Hair Loss Recovery

My hair loss was so subtle and gradual that it only dawned on me one day while I was pulling my hair back into a ponytail, that the circumference of my whole head of hair in my hand felt much, much less than it used to.  I've always had annoyingly fine hair, or "fine...but lots of it" as my hairdresser used to say, but after that moment I became fixated by how you could literally see-through my hair when I wore it down, there was no density in it at all.  

Of course I took to Google (as you do...) and spent more hours than I would care to admit looking up causes for hair loss.  To be honest I'm still not entirely sure what caused it.  At the point I noticed it, I  was in the midst of my weight loss journey with Cambridge Weight Plan, which is a Very Low Calorie Diet, and can cause hair loss, but I was following one of their higher steps and still eating 'actual food', so don't feel I can definitively point the finger at that.  I had also gone much lighter with my hair, and wonder if the consistent bleaching weakened my already thin hair.  Of course it could be all of these things, or none of these things - fact of the matter was that it happened!

I have come across a few select products which have helped to strengthen my existing lengths, while nourishing my scalp and encouraging new growth and I had to share them with you.

First up is Shea Moisture Strengthen & Restore Shampoo.  I was initially drawn towards this as it is SLS free, but it has a cocktail of hair nourishing ingredients such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil to encourage hair growth, Peppermint to invigorate the scalp and Apple Cider Vinegar to clarify and regulate ph levels in the scalp.  Being SLS-free, I was convinced it would leave my hair weighed down and not totally 'clean', and no, I don't get that squeaky clean feeling on my hair when I use this.  It actually feels like there is some kind of residue left after rinsing, but my hair has never been softer or shinier, let me tell you.  I can only assume that it's rinsing out the excess dirt and grime on my hair while retaining the natural oils in my hair.  

I pair this with DGJ Organics Thickening Conditioner.  It has the most dreamy lavender scent which I am all about, but more than that it contains caffiene, which helps to stimulate the scalp and promote hair growth.  It's a lovely, lightweight texture, which means that it rinses out easily so I apply this from root to tip and make sure I massage it into my scalp for a couple of minutes to get maximum benefit from the ingredients.

As an overnight treatment, I have been enjoying the Shea Moisture Strengthen & Restore Treatment Masque.  It has a really thick texture, and smells sweet and slightly caramel-ly - it is like applying frosting to your hair (I have had many a cake-related dream while wearing this).  Like the shampoo, it contains Castor Oil and Peppermint, but is also loaded with Shea Butter which conditions both the hair and scalp.  It is intended to be used on the hair for up to an hour, but to be honest ain't nobody got the time to be hopping in and out of the shower all night, so I much prefer to apply this to slightly damp hair before bed then rinse out in the morning.  It leaves my hair feeling really soft and healthy.

Lastly, I have been trialling the new Nioxin Night Density Rescue.  This lives on my bedside table and is now an entrenched part of my night-time routine.  It comes with a pipette applicator and you need to use one full pipette dotted over the scalp.  I then spend a couple of minutes massaging this into my scalp.  The first thing I noticed about this was the small - it is just dreamy and even my husband mentioned how nice it was.  It promises increased hair density in 3 months so this isn't a quick fix, it's working on the scalp to help promote growth.  I have used this product for around 3-4 months now and I have some very noticeable new growth which I am certain this product has contributed towards.

I recently visited the hairdresser for some bayalage highlights (using Olplex - I wasn't taking any chances!) and I asked her if she could notice any new growth in my hair and she confirmed that I have around 3 inches of new growth.  When I run my hands through my hair I can feel a definite thickness near my roots where the new growth has come through.  

I hope this helps someone who might be going through hair loss or thinning hair.