by next year we are projecting around 50 crores ARR revenues. This is going to be a very important year for Traya.”

Traya Goals

Saloni concludes, "More and more people should use Traya. Hair loss is not aging, it's a condition that can be managed. We have a 5-month money-back guarantee, which means if you don't see the results, we can refund your money back. It shows confidence in what we are delivering. Completion rate is very important for effective results and is one of our personal goals."

(Edited by Renu Gupta)