In 2018, scientists made a wild discovery — your hair follicles have a sense of smell. delusion truly Like the scent of sandalwood. So, haircare brand Nioxin partnered with the scientist behind the discovery to create this woodsy, leathery scented scalp serum. When your hair follicles smell the serum, they dock into the scalp (Which reduces excessive hair loss) and spend more time in the growth phase of the hair cycle.
“You don’t really think your hair has the ability to smell, but that’s what makes this research so exciting,” says Fatima Fahs, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Canton, Michigan who works with Nioxin. “This is something that will enable patients and consumers alike to be able to start using something on their hair even before they necessarily notice hair loss or even before they notice their hair is getting really bad.”
Nioxin Ultimate Power Serum ($50) is a leave-in serum that can be used when hair is damp or dry. To create it, the brand partnered with Ralf Paus, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Miami, Florida, who co-authored a 2018 study that found that the outer layer of hair follicles has receptors stimulated by odor.
“It’s called the olfactory receptor,” says Dr. Fahs. “Smell just means smell, and this olfactory receptor was sensitive to aur sandalwood, which is the scent of synthetic sandalwood. And we found that basically this receptor responds to the swelling of sand and increases growth factor production in this hair that lengthens the hair growth cycle.”
At any given time, most hair is in one of three phases: anagen (growth), catagen (transition), and telogen (resting/falling out). “The average patient should have about five to 10 percent of their hair in this telogen phase,” says Dr. to examine. Sometimes, due to changes such as illness, having a baby, stress, high temperature, or surgery, this ratio changes. “Instead of all these hairs being in the normal growth phase, a lot of them go into the shedding phase. Suddenly you get clumps and clumps of hair and it’s very painful,” she says. Nioxin Ultimate Power Serum increases the production of scalp growth factor that prolongs the growth phase and prevents cell death that causes hair to enter the resting phase where hair loss occurs.
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In addition, it causes the hair follicles in the scalp to become pinned. “It’s kind of a newer term, but hair pinning pretty much means we lock the hair at the roots and pin it tightly,” says Dr. Fahs. “It allows the scalp to have increased resistance to the roots so you don’t have excessive breakage.”
What also sets it apart from minoxidil is the texture. Topical minoxidil is greasy and sticky and can weigh hair down and make it look greasy, depending on your hair type and texture. This Nioxin serum is very lightweight and water-based. “The consistency is a bit watery but it absorbs and dries really quickly,” says Gabrielle Henderson, a hairstylist who works with Nioxin. “The product dries clear and I have no issues with residue or flaking.”
Since it’s water-based, it can be a little tricky to use if you have naturally curly or curly hair and like to wear it straight. “I recommend applying Ultimate Power Serum to your scalp at night and then tying your hair with a scarf,” says Henderson. “This will ensure that the hair doesn’t bulge when trying to slick back due to the scarf pressing against it, leaving your roots nice and straight.”
These mechanisms of action are things that anyone can benefit from, even before any excessive shedding occurs. This sets it apart from the most popular hair growth topical, minoxidil also known as Rogaine. Rogaine is applied daily in response to hereditary hair loss. If you stop applying it, you will lose any growth you may have stimulated. With Nioxin, you can use it proactively and reactively regardless of the cause of hair loss.
This is extremely beneficial for those who are pregnant or postpartum.
“I’m currently pregnant and love that I’m able to do something rather than nothing” to reduce postpartum hair loss, says Dr. Fahs. “Maybe that’s what makes it so exciting because you know that traditional Rogaine has minoxidil in it, and that’s an ingredient we say [pregnant and breastfeeding] Patients should avoid them.”
It’s also great for those who stress their hair through styling.
“For patients who do high-tension styling or, say, who keep braids in for weeks at a time,” says Dr. Vahs, “having a product like this dispensed onto their scalp can be really nice because it kind of blends in so easy.” And it also feels like more of a protective insurance policy if you were to go ahead and take that risk. “
In addition to sandalore, this serum contains other scalp and hair loving ingredients.
“It also contains caffeine which will help maintain the skin barrier. And when you massage with caffeine, it can increase microcirculation in the blood so it can establish product delivery,” says Dr. Fahs. “It contains lauric acid which helps nourish the hair roots, so it can be helpful in preventing breakage. People have reported feeling they had less hair breakage, so that’s probably a strength of this ingredient and then the niacinamide as well, which also penetrates.” into the hair roots and results in stronger, thicker hair.”
Whether you suffer from excessive hair loss or want to prevent it, Nioxin Ultimate Power Serum is the perfect addition to your hair care routine.
