As we age, it seems like our hair disappears faster each year! Patches thin and we can see our scalp easier all the time. I have thin, fine hair so it lies flat to my head. I feel like my part is widening along with my hips! My friend, however, has frizzy hair, and she claims that even though her hair is thinning all of the frizz keeps the volume larger and her scalp hidden. Who has the better deal?

As it turns out, my flat hair is actually healthier. My cuticle or covering of the hair shaft has its dragon-like scales in perfect order, not lifted up due to brittle, dry hair. Some folks have hair that just overly reacts to the moisture in humid air which swells the hair shaft and raises up those scales. Razor cuts accentuate this issue as the razor lifts up the scales as it cuts creating split ends. Super sharp scissors “cut” down on damage during styling. Less shampooing and more conditioning is also a help.

Sulfate-free shampoos don’t foam to rough up and dry out the coating of our hair strands and natural oils along with quality conditioners or oil hair mask treatments keep the dragon scales under control.

Gently patting your hair dry, combing it out with a wide-toothed comb and using an anti-frizz product on your hair before it dries is a must for frizz-prone hair. Blow drying is a big concern also and products that contain any alcohol products just dry out hair further. Salons are now offering “coating products” that are made of proteins that bond the cuticle into one smooth strand and can work for up to a few months per treatment. My friend’s favorite solution is just to put her hair into a bun. Clever you say? While it may be the latest fashion statement, pulling your hair back into a tight pony tail or bun can actually be pulling your hair out!

So both my friend and I need a treatment for thinning hair that works on all colors, types and conditions of hair. The best female hair loss treatment turns out to be the latest laser technology used in a laser hair brush. Laser hair restoration is the ingenious tool best made by Nutreve International called the Nutreve Personal Hair Therapy Laser. Its ergonomically designed laser hair brush houses 35 pulsing, low level, cool lasers that target the base of each hair follicle. Laser light stimulates the follicles to produce thicker, smoother, healthier hair which cures our thinning issue. It is this natural hair loss treatment that is light years ahead of surgeries, medications and messy topical creams that women have been using as their thinning hair treatment for years. It also is light, portable, hand-held and can be used with a hands-free stand for years of relief and beautiful hair. Rechargeable batteries mean that your purchase is a one-time deal, and no additional purchase is required! The laser hair brush also does not interfere with hair shampoos, dyes, medications or any other treatments that you may already be using or wish to try in the future, and it works on hair of any ethnicity, texture, color or condition.

So, after both my friend and I have been using our new Personal Hair Therapy Laser (which, by the way we share to cut down even further on cost) for just over a month, we have both been pleasantly surprised by the growth of new hair in all of the areas we are treating! We only have to use it for about 15-20 minutes every other day (hence the even easier sharing opportunity) and plan to continue use for as long as hair is in style…which as ANY gal knows, is FOREVER!!!

Every time I open a magazine or listen to TV there is a promise of effortless beauty. Really, the only version of this kind of beauty in the world is in Nature. Also beauty can really mean anything as it is truly in the eye of the beholder. However, today’s standards for most of us, male or female have gotten out of control, and we are held to not only a model pretty or handsome type, but more importantly a youthful type. Of course we can work out, wear trendier clothes, keep our weight under control and eat properly, but what we all strive for is to actually look younger that we are. Also, the newest emphasis is to do it all naturally AND effortlessly! (or at least pretend that we don’t go for botox or surgeries or spend hours under the dryer). Let’s look at some of the latest “effortless” beauty trends that include electrotherapy, laser hair therapy and surgeries!

First on the list is a Facial Toner. Believe it or not you CAN put a little gadget on our cheeks that uses electrotherapy (ouch?) to beef up the muscles that attach to your cheeks so that they stay up higher and appear fuller on your face. This is a hands free device which actually looks like a set of headphones on your cheeks and just beautiful and painless on the model (unless this photo was taken with the device turned off!) No price is in the ad…not good.

There is also an Ab Stimulator. This seems to do the same thing for your abdominal muscles that the facial toner does for the apples of your cheeks. Electric pulses stimulate the muscles of your abdomen which is supposed to replicate doing sit ups or other exercise. I still can’t get over the possible ouch factor, and don’t think you could walk around in public with one on and keep a straight face!

Another effortless muscle builder is the calf implant (or bicept, thigh, even butt implant) to make it look like you actually spend time in the gym. ALL of these options though definitely come with an ouch factor and not only to the body, but to the pocketbook! Also, I don’t think I would consider surgery nor the use of the requisite pain pills that go with it are really natural!

Laser hair removal is not new. Many people use it to remove hair on the arms, underarms, genitals (major ouch) and for chest and back hair. The use of this “zapping” type of laser needs to be done by a professional with the proper training and who have a very strong stomach for some of what they see! Laser hair removal can only be used on darker hairs though as it cannot easily detect lighter hairs and the process is more random, and with multiple trips and a high cost factor it is not effortless again to the purse! As each follicle is killed, the good news is that it will never grow another hair. The bad news is that it will never grow another hair…in case you change your mind or fashion goes back to the 60s. (Which it WILL, eventually)

On the other hand, laser hair restoration using cool, non detectable lasers to actually be a treatment for thinning hair is rather new on the market. It has been used in salons for some time as a female hair loss treatment, but it involved going into the salon for a 20 minute treatment every other day for months and then maybe down to once a week at the least until you decided to give up due to high gas prices, tight schedules or having everyone wonder just what WAS she doing going to that salon SO often? For men, it was even more of a question. Now, however there IS a home use device called a laser hair brush or a laser hair comb. It is made to be used every other day for 15 minutes a time and can be taken on the road as it just looks like a large paddle brush. It uses cool lasers so there is NO ouch factor, and runs on rechargeable batteries. One brand even comes with a hands-free stand so that you are not holding

So…we have made it to our 50’s! Just in time to watch our mates (and maybe ourselves) start the decade with “midlife crisis”…and also start our own body’s transformation into menopause and the realization that we have probably NOT saved enough for our retirement in our 60’s. It is not ALL doom and gloom, however. We now have a better idea of where we want to go in life, who we really are and what we like to do.

Hopefully we have great friends, family and careers that can take the “freak” out of “freak out”! In our 50’s we try to tame the grays and look for female hair loss treatments as our hair starts to thin due to the change of hormones or newly prescribed medications in our systems. How can we “stop” time?

A natural hair loss treatment starts with making sure that our bodies are continuing to take in the proper nutrition and especially enough water. Gray hairs are coarser and duller now and good cleansing shampoos and light conditioners along with making sure that we are keeping hydrated will give our hair and scalp a means of combating a quicker death of our aging hair follicles. Hydration keeps cells plump and light moisturizers and conditioners keep our skin and scalp pores from clogging. Clogged follicles are actually suffocating new hair growth! So make sure to use a shampoo without sulfates (soapy bubbles leave soapy scum!).

Another way to combat aging is to maintain a great exercise routine. This not only tones and gives our muscles a chance to fight fat, it also increases circulation. Increased circulation is one of the best treatments for thinning hair, and along with exercise a new laser hair comb is a great option to increase nutrition-rich blood to each hungry hair follicle. The new laser hair therapy for women is a simple to use (20-30 minutes every other day) hair loss treatment that is affordable and now sold for home use. I recommend the Nutreve Personal Hair Therapy Laser for all of these qualities.

The 50’s are still fraught with stressors from worry about job loss, paying for college tuition, work vs. parenting/relationship time, etc., and some of us may be given new medications to combat these problems. Medications for normal body changes such as blood pressure and cholesterol elevation, joint or back pain also seem to be the “norm” at least in all of the TV and magazine ads! Although sometime these medications are necessary and taken correctly, they do cause other symptoms such as changes in our skin and hair.

Take ANY medications responsibly and see your doctor if uncomfortable changes or symptoms come to your attention. There are natural ways to combat dry mouth, hair and skin changes. Hair regrowth drugs such as minoxidil in Rogaine are also now being used by men and women to combat hair loss. If that is the route you choose to take, the laser hair therapy for women mentioned above is also safe to use as a thinning hair treatment along with these medications.

Shorter hair styles, highlights (just don’t overdo the harsh chemicals) and occasional oil or “hair mask” treatments will keep hair looking younger too. Be careful of harsh dyes, teasing (we don’t want to break what we are trying to keep!) chlorine and hair pieces or extensions that are too heavy and actually pull out more hair (what a vicious cycle that would be!) than they replace. The laser hair brush for hair loss is also safe to use with any hair dyes, treatments, or shampoos. It is a great addition to our healthy ways to keep our hair full, shiny and looking like we were at least back in those Fabulous Forties again!

Next up is a look at hair in our 60s. Keep your eyes posted for our series “Ageless Beauty…One Decade at a Time”!

Ageless Beauty for our Hair:

One Decade at a Time

Once we reach the age of 40 we usually have our job/marriage/family situation figured out. Some stress remains, but by now we either have less of it or have learned to cope with it better. However…just as hormones change EVERYTHING for us in our 20s…they’re BAAAAACK!

Hormone imbalance or Perimenopause plays little tricks on our brains, eyesight, skin and hair. Please consult a doctor first to rule out thyroid, anemia or other issues, but if you are just a normal 40-something, hair will start to thin and become fewer and farther between. As your scalp dries (like your skin) your hair follicles have a harder and harder time producing luscious locks. There is help, however, and the latest technology is the Personal Hair Therapy Laser by Nutreve. This laser does NOT remove hair…it stimulates the production of terminal hair (or thicker, darker shinier hair) of your youth.

