Long review, but I think it's worth sharing my experience so far with hair loss (that's not a total horror story) I had a stressful 2018 summer. Stress at work, stress at home. I am a worry-wart naturally, but 2018 took the cake for me. I let my hair grow out to the longest it's probably ever been--about half way down my back. I noticed I started shedding a ton and I chalked it up to not cutting it in forever. This was April/May 2018. Well, I kept shedding... and shedding... and shedding... I could run my fingers through, tug slightly, and hair would fall out. No big deal, never thought anything of it... Until I went to get my hair cut... I just go to the local chain, as usual. She cuts my hair and tells me I am losing hair as she combs through it. Panic mode ENGAGE! I start looking at my scalp daily, counting hairs, driving myself insane. My scalp, part, and bang area suddenly looked super thin. My scalp stuck out like a sore thumb. No one else seemed to notice, but I sure did. This was September 2018. Doc appointment made with my GP. I ask about my HBP meds (I am only 36 and HBP runs in the fam) and he tells me it's not known to cause hair loss. I tell him, well... my nerves have been totally shot this summer & I have lost about 20 lb as well. He says, BINGO! I ask for help and have started some meds for my anxiety. This was October 2018. I also talked it out with a friend. That helps. I talked with another woman that had stress-induced hair loss. She assured me you won't go bald... it will feel like you will! But you won't. It takes time to recover. It was nice to share experiences. If you ever Google this topic... there are of course more horror stories than recovery ones. 6 months after my likely 'trigger' point (April 2018). I shed some when I brush, but it is not anywhere near as bad as it was just 2 months ago. After my doc appointment, I started taking prenatals and biotin. I also ended up purchasing the Nioxin 3 system in late November 2018. I have *ALWAYS* had fine, thin hair. I have also always shed hair. It's so baby-fine & wispy, it's almost hard to see when it falls. If I am in the car with my husband and the windows are down-- there's always some that gets stuck in his beard! He picks it out and hands it to me... 'I believe this belongs to you!' I purchased the Nioxin system because it seemed to be highly recommended by stylists for thinning hair. -After 1 month of use, I *DID* notice an increase in shedding those first 3 weeks. I also shed NEW GROWTH. -My hair *DID* seem quite dry for a bit, almost frizzy. I believe it was my hair and scalp getting used to the new shampoo/conditioner. Kept my cool and let the system do its thing, regardless of the increased shedding. I figure I am getting rid of weak, dead hair that was going to fall anyway. Get it gone, let's move on! Week 4, I was not shedding near as bad and my hair was soft, silky, and has tons of volume. I wash my hair every day. Probably shouldn't, but it would look like a grease trap if I didn't. This stuff makes your hair stand up at the roots, which is nice. At the time, I did use some of the Toppix hair cover to fill in my part a bit, until everything started to regrow. It made me feel less self-conscious. ---------- Month 2 ---------- My hair shedding was still what I would consider minimal. Instead of shedding probably 70ish hairs when styling at the height of my loss, I shed maybe 20-30 max now in the morning. I'm not picking hair off my shirt through the day either. My hair continues to be soft, silky, and full of body. I wash my hair every day (at night before bed and I just wet/comb, blow dry in morning), I leave the conditioner in for about 2 minutes (when I feel it get cool & tingly), and I use the scalp treatment every day. For the scalp treatment, Shake well, I hold it about 2 inches from my scalp and spray into a part in my hair. Massage in. There aren't any directions, so I thought that might be helpful! This is approximately 9 months after my likely trigger point. ---------- Month 3 (March 2019) ---------- I am still shedding 20ish or so that I notice when styling in the AM. Not bad, but of course it's something I'll forever notice now. Stress levels are low, taking my vitamins everyday, and I'm seeing slow progress. My part and crown look much better. I now sometimes forget to sprinkle in my Toppix Hair Builder in the morning. I really like that stuff though because it does hide the screaming white of your scalp. The particular part of my hair I see the most noticeable difference is the part where my bangs meet the longer part of my hair. Last Fall, I was combing over bangs to hide the bare scalp I could see. I can now brush my hair and style as usual. Still thin up top, but hopeful that things keep moving forward. My parts are not getting wider and I still see all of my new little sprouts up top, so yes, positive! I have not gone back to have my hair cut at any salon, out of fear someone may say somethin... because sure enough, I will start panicking again. I'll just trim at home for now, thanks. I have colored my hair at home with one of the L'Oreal kits and the color lasted the usual 4ish weeks. I always go for a red hue and those never last long anyway. No noticeable increase or shedding after coloring either. ---------- Month 4 (April 2019) ---------- Still moving in a positive direction. Slow but steady progress! Major stressors gone at this point as well. ---------- Month 6 (June 2019) ---------- This would be 1 year past my likely trigger point now. I would say (and I wish I had photos, but I deleted them because I was freaking out...) that the worst period was between October-November 2018, at the 6 month mark. Once I started Nioxin in November (could have been a combination of things, who knows) but my hair really stopped shedding in January 2019. Things have been on an upward swing since. I no longer use the Toppix fill-in. I style my hair and move on for the day. I don't have luscious mane of hair and never did, but at least it's back to normal now! ---------- 1 Year later (October 2019) ---------- Here's a basic timeline, as of today: 1.5 yrs after trigger, 1.25 yrs after start of shed, 1 year after beginning Nioxin, 10 months of shedding decreasing. I went from shedding a handful every morning at the end of 2018/early 2019, to **slowly** decreasing over time... now I shed maybe 10/20 hairs while styling in the morning. At the height of the shed, my sink would be covered in hair. I feel like my hair is close to being back to normal at this point. I suddenly have a ton of sprouting up top as well! Hard to see it in the photo, but those little guys are there! Up until the last month or so, I think I've been 'maintaining' what I have without really getting any denser/thicker. All of a sudden, it just seems to have started growing! I will continue with Nioxin-- I like how my hair feels and the peppermint is refreshing in the shower. It always feels clean and soft once dried. It's also not falling out in spades anymore. I am still trimming my own hair though. I have alternated finding deals on what I need between Amazon and Ulta. You can always find a discount somewhere, you just have to look! Pricier than your grocery store brands, but well worth it in the long run. Be reminded: These are *not* products that regrow your hair, like Propecia or Rogaine. Instead, they simply clarify and promote a healthier, stimulated scalp. A good environment for your hair to grow... and it takes time. With everything I tried, between vitamins, this system, and just taking better care of my hair in general (and also trying to remain calm)-- It's really the sum of all things that helped me. Good luck from me on your progress!
