Best Hair Replacement Products for Thinning Hair

My initial hair loss shock was after the birth of my first child. I found hair on the floor, hair in the sink and sometimes a hair in my food. It was horrifying to me and I obsessed about it. My ob-gyn said it was normal, happened to a lot of women and it would grow back. I never had any thin spots where I could see my scalp through my hair but my hair was harder to manage for a few months.

Fast forward to my fifties and I began developing real thin spots. Female pattern thinning is what my doctor called it and said there wasn't much that could be done. It was genetic, I had inherited the gene and that was that.

So, fifteen years and many experiments later I'm going to tell you what worked for me. I had plenty of money and time to try anything and the internet can quickly separate you from your money with products that don't work. Here are the best ones to try and best of all they worked for me and many others. To this day I continue to use all of them with one exception.

TOPPIK

My far and away favorite product for thinning hair or even just thin, fine hair is Toppik. The company says, "These organic keratin protein fibers have the same organic makeup as your own hair. So they naturally intertwine with your own hair to make it look thick and full in less than 30 seconds." That's exactly what happens. I have an article describing Toppik in detail called Fast Help for Men and Women with Thinning Hair. You can order the product at toppik.com and learn more about what the company has to offer. The product comes quickly and is very reasonable considering how long it lasts. It is totally undetectable, has no side effects whatsoever since it is just fibers intertwined with your own hair. The worse thing you can do is use too much and see some coloration on your scalp. A little experimentation will let you know the best way to apply it which I describe fully in the aforementioned article.

NIOXIN

The next product I use is the Nioxin system for chemically enhanced hair which has the number 3 on it. An internet investigation of the product will give you plenty of reading so I'll tell you my personal experience and why I use it. I go to numerous hair salons because my husband and I travel so much. Every single one without fail recommended this product. From Kentucky to Florida to south Texas I heard about Nioxin. It does tingle and feel like its working and according to my latest stylist it truly cleans the scalp of any hair follicle clogging oils. I bought the system from Penney's salon because they were nice enough to use it on me two times with no pressure to buy it. From completing the Penney's survey on my receipt I got a 15% discount when I bought the system which retailed for $39.99 so I saved $6.00 . I highly recommend buying the kit where you get the cleanser, scalp therapy AND scalp treatment. Had I not bought the kit I would not have known that the scalp treatment (which Penney's didn't have available to try) was the BEST of the trio. It does something extra to fine hair making it more manageable and seemingly thicker. It tingles, too. When I first used it, I didn't like the tingle sensation because it seemed almost irritating but Nioxin prepares you for that feeling in the directions. The tingle thing either grew on me or lessened with use as I'm fine with it now. There were no side effects, redness or true irritation.

SHEN MIN

The next product I've used with success is Shen Min. Go to their website shenmin.com and read the FAQ section for lots of information. I used it for some time but it isn't cheap and they recommend using it for 3-4 months before seeing success. I felt like my hair stopping falling when using the product but it didn't necessarily grow in thicker or more quickly. I felt reassured at the time that the product was working but I'm sure it will vary with individuals and in my early 60s when my hair started shedding again I chose other solutions. Shen Min is herbal and caused no side effects so it is worth trying if you don't mind the wait.

SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements can make a difference in your hair. Before I suggest what to take I want to mention that if you smoke you constrict your blood vessels and blood flow to the scalp helps your hair. That's another good reason to stop smoking. Certainly a good diet and a multi-vitamin contribute to overall good health (and hair!) but beyond that here are the supplements I recommend and take myself: fish oil, ginko biloba, MSM and silica. Fish oil is everywhere and I do believe there is a difference in fish oil supplements. I buy mine at stopagingnow.com which is a great site to help you learn more about your health and to purchase products. However, there are a few other places I like to purchase supplements. One is vitacost.com where I get Ginko biloba, MSM and Silica (Alta brand). Read the reviews on each product and decide how much you want to take. In any case, you'll have no side effects (or at least I didn't) and you can benefit from this advice because it came straight from my doctor. She's very high on Silica as it also helps your bones! All of these supplements can be purchased at local health food stores and on the internet. The Vitamin Shoppe has a point scale for rewards after you purchase a given amount. I like them for getting products in a hurry and they have their own brand of many items I like which saves me money.

HAIRPIECES

My last and totally foolproof way to enhance your thinning hair (or even cope with alopecia or overall baldness) is a wig or hairpiece. Before you nix this approach just know that everyone in the public eye whether a celebrity, news anchor, politician or just the lady across the street know that what you see on TV or in a magazine has a lot to do with "extra" hair. My favorite piece of "extra" hair is my clip on hairpiece. No, not a ponytail or "fall" from the old days but a nifty, color matched hairpiece! I pull my own hair through the net base and you won't even know I have it on. Sometimes I use it because my hair is flat and I want to add some oomph. I also have a good wig that is on standby if I want it although lately my wig has just been sitting on the shelf. Wigs work better if you have no hair (as during chemo treatments) or if you are going to wear them for a short time. I find that my wig smashes down my real hair and makes sore places if I wear it all day. A wig in hot weather is a real pain but during cold weather I love to wear my wig instead of a hat. Keeps my head toasty warm! DON'T order hairpieces from a catalog until you know what works for you. I live near a big city and I went to a wig shop that caters to cancer patients (found often near large hospital complexes) and got individual and very patient help. Over the years I've visited numerous wig shops (and been highly offended by some) until I found one that I go back to and is where I got my last and favorite hairpiece. Once you find the exact hair product you like best, that fits you and is the right color, you may luck out and find it in a catalog (Paula Young, TWC etc.) and can possibly save money. My mother-in-law has worn a wig for 35 years and gets hers from TWC (thewigcompany.com) and you would never know she's wearing a wig. In my case I could never find the right match from a catalog company so I prefer finding a local wig retailer.