Hair Loss Cure 2020

In my 20 years of researching hair loss, around a dozen brands of products have garnered massive publicity. Among the few of these that I have yet to review is the Nioxin line of shampoos and system kits. Also see my posts on Revivogen and Nizoral for other highly popular shampoos.

The Nioxin system (1, 2, 3. 4, 5 and 6) kits include a shampoo, a conditioner and a scalp treatment lotion for thinning hair. All of these are used by men and women, for both pattern hair loss and generalized thinning. Nioxin was acquired by Proctor & Gamble in 2008. Make sure to check out the company’s Instagram and YouTube channel.

Nioxin Shampoo Recommended by Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano was in the news last year due to her major hair loss and shedding due to Covid-19. Recently, she said that her hair regrowth was aided by Nutrafol supplements and Nioxin shampoo and conditioner.

Sale

Nioxin System 2 Shampoo. — Nioxin System 2 Scalp Cleansing Shampoo.

This week, a several news headlines mentioned that Alyssa Milano’s favorite Nioxin shampoo was on sale for 64 percent off on Amazon. Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, this shampoo is often on sale.

Only Nioxin 1 (for light thinning of natural hair) seems to be that steeply discounted (current price of $16). Nioxin 2 for progressed thinning is a bit more expensive. The combined line of these shampoos currently have over 20,000 reviews on Amazon, averaging a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Note that the cleanser shampoo systems 3-6 are for colored and bleached hair types. Systems 1-2 are for natural hair (see diagram further below).

Even more impressive, the system kits have a combined over 25,000 reviews on Amazon. At an average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5, this is pretty impressive for a shampoo and conditioner related hair loss product. Of course Amazon has a huge problem of fake reviews, so it is also good to check customer opinions on other sites selling Nioxin. The most popular of these include Wal Mart, Costco and Walgreens.

Nioxin Hair Types — Nioxin System recommendations by hair type (natural, coplored and bleached); and by extent of hair loss (light thinning or progressed thinning). System 1, System 2, System 3, System 4, System 5 and System 6.

Nioxin Ingredients

Across it various systems, Nioxin contains ensulizole, sulisobenzone, peppermint oil, nettle root extract, niacin, biotin, numerous other B vitamins, and saw palmetto. The last mentioned is a leading natural dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibitor to reverse androgenetic alopecia. Also included are salicylic acid, peppermint oil and menthol. Most of these ingredients are unlikely to cause any significant side effects.

According to the company’s website:

“The Nioxin Cleanser Shampoo removes dirt, excessive oil and other environmental residues from the scalp and hair. “

Ultimately, this reduces hair shedding and supposedly makes existing hair thicker. Note that even the best dermatologist recommended hair loss shampoos will not regrow hair on totally bald areas of the scalp. In a majority of cases, the product marketing overpromises on results.

Newer Products

Apparently, Nioxin now also offers hair care products (including serums, sprays and lotions) that contain Minoxidil 2% (for women) and the unique Sandalore. The company is devoting significant resources for product innovation and also sells a 3D Care System. Hopefully they can even include ingredients such as Stemoxydine and Resveratrol in their products going forward.

A very interesting article that explores the difference between hair rejuvenation and hair cloning (or hair multiplication) was published yesterday. The interview itself took place “a little while ago”.

The article author interviewed Dr. Bessam Farjo (highly optimistic), Dr. Sara Wasserbauer (optimistic) and Dr. Antonella Tosti (more cautious). Both Dr. Farjo and Dr. Wasserbauer are associated with HairClone (UK), a company that I have covered on this blog since 2016. Currently, HairClone is only banking your hair follicles for future cell cloning. They aim to begin “cell expansion services” in 2022.

Hair Rejuvenation of Dermal Papilla Cells versus Hair Cloning

What I find interesting in this article is that for the first time that I can recall, a clear distinction is made between hair cloning and hair rejuvenation. The latter is undertaken via the “hair cloning” of dermal papillae and injection into thinning scalps.

According to Dr. Sara Wasserbauer, actual hair cloning (i.e. making a brand new follicle in the lab that then regenerates itself in a regular hair cycle) is still 10-20 year away. However:

“What is imminent is the cloning of dermal papillae cells, which serves to thicken existing thinning hair.”

Dr. Wasserbauer is discussing Hairclone’s technology here. Some would still call the replication of dermal papilla cells in the lab to be hair cloning or hair multiplication. However, in this article, they imply a better phrase to be “hair rejuvenation” or even “hair regeneration”.

Dr. Farjo (UK) thinks that HairClone’s procedure could be available to patients as early as the end of 2022/beginning of 2023.
Dr. Wasserbauer (US) thinks 2025/2026 is more likely, “barring any further Covid-related delays”.

However, Dr. Tosti seems skeptical:

Some experts, however, doubt the imminence of this technology. “The idea is there — to introduce stem cells into the follicle to increase the population of dermal papillae in order to grow thicker hair — but this is not happening right now,” says Dr. Tosti. “The published papers didn’t show that. It’s far from being close in clinical studies.”

One caveat is that the UK has favorable regulations that I have mentioned several times in the past. So this autologous cell injection procedure can be tested on patients in clinical settings under doctor supervision. With no published papers or clinical trials necessary.

According to the article, the most suitable candidates will be those who have not gone completely bald yet. It seems like even if you have some remaining hair in the permanent donor area, the procedure might be the wrong choice if you are completely bald in the rest of your scalp.

In general, you can expect significant thickening of existing thinning hair if HairClone’s procedure works. Perhaps they can improve on the results with more experience and also help Norwood 6 level bald men down the road?

Repeat Cell Injection Treatments Required

Note that HairClone’s procedure may be necessary up to three times over the course of a 10-year period. This is because male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair loss are both progressive conditions.

Because this procedure is not yet US FDA approved, the stem cell injections will initially have to take place in the UK. The FDA will possibly grant approval to store tissue at US storage facilities sometime in 2022.

The combined cost for banking, storage and injection will likely be on par with that of a hair transplant.

Nioxin Shampoo System for Thinning Hair