If you’ve got thinning hair, you may be desperately trying every lotion and potion you can get your hands on to boost its thickness. Whether it’s down to male pattern baldness, hormones or perhaps alopecia, it’s not surprising that hair loss and thinning can make you feel incredibly self conscious and have a real negative effect on self-esteem. It’s likely that during your hunt for that dream hair restorer you’ll have come across Nioxin’s range of products, formulated for thinning hair and including their scalp treatment, but can they really help to give you that full head of hair you long for?
Nioxin scalp treatment – the lowdown
Nioxin’s products are all geared towards improving and maintaining the health of the scalp in order to create a better environment for hair growth, rather than being formulated to treat the hair alone. The Nioxin scalp treatment is actually the third step of their Thinning Hair System kit, and is a daily use leave-in treatment applied to damp hair, designed to be used after their cleanser and conditioner.
The Nioxin scalp treatment range
There are actually eight (yes, eight!) different Nioxin kits available with different product combinations and scalp treatment formulations depending on your hair type:
Nioxin System 1: For normal to thinning, fine hair
Nioxin System 2: For fine, noticeably thinning hair
Nioxin System 3: For normal to thinning, fine, chemically treated hair
Nioxin System 4: For noticeably thinning, fine, chemically treated hair
Nioxin System 5: For normal to thinning, medium to coarse, natural hair
Nioxin System 6: For noticeably thinning, medium to coarse natural hair
Nioxin System 7: For normal to thinning, medium to coarse, chemically treated hair
Nioxin System 8: For noticeably thinning, medium to coarse, chemically treated hair
So what are the claims?
Nioxin say that their products are formulated to thoroughly cleanse and remove any excess build up of sebum and DHT on the scalp – their scalp treatment is meant to help prevent further build up between washes and to nourish the scalp to “encourage an optimal scalp environment” and help promote stronger and thicker looking hair.
It’s important to note that Nioxin doesn’t claim its products will stop hair loss or increase hair re-growth – so unfortunately their thinning hair system kit isn’t going to be the miracle cure for your hair loss woes.
“But … it washes increased levels of DHT from the hair and scalp, and DHT is a major culprit when it comes to hair loss, so that’s got to be good .. right?!” Nioxin’s statements can be a bit misleading – yes, it’s true that the hormone DHT is thought to be a major factor in male pattern baldness – testosterone can be converted into DHT which fights hair follicles, shrinking them and leading to hair growing back weaker and eventually not at all.
The products that actually do have a proven affect on hair growth are drugs that inhibit the production of DHT, rather than just washing away deposits found in the sebum on the scalp as Nioxin does. In fact, any standard shampoo will do the same and there’s no evidence that washing excess DHT from the scalp has any real effect on hair loss.
So is Nioxin worth buying if you’ve got thinning hair?
It really depends on the results you’re hoping for. Let’s forget about increased hair growth, as Nioxin doesn’t claim to be able to grow you new hair – you’re much better off looking into Minoxidil or Finasteride (Propecia) that are proven to be effective.
Nioxin scalp treatment is promoted as a product that can help give you thicker looking hair, and in many customer reviews it has been found to give hair extra body, the appearance of fullness and, in some cases, an apparent reduction in hair breakage. The Beauty Brains conclude that as the scalp treatment contains proteins and film formers that coat the hair, it’s probably this coating that helps to give the impression and feeling of improved body. Just don’t be fooled into thinking the scalp treatment will actually promote new hair growth. It’s then up to you to decide whether you feel the merits of the Nioxin products are worth the high price tag.
Are there any negatives to be aware of?
First off, if nothing else, succumbing to the allure of Nioxin treatments will hit your wallet hard – they’re not cheap for daily-use products! But seriously, not everyone’s had great experiences using Nioxin scalp treatment. There are reports from some of seemingly increased hair loss, though Nioxin do state that increased hair drop when starting to use their products is usually just down to natural hair shedding, as their cleansers wash away excess sebum and release hairs otherwise trapped in clogged hair follicles. Do make sure you stop using their products straight away and check in with your doctor if increased hair loss continues beyond a couple of weeks though.
Other customers report flat, stiff feeling hair after use, or redness of the scalp and irritation. Actually some of Nioxin’s products contain Niacin (Vitamin B3) that can increase blood circulation, giving you temporarily flushed skin and sometimes a tingly feeling (invigorating for some, more of an irritant for others).
So there you have it, Nioxin scalp treatment can’t grow you new hair, though you may be pleased with the way it leaves your hair looking and feeling.
