Nioxin - For Thinning Hair

-- Moved Post to New Blog!


Ok, so I purchased some of this based on it working for others on http://www.soulcysters.net/ in the hopes that it will ACTUALLY work.

Because let me tell, thinning and male pattern balding is the most Depressing.Thing.Ever

For the last few years, my widow peaks (is that even the correct term) were noticeably going bald and I thought it was because I always kept my hair in a pony tail. So, I've been trying to do that less and even got bangs to see if it could help hide that.

Then I got diagnosed with PCOS and found that is one of the symptoms (one of many that I have and didn't realize it - so very sad) and was prescribed Metformin. Well, then my hair thinning got worse because now you can see my scalp through my bangs and front part of my head. This equals = DEPRESSION for me, because damn, I only a few assets and one of those is my pretty long brown wavy hair. UGH.

Seriously, I was pulling handfuls of hair out during my shower - gross AND depressing. Not to mention it's no fun cleaning out the drain every week :(

So, I started reading and researching (shock) and saw that some people had success with Nioxin and Biotin (a supplement) and also that Metformin can cause your B vitamins to run away from the scary med. B Vitamins are SUPER important for hair and nails.

I promptly ordered 'B-Healthy' from Answers From Nature (who has, btw, the best stuff ever!). And waited for that to come in. (which was super freaking fast!!)

I also ordered Nioxin from Amazon.com. I went to Nioxin's website (here) and was able to do a web chat and ask some questions - like:

"Does this work for women with PCOS" YES

"How long does it take for women with PCOS" 2-3 Months (as compared to about 1 month for women without PCOS)

I did their little on line questionnaire to help determine which one to pick and then headed over to Amazon.com to see what they had (btw, I LOVE shopping of Amazon because it's easy and they usually have things I want and need).

I had thought about ordering the starter kit, but like I said I have LONG hair and that usually consume more shampoo and conditioner than short (when wet it goes to my lower back). So I ordered the following:


Nioxin Cleanser, System 2 (Fine/Untreated/Noticeably Thinning) 8.5 Oz

Nioxin Scalp Therapy (this is conditioner), System 2 (Fine/Untreated/Noticeably Thinning) 8.5 Oz

Nioxin System 2 Scalp Treatment (this is a foam) 6.8 Oz














So, once these came in (this is before I started taking my new B Healthy vitamins, they came in before but I like to start off a new week with all my vitamins in order - am OCD like that!) I checked my hair and should have taken a picture - but that itself was depressing and so if I did notice changes I didn't want to be reminded of my balding head.

Well, let me tell you.

I wash my hair daily. I use the cleanser, rinse, use the conditioner and basically paste it in focusing on my front scalp and sides and then doing the rest of my scalp and hair. I leave it in for a good 3 or more minutes (I brush my teeth, then wash face and body) and then rinse it out.

I use the Scalp Treatment (the foam) using every other day. Because, damn that stuff is like super freaking hold mousse! Those days I just usually keep my hair back!

Within the first 1.5 weeks (WEEKS not MONTHS) I saw little baby hairs growing in! NO SHIT. I showed my coworker (who also has PCOS and thinning hair) and she had seen it before I started using this stuff! She saw the difference (YEAH! It was NOT my imagination!!).

My left balding spot was doing better so I made sure the next few days to focus on both more. Now my right balding spot has hairs growing in! AND my bangs area also has fine little hairs! OH MY FUCKING GOD - THIS STUFF WORKS!

Can we say ELATED!!!

So, this is working, I don't care that it's expensive as shit because THIS IS MY FUCKING HAIR!!! And Self Esteem.

I decided to buy some Biotin supplements, (also from Amazon) because one of the ingredients in Nioxin is Biotin and you know what? I think it couldn't hurt! And I am hoping that if I ever can't afford this shampoo/conditioner/foam, then at least I should have something else going on!

I have started my B-Healthy vitamins as well. Yeah!!

Life is finally starting to get a little bit better!

Cramping My Style

- Moved Post to New Blog!

Cramps, oh how I love thee and despise thee.

Cramps, you difficult bitch, thanks for the morning wake up call.

So, yeah as you can see my period is starting to get more friendly with me because she's a complete and utter whore who seems to think my poor uterus is her horrific playground.

Sorry, I didn't get as much sleep as usual last night and I think my brain is still working on fumes. Coffee has yet to really impact my blood stream and what blood I have is starting to leak out of me. Oh the fucking joys of the menstrual cycle.

