Having just finished chemotherapy for the second time, I am resembling Uncle Fester's follically challenged girlfriend. When I was having chemo 08/09 one of the nurses mentioned Nioxin to me, to help my hair grow back quicker. I was sceptical and at around £40 for a pack a bit nervous, but thought I'd give it a go. The first time round I bought it from my hospital but I'm now at a different hospital with my new treatment and they don't sell it there, so I have just purchased my new set from a website called 'nioxindirect.co.uk' - easily found on google.

You can buy the products separately, or in kits. I opted for a kit which includes shampoo, conditioner and mousse. There are different "systems" for different hair types. There are 8 in total according to the website, and they briefly outline what type of hair that system is best suited for. I can't for the life of me remember what system I bought last time, but the number 2 was screaming out at me. Perhaps I just needed the toilet, I don't know. Anyway, number 2 system is 'For Fine, Natural, Noticeably Thinning Hair' Now, I currently have no hair. My chemo this time round was more severe and I'm not even left with a little bit of fluff or stubble so I'll be interested to see if it works as well this time round. (I intend to update this review when I have used it again) But I'll give you a rough idea of how it worked last time.

The Nioxin direct website states that the shampoo (cleanser) "Gently removes environmental residue and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from the hair and scalp to promote an optimal scalp environment and provides nourishing vitamins, proteins and amino acids for healthier looking hair." and the bottle is 125ml. This is great for me because it basically helps to draw out the toxins from chemotherapy.

The conditioner or scalp therapy as they call it is a "Daily hair and scalp conditioner that moisturises and energises while promoting an optimal scalp environment with soothing essential oils and enzymatic complexes." This is also 125ml.

Finally, the mousse (scalp treatment) This is only 40ml but I found it went a long way. "Daily treatment that delivers essential botanicals and nutrients to the scalp skin. Helps safeguard against environmental residue and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) build-up on the scalp."

The shampoo is an alarming green colour that smells like peppermint. I was really pleased that it didn't smell like medicine or some dandruff shampoos, so it's quite pleasant though a change from my usual fruity shampoos. I did find that it made my head tingle when I used it to begin with, it didn't sting or was painful in any way, just a little tingly. The conditioner was white and also smelled of peppermint. The mousse isn't as thick as normal mousse and starts to dissolve fairly quickly when you squirt it on your hand. It doesn't smell of mint, however. The mousse smelled a bit manky to be honest. I can't pinpoint the smell but it smelled a tad musty but since the mint is quite strong, that's what you smell more, so don't worry!

You're encouraged to wash your hair every day using these products and I did find that my hair grew back quicker than I thought. Of course, my hair was always going to grow back so I'm not sure how effective Nioxin is on thinning hair, or whether my hair would have grown back that quickly anyway. It would be interesting to hear from people who had used it on thinning hair to see if it is effective. It certainly made me feel as though it was doing some good and I don't doubt the science that it draws out all the nasty toxins, which can only be a good thing!

They go surprisingly a long way which is a comfort when you pay around £40 for these.