Ingredient help please?!

[Rapunzal2Be]

I know that many of you are practically experts in deciphering the ingredients in products, and I really need some help.

I've been using a product line (nioxin) for the past few months to regrow hair that I lost due to what I believe was stress. They suggest using ONLY their line so I had been using their shampoo, conditioner, and treatment, as well as a shine serum.

I did have success with the product - I'll be honest, I noticed growth amazingly quickly and now have little sprouts all over my head and my hair looked shiny and healthy.

But since I've come here I've been doing a lot of reading and I've developed concerns. Honestly, I have :confused: NO idea what it is in this product that is actually working, but what I have come to think is that there are a LOT of ingredients in them that are pretty bad. :demon:

They have sulfates and 'cones and even worse than that...I've just come to read that Friends of the Earth, Health Care Without Harm, the Environmental Working Group, and the Breast Cancer Fund all have Nioxin on their list of products that could cause cancer or have other negative health effects. YIKES! :thud:

Here is a link to the ingredient list in their shampoo, conditioner, and treatment.

http://www.askdocweb.com/nioxin.html

Can anyone help me to decipher this to figure out for myself a) just how dangerous these products are, b) which product is the one actually helping with the regrowth (any or all), and c) if there are other natural alternatives I could use instead to see the same result?

:couch: Honestly, I feel a bit like an idiot - I was so desperate to stop losing my hair and I *thought* I had done my research, but yet did not find these warnings until today, nor did I ever know (before LHC) that a simple sulfate allergy could be causing my hair loss, among other things.

If anyone can help me I would GREATLY appreciate any input...:heart:

[Rapunzal2Be]

I have found this:

Nioxin has a Transactive Delivery System, a Bionutrient transportation method which delivers vitamins and nutrients to the scalp and hair, and CoZyme, a complex made from Co-enzyme Q-10 and nine other Co-enzymes and cofactors. All of these products together provide anti-aging properties the scalp skin. Nioxin’s latest advancement is Glyco-Fused Complex, a moisturizing blend of rare herbs and botanicals that help to safeguard the scalp from the drying irritation caused by various chemical services.

It addresses problems associated with thin-looking hair by cleansing the scalp and hair of product buildup, DHT, and lingering chemical residue. And, it provides chemically enhanced hair with the moisture and vitamin nourishment needed to stay fuller and healthier-looking.

It says that Nioxin does not regrow hair, the body does. It says that what Nioxin *does* is "create an optimum scalp environment"and "removing excess sebum containing elevated levels of DHT".

It claims that the shampoo has "bionutrient cleansers" and claims all of its ingredients are "naturally derived".

I'm so confused.

[marialena]

Hi Rapunzal2Be and welcome to the LHC. :)

I think that you are too stressed about the ingredients of the treatment that you use already for so many months.

I'm not saying that these products are totally natural, I'm one of those, that had ban chemicals from their lives.

I'm just saying that you seem from what you write, so stressed, that it looks to me very possible to start shedding again just because someone will tell you that this shampoo or conditioner has dangerous ingredients!

Well.. These products are not the Nature herself.
In fact, without searching more for the rest of the ingredients, I personally would not use them because they have parabens, which are preservatives, SLS which is a detergent, silicons which are synthetic "varnishes" and parfums because I'm allergic. But that is what I wouldn't do personally.

BUT, I'm not you and you are not me, and as far as I read you used to use these kind of products, before you hair started shedding and before discovering this product's series. :shrug:

So... what is my point?

I don't say that it is bad to get "all natural". But if in order to get all natural, you are going to live thinking of what are the dangers of chemicals, you are anxious and stressed and you are going to loose the rest of your hair .. don't do it!! It's not worthing at all!!

Perhaps ( IMO) it would be better to relax and stop thinking about what is going to happen to your hair.
In my opinion they will stay on your head, with or without shampoos and treatments, for as long you will be calm, relaxed and happy. :)

And your hair are gorgeous long and very beautiful anyway.:blossom: :)


As for the shampoo.. Is a nice commercial shampoo. Nothing special, nothing more or less dangerous than the other shampoos and products that you used before this.
I mean that is a treatment that it has not something more than your previous hair treatments.. you just relaxed believing that this would made your hair grow back.. and as it is normal in such cases, your hair grew back.. by them selves and not with the help of a miracle product!

Think positive, stay calm, smile and you'll see that things will going to be better. ;)

[Rapunzal2Be]

Hi Rapunzal2Be and welcome to the LHC. :)

I think that you are too stressed about the ingredients of the treatment that you use already for so many months.

I'm not saying that these products are totally natural, I'm one of those, that had ban chemicals from their lives.

I'm just saying that you seem from what you write, so stressed, that it looks to me very possible to start shedding again just because someone will tell you that this shampoo or conditioner has dangerous ingredients!

Well.. These products are not the Nature herself.
In fact, without searching more for the rest of the ingredients, I personally would not use them because they have parabens, which are preservatives, SLS which is a detergent, silicons which are synthetic "varnishes" and parfums because I'm allergic. But that is what I wouldn't do personally.

BUT, I'm not you and you are not me, and as far as I read you used to use these kind of products, before you hair started shedding and before discovering this product's series. :shrug:

So... what is my point?

I don't say that it is bad to get "all natural". But if in order to get all natural, you are going to live thinking of what are the dangers of chemicals, you are anxious and stressed and you are going to loose the rest of your hair .. don't do it!! It's not worthing at all!!

Perhaps ( IMO) it would be better to relax and stop thinking about what is going to happen to your hair.
In my opinion they will stay on your head, with or without shampoos and treatments, for as long you will be calm, relaxed and happy. :)

And your hair are gorgeous long and very beautiful anyway.:blossom: :)


As for the shampoo.. Is a nice commercial shampoo. Nothing special, nothing more or less dangerous than the other shampoos and products that you used before this.
I mean that is a treatment that it has not something more than your previous hair treatments.. you just relaxed believing that this would made your hair grow back.. and as it is normal in such cases, your hair grew back.. by them selves and not with the help of a miracle product!

Think positive, stay calm, smile and you'll see that things will going to be better. ;)

Thank you! I think you may just be right. :)

I guess I am just nervous to give them up, although I am really interested in trying the natural stuff.

But you are right, if stress is my hair loss cause in the first place, then stressing over this is just counterproductive.

ETA: Thanks for the hair compliment, but my avatar is simply my inspirational photo, which I'd rather look at than my own (short) hair right now. ;)

[marialena]

Thank you! I think you may just be right. :)

I guess I am just nervous to give them up, although I am really interested in trying the natural stuff.

But you are right, if stress is my hair loss cause in the first place, then stressing over this is just counterproductive.

ETA: Thanks for the hair compliment, but my avatar is simply my inspirational photo, which I'd rather look at than my own (short) hair right now. ;)

In my personal opinion, which some of LHC members like and some other not, there's nothing more beneficial for hair health, and health in general, than to avoid chemical products.

But chemical ingredients, in some cases and for some people, work very well in their heads so there's no rule of what it would be perfect to do.

It is good what makes us happy.

Basically, now that I'm thinking about it, only feeling good for ourselves can make us happy. In fact, all the products and remedies and recipes of this world, can do anything if we don't feel well and happy for what we have on our head, ( and our bodies in general).

Would you like to get all natural?
It would be good for your health. ( that's a fact)
Would you like to keep your current hair treatment because you are feeling happy with this too?
There's no reason not to feel good, so in that case I would advice you to keep your current treatment.

Conclusion?
Is not the products that make hair grow longer, make them shiny and beautiful, but our good moods who are the big secret after all, for enjoying our lives. ;)

So don't get stressed. Enjoy what you have, do the best that you can and don't forget to think positive!:)