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Last Wednesday, I was invited by Novuhair to attend a small gathering of about 5-6 bloggers. I wasn’t quite sure what kind of hair care system it was, and being obsessive about mane, I confirmed my attendance. I wasn’t quite sure how to get to Romulo’s Café in Tomas Morato either so I armed myself with a map.

The cab driver who took me only knew of the landmark I named, which was Max’s Restaurant. Thankfully, we didn’t get lost because I saw the unique Novuhair ad parked in the corner of Romulo’s.

It was so cute, I couldn’t help but take several photos of it. Who can resist Beetles anyway? There was another one flanking the right side of the entrance. They were simply adorable!

The luncheon was held at the second floor and I must say, I love the cozy room. But I’ll save the Romulo’s review for some other day. Anyway, the first order of business was to have our scalp checked.

Pictured here is fashion and beauty blogger Kira Ramirez. It was the first time I’ve met her and she (and Kim Rodriguez, the make-up artist) kept saying that I look so much like my stylist sister Alex. We were kind of hesitant to use the machine because…well, I don’t have a very healthy scalp. I’m super stressed and that’s the first body part that manifests it. I was afraid of seeing that state magnified on the monitor.

After we were seated, we were introduced to two of Novuhair’s experts, Ms. Sheila Mae M. Velilla, Nutramedica’s President and Chief Operating Officer, and Dr. Rica Silva-Mallari, dermatologist.

Kira and fellow lifestyle blogger Michelle (MrsM) had a lot of hair care questions, many of which I’d been too shy to ask in person. (Why is it that blogging about problems seems easier for me than actually saying them out loud? Hm.) Apparently, MrsM and I have the same woes: oily/dry scalps that flake. Now, even organic shampoos don’t work unless I switch brands — my way of tricking my scalp into submission.

Well, Novuhair is supposed to help with that. With its hair growth stimulators that are made from plant extracts (virgin coconut oil, panax ginseng, centella asiatica, zingiber officinale, aloe barbadensis and biotin, peppermint, lemon grass, rosemary and lavender oils), the Topical Scalp Lotion promises to deliver solutions to hair fall.

Ok, I actually have hair fall problems. I shed so much daily (quite a handful) that if I had not been born with thick locks, I’d be afraid of going bald. Fortunately, they seem to grow just as fast. (When I used to have my hair rebonded, I’d have a helmet full of newly grown baby strands standing on top of my head.)

Still, I feel like my scalp needs a lot of help. Some of the tips they gave:

• Keep self hydrated. You don’t have to tell me twice. Most of my health problems are water-related.
• Massage scalp. Hm. I keep forgetting to do this. I don’t even comb my hair. 
• Know your product ingredients. But of course! Before my sister went into the organic thing with me, I was the only one who could spout a mouthful of chemical names.
• Avoid using hot water. I’ve stopped bathing in boiling water a few years ago, when my mom complained that my bath water can be used for making coffee.
• Comb hair gently. I rarely comb but was told that this is just as bad since stimulating the scalp will release essential oils that protect hair. Then again, I already have too much of those oils.
• Avoid applying products directly on the scalp. Yuuup!
• Avoid frequent hair treatments. Hm, I stopped rebonding two years ago so I should almost be in the clear…I still get highlights once a year, though.
• Do not wear tight head gear. Hehe, I just had to use that word. I don’t wear anything but clips on my head, though I can’t say the same thing for the video game characters I play.
• Regular hot oil treatments help. Well…
• Manage stress by keeping a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and exercise. Because it is true and I know this by experience that the more I’m stressed, the more my scalp acts up.

After lunch, Dr. Peter Mallari, an ophthalmologist sat with us to share his experience with Novuhair. He’s not in any way affiliated with Nutramedica. He’s just a really happy customer who swears by the product.

Pictured above is his PRC ID. Take a close look at how his hairline was on the verge of receding. Hair loss affects mostly men, sometimes as early as in their 20s. Some women experience it in their 40s.

He said that there was a time when he had shed so much hair — even on his pillow — that he felt alarmed. Well…he actually admitted that it took him more than a handful of fallen strands to snap him out of denial.

In the photo above, he animatedly talked about how baldness runs in his family. I can’t see what he was showing us in the rightmost picture because I sat at the far end of the room, but I could definitely make out the shiny head on that small cellphone screen. He said that it was his uncle, and that any hope for hair growth is gone because the pores on his head had already closed off.

When he first started treating his problems by taking a drug that his dermatologist prescribed, he saw improvements. A couple of years later, he was advised to switch to Novuhair, which Dr. Mallari believes is a better solution to taking anything orally.

He’s so delighted with Novuhair that he’s still very religious in applying it on the affected areas. That was certainly a riveting story, especially since he was very enthusiastic and descriptive. It’s a shame that there were no male bloggers around. They’d definitely need to know how early they should start taking care of their hair.

Oh, and…due to popular demand, Nutramedica has launched the Novuhair Herbal Shampoo. This can be used in tandem with the Topical Scalp Lotion. I just might give it a try when my organic shampoo runs out.

Gang photos ahead!

Sitting in the lovely Kasiyahan Room with the rest of the bloggers.

From left: Kim, Kira, me and Michelle.

And this is the Novuhair Topical Scalp Solution that I took home. I’m actually using it right now, just to see if it would lessen the hair fall. The only thing I’m worried about is if the speed of my hair growth remains as it is. I don’t want to have super thick locks like Diana Ross. Only a goddess like her can carry that look. Wah!

Novuhair is distributed at Mercury Drugstores.