NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge – Tackling Midlife Hair Thinning

This post was sponsored by NIOXIN as part of a 30 Day Hair Challenge for One2One Network. I received compensation but all opinions are my own. #NIOXINChallenge

Today, I want to talk about what can be a sensitive subject – hair thinning. Thinning hair affects men and women of all ages and is often caused by genetics, but it can also be caused by changes in diet, stress levels, health, medications, environmental factors, and even postpartum. And like most people, I grew up with a thick head of hair and never in a million years thought that I would be dealing with hair thinning – ever! Until now.

For the past few years, I’ve noticed some midlife changes in my hair due to genetics and medication that have me a little freaked out. My once thick and lush hair of my youth was falling out and thinning! At first, it started with more hair left in my hairbrush and my hair going flat. Next, it progressed to parts of my scalp peeking through my hair – oh, heck-to-the-no!

Then, the opportunity to try NIOXIN’s Hair System Kit presented itself. I’ve never tried a hair system that addressed thinning and all I knew about NIOXIN was that it was a hair care line from the Wella Company that uses advanced technologies to deliver thicker and fuller looking hair by addressing three key factors that are crucial in treating thinning hair:  scalp and hair environment, the role of hair health, and the change of hair structure over time. It sounded promising, so I joined the NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge to see for myself if it was up to tackling my midlife hair thinning.

NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge – Tackling Midlife Hair Thinning

To ensure I received the perfect NIOXIN 3-part system kit for my hair, I was instructed to answer a few hair questions using NIOXIN’s online consultation tool. The online questionnaire took less than 3 minutes and was the first step in finding which of the six NIOXIN 3-part System Kits was the right fit for me, which turned out to be the NIOXIN 3-part System 5 Kit. Each of the System Kits includes a shampoo, conditioner, and scalp treatment, to help nourish the scalp and give you thicker, denser-looking hair, in 30 days – guaranteed.

NIOXIN 3-part System Kits (shampoo, conditioner, and scalp treatment):

• System Kit 1 – Normal to thin-looking, fine, natural hair. It amplifies hair texture while refreshing the scalp and delivering a healthy shine.
• System Kit 2 – Noticeably thinning, fine, natural hair. It delivers denser-looking hair and a healthy shine while protecting the scalp.
• System Kit 3 – Normal to thin-looking, fine, chemically treated hair. It amplifies hair texture while refreshing the scalp and providing moisture balance to colored hair.
• System Kit 4 – Noticeably thinning, fine, chemically-treated hair. It delivers denser-looking hair while protecting the scalp and providing moisture balance to colored hair.
• System Kit 5 – Normal to thin-looking, medium to coarse, natural or chemically-treated hair. It delivers smoothing control to hair while refreshing the scalp and restoring moisture balance.
• System Kit 6 – Noticeably thinning, medium to coarse, natural or chemically-treated hair. It delivers smoothing control to hair while protecting the scalp and restoring moisture balance.

As you can see in the picture above, a few additional NIOXIN items were included for this 30 day challenge:

• NIOXIN Night Density Rescue (RV $45)
  • NIOXIN’s first-ever night treatment, designed with innovative NIOXYDINE24 technology that is clinically proven to promote hair density by delivering powerful antioxidants to the scalp surface. Antioxidants are known to target and neutralize oxidative damage by free radicals at the scalp’s surface and helps to maintain a healthy scalp surface environment. Best results will be seen after 3 months of daily night use. 

• NIOXIN Bodifying Foam (RV $14.50 -$17)
  • Part of the NIOXIN 3D styling product line that addresses three aspects of hair thinning: derma, density, and diameter. This lightweight foam helps condition the hair, helps to prevent hair breakage, helps hair look fuller, and is formulated to support an optimal scalp environment.
• slip^™ pure silk pillowcase
  • allows hair to move freely to prevent damaged hair and split ends.

NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge – Week 1 

Armed with all the NIOXIN goodies, I was excited to start this challenge. Since I needed before and after photos, I took a bird’s eye view photo of the top of my head and was not happy with what I saw – lots of scalp showing! Seriously, this was the first time that I viewed the top of my head from the angle that taller people get to see. And since I’m only 5 feet tall, almost everyone gets a nice view of my big ole’ bald spot!

How I used the system

• I started the first week by replacing my pillowcase with the slip^™ pure silk pillowcase. Silk pillowcases are supposed to be gentler on hair than cotton because it doesn’t snag or break hair.
• Then, I replaced my entire arsenal of hair care products with the NIOXIN 3-part System 5 Kit, the NIOXIN Night Density Rescue, and the NIOXIN 3D Bodifying Foam.
• The NIOXIN 3-part System kit is basically a shampoo, conditioner, and scalp conditioner that I used every other day, as that would be my normal hair washing routine. The shampoo lathers nicely and the conditioner is very thick*. Both have a nice minty smell that isn’t too overpowering.
• After shampooing and conditioning, I applied the scalp treatment to my scalp, gently massaged it in, and let my hair air dry.
• If I were going out, I would apply the scalp treatment, the Bodifying Foam, and style my hair like normal. The Bodifying Foam is a mousse that really added tons of volume to my hair – loved it!
• Last, I ended each day with the Night Density Rescue, which was applied using a small pipette and massaged into my scalp every night before bed. This is my favorite NIOXIN item because it smells so good! I literally have to stop myself from using it as perfume. 

*The conditioner comes in a much smaller bottle than the shampoo and is supposed to be applied to the scalp and then worked through the hair. If you have long hair, you will most likely run out of conditioner before the shampoo. I was dangerously close to running out of conditioner and had to ration the amount I used to make sure I had enough to make it through 30 days. If you do run out, you can buy individual bottles at Ulta or local salons.

NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge – Week 2

• I didn’t notice any change in the volume or thickness of my hair unless I used the Bodifying Foam, which is an AWESOME hair mousse.
• I did notice less hair in the shower drain and less hair in my hair brush. This is when I started to question if I was using the products correctly and called the NIOXIN 800-number to speak to a certified stylist. The stylist informed me that although I didn’t have to wash my hair daily, the products had a cumulative effect and needed time to penetrate my hair shaft. I was fine using the 3-part kit products every other day, but it would take longer for me to see the results. The only product that I needed to use daily was the Night Density Rescue, which is my favorite product because I love the smell and massaging it into my scalp before bed is very relaxing and soothing.

NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge – Week 3

• I started to see less of my scalp – yay! Please excuse my white hairs, but I didn’t want to color my hair or do anything that could affect the results of the challenge.

NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge – Week 4

• I think it still looks the same as week 3, but the bald area is definitely filling in!
• There is a definite difference between week 1 and week 4.
• What’s my verdict at week 4? Well, I can say with confidence that the NIOXIN products worked on tackling my midlife hair thinning! I will continue to use the products, especially the Night Density Rescue.

Are you or someone you know dealing with thinning hair? If so, I encourage you to visit the NIOXIN website and try the NIOXIN 30 Day Hair Challenge!’

Update: I noticed when I ran out of Nioxin shampoo and the Night Density, my hair begain to fall out in large amounts again. It’s definitely a system that needs to be used on a regular basis.