Pantene Expert Collection AgeDefy Thickening Treatment Review

Last month, I was reading Allure magazine and came across an article that talked about the Big Breakthrough Products of 2012.  On the list was the new Pantene Age Defy Thickening Treatment, part of their new Expert Collection.  The article talked about how as we get older, hair can thin out and break easily, and described how the Advanced Thickening Treatment will help (more on that in a minute).  This really hit home with me because I'm about to turn 35 and have noticed that my hair has been breaking more easily.  Plus, a few months ago, I was looking at old photos of me in my 20's and noticed that my hair looked much, much thicker back then.  I hadn't noticed until I saw those photos, so I guess the thinning has been gradual.  But I've started to become a bit obsessed about finding a way to thicken my hair, since at the rate I'm going, I may be bald in another 20 years.  Kidding! (I hope).

I decided I had to have this product when the article talked about how it works...the science is really cool.  Here's an excerpt from the article: 

"Pantene's chemists had one (ambitious) goal: Make thin strands thick again. "We know that as hairs grow finer, they're more prone to break, look dull, and lie flat on the head, making the fact that you have less volume even more obvious. After screening thousands of skin-care ingredients, chemists identified three—caffeine, niacinamide, and panthenol—that could penetrate the hair cuticle and cortex, making the strands significantly stronger and more supple. They also added a silicone polymer and an acrylate polymer that connect along the cuticle layer to strengthen and thicken strands. A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology reported that the treatment increases the diameter of individual hairs significantly, creating the illusion of 6,500 more strands. Clinical testing also showed that with daily use (the treatment is applied root to tip, on wet or dry hair), the hair continues to grow stronger after a month.

WHAT AN EXPERT SAYS: "There are formulas that have attempted to plump and seal hair strands before, but this one really works," says cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer, who reviewed the independent clinical data. "It's really cool. The skin-care ingredients and polymers plump up the hair fibers from the inside, increasing elasticity and making them stronger, while the polymers coat each individual hair. You can expect a significant increase in thickness and overall volume from this formula."

After reading this article, I set out to find this product at all costs- but it didn't hit the shelves for weeks afterwards.  I checked every drugstore in my area multiple times, and finally found it at CVS last week for around $24.99- expensive for a drugstore product, but I had some Xtra bucks and went for it.  

The first thing I noticed about this product when I used it, was that it wasn't a mist, but more of a gel.  The instructions say to part your hair in 5 spots, and spray 3 times along the scalp in each part for a total of 15 sprays.  So basically, you're spraying this on the scalp and roots only, not the lengths of your hair.  

The nozzle has a tiny hole where the product comes out, so when you spray it, it comes out in sort of a blob, and it has the consistency of a face serum.  The first time, I did as instructed and used 15 sprays.  My roots ended up feeling a bit sticky all day, so those of you with really fine hair like me might want to go with more like 10 sprays.  That's what I did the second day, and it was fine.  I also didn't make a big deal of parting my hair, I just flipped it around and tried to get all sides of my scalp.  The texture is thin, so after you spray it, you can massage it into the rest of your scalp pretty easily, so don't worry if you don't cover every area when you first spray it- you can spread it around afterwards.  It has that classic Pantene fruity-floral scent, and it stays with you throughout the day.

Here's a shot of the box and ingredients:

After using this for about a week, I have noticed quite a big difference in the thickness of my hair.    I especially have noticed that after sleeping on my hair, it doesn't go flat, but still has body the next day!  Unlike a root lifter spray, it doesn't leave your hair stiff at all- it's more like a face serum for your hair- it sinks right in and does it's thing- you don't even know it's there.  I can't wait to see what it'll do over the long term, but for now, I'm enjoying the boost in volume I've gotten from this.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to plump up their hair! 

Has anyone tried this out yet?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!