When my hair started thinning and falling out, I panicked and tried every over-the-counter shampoo, conditioner, lotion and potion that promised to fix the problem. Hundreds of dollars later, my hair was still thin and shedding like crazy to the point where I didn’t want to brush or comb it anymore, because I was scared to pull it all out. When I finally decided to visit my doctor, she did a blood test and diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. After prescribing levothyroxine (a common medication to combat the side effects of this horrendous thyroid disorder), she told me to try Nioxin to get my hair back in shape. Nioxin was started in 1987 by Eva Graham, who decided to combat the thinning hair she experienced after child birth. Needless to say, I was on my way to the drug store right after leaving my doctor’s office. Here’s my experience with Nioxin. Hopefully, it can help you if you’re going through a similar ordeal.
Buying Nioxin
The Nioxin products that best fit my level of hair thinning were the Cleanser and Scalp Therapy Conditioner No. 3 for fine hair. The cleanser claimed to remove follicle-clogging environmental residue, fatty acids and sebum from the scalp so that hair can grow back thicker. The conditioner claimed to balance hair moisture and make it more resilient. This all sounded promising, but when I got to the register, I was unpleasantly surprised to hear that each 300-mL bottle was $19. Being desperate as I was, I purchased both bottles. I figured, you get what you pay for.
The Experience
I used Nioxin religiously according to the product instructions. My doctor had told me not to expect instant results, because hair grows slowly and Nioxin basically makes the new hair that emerge come out thicker. So I tried to be patient. I used the products twice a week. Although the shampoo, which was bright blue, had a clean, fresh scent to it, the creamy white conditioner had more of a medicinal scent to it. The thing that I enjoyed the most was the tingling sensation of the conditioner on my scalp. I kept the conditioner on for the recommended three minutes, and really got the impression that it was effectively cleansing and awakening my follicles.
The Results
After using up most of the two bottles, I will never be purchasing Nioxin again. Not because it doesn’t work, but just because I’m not patient enough to wait to see the results. While using Nioxin, I felt as if I was depriving my hair of other shampoos. My hair, which reaches past my bra line, was still lacking volume and thickness and looked the same as it did before Nioxin. Even after two months, I didn’t particularly notice that my hair was growing in thicker. Thickening new hair that’s coming in is one thing, but what about the old hair that’s just hanging around? I needed a product that would thicken all my hair, not just the new hair growth. I stopped using Nioxin and saved my money while looking for other products to fix my thinning hair.
References
Nioxin.com: About Nioxon
