Have You Ever Heard of MSM?

I hadn't either until quite recently.

After I posted the article about L'Oreal's  new hair growth product, I got to thinking.  I said to myself: 'Self, you know what would be awesome?  Being able to extend the anagen (growth) phase in your hair growth cycle.'  I thought I had come up with the most brilliant idea in the world.  If you can extend the growth phase, you can buck your genes, and have longer hair than you are genetically predestined to.  You follow?

 I decided to Google my brilliant idea, thinking it was somehow original....What I discovered was a supplement called MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), which it alleged to extend the anagen phase of hair growth.  MSM is 'a naturally occurring form of sulfur found in many foods', that is critical in providing the sulfur necessary to produce collagen and keratin - the proteins required for healthy hair growth.

There has been limited research done on the efficacy of the sulfur-based supplement, with  one unpublished study claiming increased hair growth in subjects, and a published study claiming hair growth in rodents.  The majority of the information available is anecdotal....you can check out many stories or less shedding, thicker hair, etc on any natural hair care forum.  Widespread scientific studies have yet to be done.

I have not tried MSM, and I probably won't, as I've been seeing tremendous growth with my current hair regimen, and vitamin/biotin regimen....If it ain't broke....

I'd be interested to know if any of you guys decide to try it.  Sounds interesting!  - YB

Read more about it on WebMD:
and form our friends at LongHairCorner.com

Finally, a proper cure for baldness??

This week L'Oreal has introduced a new salon quality product called Kerastase Defensique, which claims to be able to reverse baldness in men and women.....Sounds good, but it ain't cheap!  A 3 month supply retails for approximately $445 USD.

Scientists have isolated one of the major causes of baldness as oxygen deficiency in the scalp.  Kerastase Defensique contains a molecule that increases oxygen flow to the follicles, thus stimulating growth in existing follicles, and reversing dormancy in dormant follicles.

Does it work?  The research seems to suggest it does. 

A clinical trial of 101 people over a 3 month period yielded on average a 4% increase in hair in the number of hairs each participant grew.  About 1700 hairs. 

Head researcher at L'Oreal Patricia Pineau had this to say:

 ‘We’ve known for 100 years that hair grows and falls out.  We haven’t known what makes hair regenerate until now. It is all about hair stem cell environment. In 2000, we have published the existence of two stem cell reservoirs in the hair and, more recently, we have both identified the optimal environment and designed a molecule able to favour it.'

Very interesting.  It's nice to know that there might actually be a solution to balding/thinning hair.  My edges can use a boost, for real!! - YB
Read more from our friends over at the Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2319137/285-cream-claims-reverse-baldness-

And for my Frenchies, check out the official promo on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yb6MYEFhwk

Let Me clarify! - Science Friday

 

 

One very important step in an healthy hair regimen is incorporating a clarifying shampoo.  What is a clarifying shampoo, you ask?  And why do you need it in your regimen?

Let me break it down for you one time!  A clarifying shampoo is one that is designed to strip old product off of your hair strands.  During the week, we pile on oils, butters, pomades and gels  to achieve the looks we want.  Eventually these products begin to build up, and block the effectiveness of shampoos, and conditioners, and can also block hair from absorbing the moisture necessary for it  to thrive.  Signs of build up are - limp hair, little to no lather from shampoos, coated hair and scalp feeling, and products generally not doing what they are supposed to do.  Build up can lead to seemingly inexplicable breakage.

I usually clarify my hair every 4th week.  Although any sulfate-free shampoo can be used to clarify the hair, I prefer to use an actual clarifying shampoo.  It is called Alba Botanica Daily Shampoo, and is chock full of all natural ingredients.  It does not leave my hair feeling super-stripped - you know what I'm talking about ladies.....when your hair feels so clean, you can practically hear it squeak. 

You can identify clarifying shampoos by their transparent appearance.  The moisturizers in other shampoos tend to be cloudy, and give the shampoo an opaque appearance.

What clarifying shampoo do you use?? - YB

pH Rocks! - Science Friday

What is pH?
pH is the measurement of how alkaline or acidic a substance may be.  The scale is numbered from 0-14, with 0 being highly acidic and 14 being highly alkaline.  Pure water lands squarely in the middle of the scale at 7 - a neutral substance, neither acidic nor alkaline.  It is important to note that the acidity and alkalinity increase exponentially as you move up and down the scale.  This basically means, if a substance has an alkalinity of 10, a substance with an alkalinity of 11 is 10 times more alkaline.  A substance with an alkalinity of 12 is 100 times more alkaline, and so on.  Here are some common substances, and their rankings:

Battery Acid 1.0

Lemon juice 2.0 (very acidic)

Vinegar 2.2 (very acidic….it should be diluted 1tbs to 1 cup of water for rinsing)

 

Water 7 (neutral)

Human Blood 8.3

Baking Soda 8.3

                        

Relaxer (10-14 varies depending on brand, lye vs. no-lye)

Ammonia 11.0

Lye – 13.0

 

Prolonged exposure to substances with pH’s at either extreme can cause damage to the hair strands.

Why do I care? 
Well my people, pH is critical for moisture retention in our kinky textured hair.  Generally speaking, healthy human hair has a pH level between  4.5-5.5.   Acidic hair products help seal the cuticles (scaley formations around each strand of hair). When the cuticle is closed, it seals in moisture, which allows the hair to thrive. Kinky hair is notoriously susceptible to dryness, which leads to breakage and is the enemy of length retention.    Our friends over at www.luvnaturals.com have put together some rockin’ videos discussing the structure of hair, and the effects of pH on your hair.  You can watch those videos here:
- YB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i3MC4d-HmY&feature=share&list=PL5532B6CD987E1D88

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT9axA0A6_Q&feature=share&list=PL5532B6CD987E1D88