Q&A with Donna Maggi from Nioxin

Remember the Q&A session I did with Chicago based hair stylist Daniel Cerda? Well, here is a shorter Q&A session with Donna Maggi of Nioxin, where I asked her some of the questions on hair fall and achieving shine. Donna worked on some of the hair styles at the Fall 2009 New York Fashion Week. Donna touches on a good point in her answers which is to treat your scalp well, not just our hair, since that is where new hair growth occurs.

RC: I'm in my late 20s and I've noticed a lot of hair fall recently as have my friends. What is the cause, how do we prevent additional hair fall and what do we do to stop current hair fall?

Donna Maggi: Hair Loss has many causes including diet, stress as well as hormone changes. Let’s go through a check list. First, ask yourself if you have a well balanced diet. Are you experiencing a sudden weight loss or weight gain? Is there any stress in your home life or work? Do you have any health issues or do you take any medications? These things can all affect the condition of your hair including hair loss. Genetics can also play a part. Do you have a family member with thinning hair either on your mother’s or father’s side of the family?

Additionally, the environment can contribute to thinning hair. Do you protect your scalp from the sun or swim in chlorinated water? Do you frequent the gym? Over blow-drying the hair (heat damage) i.e. blowers, flat irons, curling irons, hot rollers can damage the hair. And a typical sign is if you see a lot of hair in your brush?

Ways to help: Use products that can care for the scalp first and the hair. Cleansing is very important. Try Nioxin’s 3 part System to care for the scalp skin where the hair begins. Use a wide tooth comb when hair is wet to protect the hair. When the hair is wet it is most fragile and likely to break. I like to think of the hair as fibers of silk. You would be very careful with a silk garment and would not be using anything harsh. The same thought can be applied when caring for the hair. Cleansing the hair after a workout is very important for removing any toxins from the scalp skin. We are all familiar with skincare for our face. This is skincare for the scalp. You simply cleanse, restore and activate with Nioxin’s three part system. Using styling products that can build up on the scalp and hair is not a good thing. Nioxin’s styling products can help address these needs. Try Nioxin’s Bliss Thermal Protector before you use heat for great protection.

RC: Imagine your model has a mass of thick, black curlyish hair that absorbs light like a black hole (this is me). What do I do to achieve shine on a daily basis with my natural texture without the grease?

DM: Most models use a lot of products to make the hair do something that it can never come close to doing naturally. Start by cleansing and gently removing all of the product build-up on the hair and scalp to create an optimal scalp environment. Next you need to restore moisture and resilience to the scalp and hair with Nioxin Scalp Therapy. Then activate the scalp and hair with Nioxin Scalp Treatment. Now that the hair is ready to style, use Nioxin styling products which do not contribute to the “grease” factor. A lot of people think that oil equals shine, but that is not the case at all. Oil is not moisture; in fact it clogs the hair follicle and makes the hair feel greasy. It is very important to apply products in a layering effect, which will help evenly distribute the products. I believe in order to achieve the best look, start with just a little and add more to achieve the desired style.