But the upside of this? This is something like 6 months in a row of me getting my period - which is practically unheard of with me previously (stupid PCOS crap). I attribute some of it to losing weight, less stupidity/stress in my life and maybe my hormones are just starting to behave slightly normally. And the really possibly cool upside - if I'm getting my period, that POSSIBLY means I could at some point get pregnant. Of course, that would be later on, once I am divorced AND with someone for a while!! But it's nice to know that if I/we wanted a kid, it's a possibility. A better one than in years passed when my stupid period hated me. If I get to that point, of course I will see the Dr before even thinking of trying, just to make sure I still don't have those lovely cysts choking my ovaries. That's even if at that point in time I/we want kids. I might just be happy with how things are. Who knows! I'm shutting this part of my brain off now...

Diva Cup - My Period (PCOS) and probably a TMI post

- Moved Post to New Blog!

So, I have been using Soft Cups for a while now, about 3 years or so and was on the fence about going the route of the Diva Cup (or something similar). I saw a post in one of the PCOS groups I'm part of on facebook and finally moved the item from my saved for later list to the cart and checked out. It arrived 2 days before my period started (score!).

One cool thing I did not realize is that it has measurements on the size, ml and ounces. Which then made me turn to Google to see how much the average women bleeds during her period. The answer, typically 30 ml (1 ounce) but can range from 10 to 80 ml. So, when I filled up the cup (15 ml) the 1st day, I was like - damn! Add another almost 7.5 (ok, let's say 7.5 ml due to all spillage, leakage, etc) for the hours after work and before bed, because I had changed it out again, before the cup was in for the night. I had almost another full 15 ml again this morning. DAMN. So, my normal period in the first 24 hours is MORE as the average woman's 5 day period! No fucking wonder I get so tired!!!

Now yesterday, day 1, I did drink a lot of my Moon Day tea and Organic Ginger tea (3 cups of each). They both are really good for flushing your system and helping your uterus out. I will be doing the same today. My periods are usually about 3 days long now. Which is a lot shorter than they were in the past. No need to go into all those gory details!

Because of PCOS, I take Pregnitude (and no, I am not TTC (trying to conceive) I am pretty sure that ship sailed!!) because it comes in this nice little packets that contain 2 grams of Myo-Inositol. I take 2 packets a day. Sometimes 1 at a time and sometimes both at once.

From my pcos-information-herbs-and-supplements page:

Myo-Inositol " Encourges Ovulation in women with absent or irregular menstrual cycles with PCOS. Decreases Leptin, and helps with Wieght loss in PCOS. Improves Mood, and can help depression according to studies. It is really good for your liver. Helps hirsutism. Decreases androgens. Helps Insulin Resistance. Decreases acne. Lowers total and free testosterone levels. Improves quality of eggs."

For me, I take it for the mood, liver (I have a fatty liver, stupid body), IR and helps with my minor hisutism (and by minor, I mean that I pluck every day let's say 10 little stupid hairs off my neck/upper lip/chin or wherever facial area). I have not experienced any weight loss with this. But I REALLY like it. I am not some angry pissed off freak of a monster with hormones raging all through me. Yay no jail time ;)

I also take progesterone cream - "can help to supplement your body’s own progesterone levels and lead you back to a state of natural balance."

Because those of us with PCOS are typically LOW on this. Ha, Google low progesterone and PCOS and you will see a lot of info out there.

One of the things I've read is that it helps your uterine lining shed more, which is important because a thick uterine wall is one of those "things" that gets associated with cancer. And with my family genetics, I need to be aware of shit like that. My grandmother on my Dad's side had Ovarian cancer.

So I am happy to know how much I am shedding, at least to some degree, by using this Diva cup. Of course, I could still have a thick wall but some things I just can't help. I know that when I was about 19 I saw an OBGYN for a pap and she had said my was thicker than normal, like I had already had a kid (which was a negative in that!) and I've always remembered that comment because I thought it was a bit unusual.

I have this learning curve with the Diva cup, which I knew would happen. As long as I can get this thing down either this cycle or the next one or 2 I will be happy. It's a better long term solution for my period and better for the environment. No major leakage thankfully, just minor tweaks so far.

I seem to rotate what I am taking for my PCOS, depending on what I need at that moment...and also because it's good to change things up every now again, you know, get off that plateau and shift the scenery.

Oh and did you know? That when you get a cramp during your period, it's your uterus contracting, like it does in childbirth? Uh huh. I get back pains with my period as well as cramps and it wasn't until last night that I realized, NO WONDER I had back labor with my son!! Ahahahahahaha. I knew cramps were muscles, well, cramping, but for whatever reason I didn't think of my uterus doing gymnastics was my period as such.