My Hair Is Thinning--Yes, Really!

In partnership with Aveda

My hair has always been my thing. As far back as I can remember, it has always been thick and full. And during pregnancy, it was even fuller! But as any mom can tell you, the lush, estrogen-fueled hair you enjoy during those nine months doesn't last forever. The cruel reality is that, at some point after giving birth, it falls out. Mine sure did. After having my daughter, my hair did eventually back to its normal level of thickness. But then I had kid #2. And things...changed. Around three and a half years ago--right around the time I stopped breastfeeding my son--my hair was suddenly noticeably different, and much, much thinner.

My part has grown way wider, there's an obvious thinning patch behind my left temple, my ponytail is much, much skinnier than it used to be, and every time I wash my hair, scary clumps collect in the drain. (I've actually had hairstylists ask, "Oh my gosh--are you okay?" as they stand there holding a fistful of my hair in their hand.) Don't believe me? This is my hair in 2011 (R.I.P., sniff sniff), and the photos above are my hair now. 

Now, do I still have thick hair? Yes. Obviously. I'm not bald, I know that. I started with very thick hair, so I still have relatively thick hair. But it is much, much less thick. It's nowhere near what it used to be, and I want to stop the thinning in its tracks. Like, yesterday.

So, I recently visited my dermatologist and primary care doctor to see if it was anything to worry about, medically. And drumroll...it's not. It's just an unfortunate, normal, natural side effect of having kids and getting older. (Yay?) 

But that doesn't mean I'm going to take it! So, recently, for the first time in my life, I started researching shampoos, conditioners, and treatments that would add bulk to my hair and maybe even help encourage new growth.

As a longtime beauty editor and writer, I've seen it all and knew there were a lot of crappy products out there. I didn't want something gimmick-y. I also didn't want anything super chemical-y or medicinal. I wanted something with natural ingredients that still had top-notch technology and research behind it. And it actually had to be pleasant to use.

So I was thrilled when Aveda approached me to partner with them and try out their Invati system. I had been hearing good things about it and was intrigued. I've been a fan of Aveda since high school, and from my beauty-editor life, I know they have amazing ingredients and really know their stuff. (Plus, does anything smell better than Aveda hair products? That would be NOPE.) I looked into the Invati line a little more and knew I wanted to give it a try.

So, I'm trying it! Here's the deal: There’s three products in the system: the Exfoliating Shampoo, which contains salicylic acid to remove pore-clogging sebum and product residue; the Thickening Conditioner, with arginine to help prevent breakage, guar and rapeseed to help thicken, and Densiplex, an Ayurvedic blend of herbs (think tumeric, gingseng) that energizes the scalp when massaged in; and the Scalp Revitalizer, which is a leave-in scalp-stimulating product with that same Ayuveric blend, plus vitamin E. (Note: There are two options for the conditioner: the Thickening Conditioner, and the one I’m using, the Thickening Intensive Conditioner, which is super rich and feels more like a masque than a traditional conditioner, which I love.)

 

All photos by Raquel Bianca Photography

I just started trying them and can already report that the instant effects are the real deal: My hair was noticeably thicker the very first time I used the products. I’m now excited to see the effects over time!

In fact, I’ll be coming back soon with a full report after using it for a few weeks. And in the meantime, if you’d like to test it along with me, here's your chance: I've partnered with Aveda to give away five full sets of all three products, valued at $123. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below and good luck!

Thank you to Aveda for sponsoring this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway