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!!!

I found out by taking hours and hours of research that there is a solution to thinning hair after all! I was right about the fact that going to sulfate free shampoos, keeping my scalp clear and healthy, exercising and eating well all contribute to healthier hair, but in addition, this cool laser for hair stimulation is the latest and the greatest. The only problem is which one do I choose? Let me make some comparisons for you. There is a LOT to know!

There is quite a variety of hand held lasers and another group of “wearable” laser devices. Both seem to work on the same principal, it is just that some have more “power” than others due to the number of true lasers in the device. Some companies intersperse LED lights with the lasers, but there is a big question as to any effectiveness from just LED lights versus true laser diodes. Only one company actually PULSES their light which works best according to research I could dig up. Basically, I wanted to investigate two things: the effectiveness of the product and the “user-friendly” aspect of the product. I figured if I didn’t use it, why have it? It all comes down to the idea that “the best product is the one you will USE”!

In order to understand the effectiveness aspect, there is a lot of background information I had to wade through. I learned that laser light therapy is the most effective way to slow or stop hair loss. It has also been shown to thicken existing hair and to make sure that every viable hair follicle is producing at its optimum level.

It CANNOT grow new hair from a dead follicle…so if you have completely permanent bald spots, then hair transplants are the only way to go. However for MY problem of overall thinning hair or for guys with male pattern baldness that is beginning, the laser comb or brush is perfect!

Low-Level Laser Therapy or LLLT is not, in itself, new. Cool lightwave therapy has been around for a long time. It has been used in many aspects of physical therapy and dermatology. Mice re-grew their shaved spots in lab tests when LLLT was used in the area to help heal surgery scars faster. The red light spectrum that is used in laser hair therapy is found to have no negative side effects as it is highly concentrated, but kept at a low level of light (650 to 670 nanometers). On our scalp, it increases the blood flow by increasing the energy factories of our cells. More energy means more movement and efficiency in carrying food and healing properties to our hair follicles which are the “birthing chambers” of our hair shafts. Happy follicles mean healthier, thicker, shinier hair.

In the past, the laser option was only available in salons or dermatology offices and the cost factor was huge! Not only were the treatments expensive, but just the time and gas and scheduling alone made it cumbersome. Treatment required you visit 2 or 3 times a week for a YEAR to sit under a hair-dryer type device for 20-30 minutes. Only a licensed person could administer this therapy, so it did come with a specialist or physician to check on and monitor your progress. Now, however, this technology has been approved for individual use and it has gotten a lot smaller AND a lot less expensive (like computers or cell phones all have). With all of the new home use devices, I also find that they offer money back guarantees to try their product for 6 months so that you can get your money back if you use it properly but do not see results. Most offer over the phone consultations too…but the knowledge of the different customer service sites does vary!

All of the devices were safe, painless and most will work to stop or slow hair loss , but NONE will work forever…in other words if you stop using any of these devices, the progress that you made will diminish and your hair or lack thereof will be back to the beginning. Of course, it is the same with any of the topical chemical or internal medical products too. JUST like exercise, we need to keep up the work. DARN! In the beginning, every other day for 20 minutes or so is needed, but your results can be maintained after 6 months or so with only a once or twice a week treatment. Now that we have the basics down, lets compare actual products and companies.

I rapidly was able to determine that I need to start using sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners that do not leave a buildup on my scalp. These and heavy hairsprays, gels or mousses all can clog the very pores of the scalp (follicles) which need to breathe and be open for new hair to come out! Any oily residue can smother a follicle! I also am investigating products that can treat the hair shaft (such as oil treatments that I now just put on the ends of my hair instead of spreading it out all over my head). I will not give up my hairdresser’s coloring regimen, though I did actually ask about the drying effects of the products she uses, sulfate levels, etc. Luckily, I go to a great spot that is very conscious of these issues and they use only the safest of products that are the healthiest for hair and scalp. It was there that this whole thinning issue was brought to my attention in the first place!!!

I also found out that my diet, exercise (or lack thereof), stress levels (ommmmm) DO actually matter! I now rethink what is going into my body as well as what is going on my scalp. I am lucky enough to not take any prescription medications yet, but if I am prescribed something in the future, I will ask about side effects…maybe even actually READ those 50 page inserts that come with meds. Over the counter medications (self-prescribed) can also do damage to our chemical balance, so I will take that into account as well. Hormones??? Well, our bodies dance to their own tune when it comes to timing and duration of hormonal change.

What we CAN do though is investigate exactly which foods trigger hormonal responses and which foods have anti-inflammatory properties so that we can eat to smooth out our hormonal journey. I am currently hot on turmeric and probiotics (by eating yogurt and Kim chi). I am also cutting out salt, sugars (well trying) processed meats (processed anything) diary other than the yogurt (I miss cheese/love rice milk!!!). I actually feel a little more like exercising and have more energy with my lighter tummy.

