Nioxin® is an over-the-counter brand of hair products that claims to improve the condition of the scalp and existing hair in order to promote hair growth, and impede further hair loss. Having thinning hair or hair loss on the scalp is known as alopecia, which can be caused by a variety of conditions. To know if Nioxin is right for you, it will be helpful to understand more about the causes of hair loss.
Temporary Hair Thinning
In some cases, hair will grow back on its own. In a condition called Telogen Effluvium, hair falls out due to stress, surgery, childbirth, or crash dieting; it is likely to clear up on its own once the cause is no longer present. Even over-processing and over-grooming hair can temporarily cause excessive hair loss.
"Male Pattern" Baldness and DHT
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, will affect at least 50 percent of all men over 50 years of age. Even 8 percent of women experience this condition, caused by a hormone called dihydroxytestosterone, or DHT. Doctors usually recommend the prescription oral medication, Propecia®, or the over-the-counter topical solution, Rogaine®, both of which can block DHT. In addition, hair transplantation surgeries can often replace hair lost to androgenetic alopecia.
Other Types of Alopecia
Two other common types of alopecia are the "non-scarring" and "scarring" types. According to Dr. David Leffell at Yale University, non-scarring alopecia has a possibility of being helped by the interventions mentioned earlier. If you have scarring alopecia, some of your hair follicles have been destroyed and that hair cannot be regrown with any procedure or product.
Nioxin and Alopecia
Nioxin markets eight systems designed for different hair types. You choose the one that best suits your hair. Each system contains three components: cleanser, conditioner/scalp therapy, and a leave-in scalp treatment. The company advertises that its products reduce hair breakage, give you "denser-looking" hair, provide better hair texture, strengthen hair, and remove excess sebum from the scalp. The scalp treatment is also said to "help safeguard against residues and DHT buildup on the scalp." The company is careful to say that their products do not promote hair growth or regrowth.
Can Nioxin Work for You?
The ingredients in Nioxin may increase scalp health in some users, but it is not likely to cause significant hair growth or regrowth. You should always check with your doctor first; however, if use as directed, the ingredients in the three system components appear to be harmless, unless you have an allergy to a particular ingredient, and may help to prevent hair loss caused by excessive DHT. The University of Maryland Medical Center does not endorse Nioxin, but does say that rubbing essential oils --- such as those in Nioxin --- into the scalp may encourage new hair growth. Therefore, it may be worth a try for those who do not wish to use Propecia, Rogaine, or subject themselves to surgery.
Caution
Nioxin can be used daily as your regular shampoo, conditioner, and scalp treatment, even in conjunction with Propecia; however, the manufacturers of Nioxin do not recommend using their products if you are also using Rogaine.
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