This laser hair brush stimulates and improves hair growth and does not in any way interfere with your use of other important products that also help your hair’s comeback. The other new product that hair in our 40s can use is a great conditioner. It needs to be one that is not heavy as we do not want it to leave residue on our scalp to clog the very pores (follicles) that we are trying to help. We can also go in for extra oil treatments that are now referred to as “hair masks” to add shine and hydrate the hair shaft.

The laser hair comb also does not compete with the use of Minoxidil. This medication can be put on any areas of your head that may especially need treatment such as a receding hairline or balding patches.

We also need to make sure, that as at any age, we are getting the proper nutrition and vitamins. Usually we ARE the moms now…and our own mom no longer keeps reminding us of how to take care of our bodies by eating properly and taking our vitamins. Rest also plays a huge part in our overall health at this point. How long has it been since you got 8 hours??? All of these things our moms used to tell us are actually true. (Call her and let her know that you realize it now, and she was RIGHT!) Amazing…we must be maturing!

What about those gray hairs??? They are sneaking in by way of our temples, hairline and right on top so they can be seen in our part (showoffs!) Grays always want to be the center of attention, but we need to give them the boot! Whether you use the home treatment routine or just head out to the salon, color is very important for a youthful look. Treatment for thinning hair used to be done at the doctor’s or licensed salon just as hair coloring was. Now, there are amazing products on the market from permanent dyes, hennas, and my favorite, root touch up…so that we can tackle our grays at home.

We also have the new technology of laser hair therapy for home use. The salon can now come to us!

Speaking of salons though, getting a great haircut at home is still tough. How many friends do we have that are that good with scissors? Salons are still the go-to for a great style. As we “mature” though…we need to think of a newer style not just as fads come and go, but as our hair comes (hopefully with the new laser hair therapy for women) and goes.

Shorter styles don’t drag down the hair like longer ones do. But too short starts to show other imperfections that are creeping up. Bangs are now PERFECT for not only taking some of hair’s weight off, but hiding wrinkles or Botox-gone-bad too! Watch those split ends and balding patches by the temples as a too short cut or too many layers just perpetuates these problems. Salons are still the best at highlights to, and as we age we need to spark up our hair color by lightening in general or at least highlighting around the face to give us a brighter look (and outlook)!

So, do as Mom taught you with the old admonitions for better nutrition, vitamins and sleep, but add some new technology such as hair masks and even a laser hair brush for hair loss issues. Thinning hair does NOT have to happen to YOU!

Look for our next article as we check out hair in our 50s. Keep your eyes posted for our series “Ageless Beauty for our Hair…One Decade at a Time”!

I am 39 years old and my hair has gone from beautiful, thick hair to hair that is thinning and making me feel so self conscious. I am a busy Mom, wife and an office worker and I don’t have lots of hours to spend at a salon or testing and messing with hair products that promise you the world and deliver nothing. I am looking for a female hair loss treatment that is safe, easy, and fast.

This is becoming a more and more common comment I hear from my friends (actually of all ages) at parties, meetings and kid’s play dates. So, I decided to look into it myself and get “us” some answers on thinning hair treatment that might be available.

After an exhaustive internet search that turned up pills (I don’t want to take any medications!), surgery (no way!), hair “fillers/fibers” (they embarrassingly would fall out at the worst times), color scalp sprays (you can TELL), wigs (not quite yet), volumizing shampoos (they coat the scalp and eventually make it worse), scalp creams (ditto) and a laser hair comb (Now that sounds like new technology!).

Since either the option was out of the question (drugs, surgery) or had been tried by some friends already (all the rest) I decided to investigate the only one which no one knew much about…laser hair therapy.

It seems that the laser hair brush or comb is actually a technology that has been around for at least 20 years. However, up until lately, treatment involved going to a dermatologist or a licensed salon or hair studio for treatments that lasted for up to an hour and needed to be taken at least 2-3 times per week. Now, this laser treatment can be done at home, saving travel time, energy and gas. This easy-to-use hair care device takes only a 15-30 minute treatment at home every other day.

So now, before each treatment I just grab a book, relax under my laser hair brush on its hands-free stand, and turn it on and the timer reminds me when my treatment time is up! I just gradually move my head every few minutes to make sure that the lasers have reached every area that is thinning. My new in-home treatment is restoring my worn-out, tired hair follicles to healthy ones that are producing fuller, healthier hair shafts. It is nourishing my thinning hair and promoting existing hair growth from within the follicle.

It’s never too late to start defying the signs of aging…and it’s never too soon! I’m glad my friends could talk about their common concerns. This gave me the opportunity to research a condition that was troubling me, and now I can share my findings and enthusiasm about this female hair loss treatment.