But what do all of these changes mean for my HAIR??? Well, I am finding that the benefits will show up, but may take awhile. Remember that the hair we see is already dead! The follicles are where it all begins. After a month or so though, I am already seeing new hair along my hairline (short little hairs that stick out a little from the pack) and that is the signal of new growth. The next thing I want to investigate though is the latest in laser use. I have always thought of lasers as “removers” of stuff (skin cancer, gum tissue, hair…) Wait, HAIR??? Well, I am learning that it depends on exactly which wavelength of laser we are talking about. Removers and cutters are “hot” lasers. For hair regrowth we are talking cool lasers…and I mean COOL! Hair therapy laser treatment actually works to feed your follicles. When this means of thickening thinning hair and improving growth first came about, it could only be done by big machines in hair salons and the treatments were very expensive. Now, technology has improved to the point where they have been able to make products that work just as well that are small enough and small enough on the budget to be used at home. Privacy and saving gas are

just a side benefit! These hand held or hands-free lasers are pretty much safe for color treated hair, any type and color of hair and any ethnicity hair type. Sound too good to be true? That’s what I thought. So, I investigated these new devices, and this is what I found…..

For years now we have been hearing the word “Environment” in the press regarding pollution, our oceans and global warming. Well, our environment is as large as our universe, but is also as small as our own bodies. Our environment can affect our health, but it can also affect our looks! Personally I think our health is the most important thing we should take care of…but our health itself affects how we look…so our bodies well-being AND looks cannot get away from the environmental factors that surround us.

How does this relate to female hair loss treatment? Let’s see! Our hair, just like our skin and our nails shows age. We purchase multitudes of products for our skin such as night creams, day creams, masks, oils, make-up, make-up removers, lash enhancements, collagen replacements, dermatological lasers to either tighten skin or cut away excess.

We purchase Botox, fillers, shrinkers, plumpers, you name it! Most of this is because we battle age spots, wrinkles, sagging or puffiness brought on by natural changes as our skin weathers just by being outside our bodies protecting us. Of course then we add sun damage and tugging and pulling and rubbing that causes skin to harden in places and to thin in others. Now our nails…we get gels, fake nails, manicures, soaks, polish, polish removers, stick-ons and we file and buff. Nails are pampered or used to open caps and letters! Our environment is tough on skin and nails, but then so are we!

When it comes to our hair, we spend time and money on it just like our skin and nails. We purchase special shampoos, conditioners, masks, oils, colors, cuts, permanents, straighteners, blow drys and Brazilian blow-outs. Somehow, though, we just expect our hair, skin and nails to just keep regenerating and growing. Well, our nails seem to do this, and with a lot of pampering our skin can do this, or at least we can buy our way to pretty. But hair? HOW do we stop it from thinning? What is a great natural hair loss treatment?

First, let’s tackle the environment. Just as with our skin, if we covered up or kept out of the sun and chlorine pools, made sure we ate healthy and got plenty of exercise, did not expose our hair to chemical products of any kind, massaged our scalps, did not tug on our tangles and did not twist or pull our hair, we wouldn’t need a thinning hair treatment. Or would we? Nature also takes a toll on hair in that as we get older, our hair follicles tend to shrink and produce thinner hairs and some just die out and product no hair at all. We take medications for other ailments as we get older and that actually changes the “environment” around each hair follicle as hormones or acidity changes due to drug interference. Also as we age, we have endured more years of sun, wind, heat and cold damage to the skin that covers our head and produces our t reassured hair. Without adding to all of the environmental damage that we have a hard time escaping from unless we live in a bubble, we need a natural hair loss treatment that can also be a female hair loss treatment.

There are medications out there that are only for men’s hair loss, and there are some that are approved for use by women, but what are these doing to the rest of our bodies? Any medication also affects other parts of our bodies, and some that we do not learn about for many years to come when it is too late to reverse damage done. I am finding that some of the technology that has been around for over 40 years and is approved for use on skin is now available for us to use right at home on our scalp.

Low level light waves (which are cool, not hot) emit just the right amount of natural stimulation for our hair follicles to make them as healthy as they were when we were in our twenties or younger. The light waves affect the flow of blood to the cells that carry the “food” or nutrients to the area right where hair is born…in the follicle. With each follicle’s “proper diet” and proper nutrition, they blossom and create thicker and shinier hairs. Instead of starting to shrink with age, they begin to support a healthier hair shaft. Each hair being treated with this light grows faster and thicker. Now, follicles that are totally dead and closed off cannot be brought back to life! However, if they are working at all, they will product much more lustrous hair.

This laser hair therapy for women is old, trusted technology brought to us in a new format. It is in the form of a laser hair brush or laser hair comb that is small, efficient, portable and long lasting. Treatments typically last for 20 or so minutes every other day and are done in your own home or can be easily taken away on vacation. This hair regimen must be followed for as long as you want your hair to retain its youthful look and thickness. If stopped, after a while, your follicles will go back to their original path of decline. Just like flossing your teeth or exercising, it is best not to stop!

The Nutreve Personal Hair Therapy Laser also comes with a hands free stand for ease of use and multitasking capabilities, and it is rechargeable with no attached cord to keep you in one spot. Their guarantee and warranty are both exceptional. Check out their website for comparisons to other products and the ability to purchase easily and discretely on line or over the phone.