In the scalp, hair thinning, and hair loss space, Nioxin was an early innovator, offering a range of products to improve the health of the scalp and hair.  Today, the brand continues to reinvest in its research-supported approach to solutions that address the challenge of hair loss.

“Having launched more than 35 years ago, Nioxin was one of the first brands to pioneer the scalp care and hair loss space,” says Lori Pantel, Chief Marketing officer of Wella Company in North America. “This brand refresh and recent innovations re-establish our roots and expertise in science-backed hair loss solutions while modernizing the brand to appeal to today’s salon professional and consumer needs. In addition to better serving consumers, hair loss is an emerging revenue stream for salons, and we want to support stylists in helping their clients grow results.”

Nioxin streamlined their bestselling scalp care and hair thickening lineup, Nioxin System Kits into four formulas (from six) to make it easier to find the products that best meet individual scalp and hair needs.

Each System Kit contains a shampoo, conditioner and scalp treatment with formulas rooted in scalp science, containing key ingredients like caffeine, salicylic acid, wild mint oil and niacinamide. The formulas range from treating natural to color/chemically treated hair and light to progressed thinning.

“For clients with natural, untreated (free of color or chemicals) hair with light thinning, meaning the thinning is in its early stages I recommend System Kit 1,” says Gabrielle Henderson, a member of the Nioxin Top Artist team, and a certified trichologist based in Houston, TX. “For natural, untreated hair with more noticeable progressed thinning, I recommend System Kit 2. For damaged, dry, or colored-treated hair with light thinning, I recommend System Kit 3. And for damaged, dry, or color-treated hair with progressed thinning, I recommend System Kit 4.”

Tress Stress

As the trusted expert, stylists are often the first point of contact when a client notices a skinnier pony or a wider part. MODERN asked Henderson to talk about how treating hair thinning and hair loss has transformed her business.

MODERN SALON: What inspired you to specialize in trichology? 

GABRIELLE HENDERSON: I started out as a color specialist and curly specialist, but I started to see this uptick in clients coming in and telling me, ‘I’m having issues with my hair.’ More and more, I was noticing problems with dry scalp, flaky scalp, and I wanted to help them, so I went to the experts, the trichologists, for answers. Then I decided to become certified myself, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my career.

MS: What are some conversation starters that a stylist can use to open the discussion into thinning hair treatments with their client?

GH: It can be a little nerve wracking and I have to work very hard to gather their trust in me, especially with some older clients. I always do a consultation before we even start the service and I say, let’s talk about your scalp, any issues?  And then I do a visual scalp analysis and I'll sometimes take a photo. By asking those questions related to their hair density, and to their scalp, it often opens things up and they might say, ‘well, since you’re asking, can you look at this spot on the back of my head’ and I’ll pull out my camera and take a picture.  That allows me to ask them more questions—'I see a spot that doesn’t have hair—is this new, is this something you’ve noticed?’

MS: How do you differentiate between ‘light’ thinning and ‘progressed’ thinning?  What does that look like, and how would a stylist identify these two stages/types of hair thinning?

DH:  I base it on their parting and looking around the front of the hair. If there is approximately half an inch of thinning, that is light.  But if I can look and see the scalp without even parting, that is progressed—there is no density and it’s more diffused, more spread out and sparse.

MS: So often, how a product impacts hair color comes up as a question with scalp treatments--what is different in the formulas of the Nioxin System Kits that are for colored, dry & damaged hair?

GH: We have two Nioxin System Kits that are specifically for color treated hair. They won’t shift the color or change the tone. They are very hydrating, and they don’t contain any harsh ingredients that might strip color.

System 3 is for colored, dry, and damaged hair that is lightly thinning. System 4 is for colored, dry, and damaged progressed-thinning hair. These System Kits contain additional moisturizing properties; in Systems 3 & 4, the shampoo includes additional humectants. In System Kit 3, the conditioner ingredients include Silk Amino Acids, Kukui Nut Oil, and protective conditioning agents. System Kit 4's conditioning ingredients include Cysteine Amino Acids and lightweight conditioning agents that won’t weigh down the hair.

MS: Do you think the issue of hair thinning has become even more of an issue recently? 

GH: I definitely think COVID had a very significant impact on people’s hair. When I was noticing thinning hair on a client, I always asked if they had the virus at some point.

Also, there are some trends that are not that great for hair health. The trend of pulling hair back very, very tight into a bun is putting a LOT of stress on hair which can result in tension alopecia. When hair is subjected to tension over a prolonged period it can damage the hair follicle and lead to hair loss. The same with braids that might be too heavy for the hair, and extensions that are not placed correctly; if that bead is around the hair line where hair is finer, that pulling force means that new hair can easily get plucked out.

While people are being more open to trying things with their hair—especially because of what they might see on TikTok—I don’t think they’re paying as much attention to the health of their scalp. There are trends that recommend certain oils or herbs, and I do think that is creating issues on the scalp.

But I’m not anti-oiling the scalp—I love a prewash oil—and I definitely feel it has benefits, but oiling your scalp before you shampoo is a lot more beneficial.

A lot of people have scalp issues, like fungus…and they don’t know it. But we have better solutions and better products that we can offer clients today. I can help them in the salon and then send them home with a system that will keep helping them.  That feels good.