Who doesn't want a head full of luxuriously thick hair?
Who doesn't want to tress for success?
Right. I didn't think I'd see any hands go up.
Yep - thin is definitely not in when it comes to hair.
With hectic lifestyles, stress and conversations ridden with phrases like "I-wish-I-had-the-time-to...." being the order of the day, thinning hair is a very real problem for women - and men. If only everyone had a Godmother like Cinderella's to wave a wand and transform that limp hair into a gorgeous mane that turned heads everywhere!
Well, short of a Godmother - there might be a solution that's pretty close.
There may be good news for those wailing about their thinning hair and wringing their hands in frustration. Nioxin, now in India, increases the thickness of each existing hair strand for a fuller looking head of hair.
No, it won't grow your hair overnight, but it just might prepare the "ground" for healthier looking hair, while making those existing strands appear thicker and denser - and infinitely more attractive.
Conceptualized in 1987 by founder, Eva Graham, who experienced thinning hair after childbirth and didn't find any effective remedies in the market, Nioxin is a revolutionary thinning hair care technology from P&G Salon Professional and a leading US-based brand voted no.1 in its field for 14 years in a row.
Nioxin is now in India and has tied up with a few select salons to deliver its promise of reduced hair breakage, denser looking hair, better hair texture and stronger hair while cleansing the scalp of excessive oil build up.
It is important to know that Nioxin is not something one buys over the counter; it is a product range with of six different systems based on where your thinning hair falls in that well-researched spectrum.
Not everyone is a good candidate for Nioxin. If your hair is healthy and great, why would you need it? Right! It is specifically for those with starting-to-thin hair or noticeably thinning hair, such as myself. The most suitable system is recommended after a one-on-one consultation with a trained stylist. Each Nioxin product contains a specific combination of scientific ingredients.
The USP of Nioxin is that it takes a skincare approach, where the scalp is viewed as an extension of the face, and therefore needs a skincare regimen starting with a good facial for the scalp to get rid of dirt and debris, then cleanse and protect. According to them 70% of users notice thicker, denser-looking hair in just 4 weeks.
The criteria for determining the system are health, genetics, lifestyle, nutrition, diet, stress levels, medication and whether the hair is natural or has been chemically treated.
#NioxinNowInIndia - The experience
Lately, I've been fretting a lot over my thinning hair - going so far as to even mentally visualize the kind of wig I might look good in. So when invited bloggers to apply for the Nioxin experience, I did, and was shortlisted. On May 23, I presented myself along with a group of bloggers at the venue - Bodycraft Spa and Salon in Koramangala, Bangalore.
The event began with blogger-introductions, most of which I missed as I arrived late - it was a long way from home and I had an adventurous journey there. Once intros were done, the presentation team consisting of Ms.Daisy and Ms.Swati Gupta from Bodycraft gave us an overview of Nioxin with a slideshow on hair basics, recognizing the signs of thinning hair and how Nioxin works, followed by interactive Q&A for more insight into the product.
After this, each blogger received a personalized consultation to determine the type of hair and the most suitable Nioxin system. The consultant I spoke with also had a device, which, when hooked to the computer, magnified a portion of my scalp and revealed the terrifying conditions within. Yes. wi-thin - pun intended. He seemed to think redemption wasn't impossible since my hair generally appeared to be in reasonably good shape, considering I never visit salons and even trim my hair by myself. I am a home-remedies kind of person, you know.
He recommended the Nioxin No.2 system, a 3-part system specially designed for noticeably thinning, fine, natural hair, promising denser-looking hair and a healthy shine while protecting the scalp. There is a cleanser, scalp therapy and scalp and hair treatment using BioAMP technology and Activ-Renewal. Sounded good to me - and I was ready to experience the treatment!
Daisy started me off with an in-salon procedure with Nioxin Scalp Renew usually done by qualified Nioxin pros and recommended once in 30-45 days. Acting like a facial for the scalp, this anti-aging treatment uses "dermabrasion technology" to help regenerate and revitalize scalp surface skin through exfoliation. And no, dermabrasion doesn't feel like sandpaper. In fact, one can hardly feel it.
15-minutes later, I was ready for the Nioxin No.2 system.
I moved to the recliner with a large washbasin to have my hair rinsed by a rather smart young man with good hands and a very pleasant smile, and sense of humor, all of which are important when water accidentally gets into the ears, followed by the application of cleanser, which is the first step to thicker-looking hair. This removes follicle-clogging sebum, fatty acids and environmental residues from the scalp skin and hair - which basically means removing the muck on my scalp that I would have never seen had it not been for that evil device - a sight that might possibly haunt me for the rest of my life. He worked the cleanser into my hair and left it on for 10 minutes. Then, worked it in gently before rinsing it off.
This one felt like I had my head in a bag of ice-cubes and I absolutely loved it. The air in the room was getting a little close and this felt so refreshing. He then proceeded to step 2, or scalp therapy - where he worked in the scalp revitalizer, a lightweight conditioner to provide hair resilience and control moisture balance. We waited for a minute before rinsing my hair with water. Then, he neatly wrapped it in a towel.
He complimented me on how nice the hair-wrapped-in-a-towel look suited me. It reminded me of the millions of times my Mom has said the same thing - and I had to share with him an anecdote when I had gone to work with the towel still in my hair.
"Do you want a normal dry?" he asked. So I responded with "What is an abnormal dry?"
He laughed and said normal was a quickie with the hair dryer while the other one was where he would use rollers to set it while drying. I grinned at him and he said,"Let me set your hair?"
Since I was on the No.2 Nioxin system, step 3 involved a leave-in product, which he first applied on my scalp. I then settled down to some high heat and hair pulling and chair twirling before he was done. I was pleased that he had set it the way I usually comb it out except for the freaky ends. I suppose it is all that grey I am too lazy to color. And of course, he said I looked nice. I thanked him.
And yes, my hair did feel good.
I got a sample pack of the Nioxin No.2 System to take home and try - which I plan to do - so please look for a follow-up post on this.
As always, with any effective remedy, consistency of use is the secret. And that's what the people at Nioxin recommend. They claim that there's a noticeable difference after 20 days of continuous use. Yep, it is a regimen, but a fairly easy one.
You probably think that concluded my #NioxinNowInIndia experience, but no. There were a number of little things that made a big difference. To name some:
- The sweet, attentive, patient and responsive BlogAdda team - Harish and Ankita ♥
- The conversations, banter and laughter shared with bloggers - known and new
- The friendly Bodycraft people
- The delicious and welcome Subway sandwich
- The more than welcome two cups of coffee without sugar that made everything enjoyable
If there was a pain-point, it was the commute - two-plus hours each way meant traveling for more than 4 hours - and I sulked a wee bit because there's a Bodycraft salon very close to my place. Why couldn't that have been the venue? Also, the event extended to much longer than expected. Hmph!
Still, there is always a silver lining - and I found three.
One, the kind folks included me in the first batch for my treatment. Two, while returning home I got to travel by an air-conditioned bus and loved the experience. Three, taking a walk down memory lane in that locality - back in 1992, my Mom and I lived there for two years - and I was stunned to see how completely different the area looked. It made the trek to the bus-stop that much more enjoyable. As I walked, of course I tied my hair up in a scrunchie as usual!
That's it! A lovely afternoon meeting friends followed by an interesting experience.
I just wondered why there were no male bloggers!
Am I impressed? Yes. Look out for the follow up post in three weeks after I've used the trial pack.
♥
"Nioxin is now in India. I am experiencing the magic of Nioxin in association with "
