I looked at several brands. The most appealing one contained coconut oil and various other "buzz word" ingredients that did appeal to me. A girl working at Rexall told me she uses something called Biotin. She swore that she has seen an obvious improvement in the growth of her hair.
I located a bottle of Jamieson brand Biotin. The bottle states that it "converts cards, proteins, fats to energy." Nothing about the growth of hair or nails. Perhaps that's just a pleasant side effect... and if it really converts these things to energy, all the better! Had I located a miracle pill?
For around $8.00 CAD I could have a bottle with 100 tablets of Biotin, each 250 mcg. I looked at some other brands that boast that they contain biotin and many other appealing ingredients, but the amount of biotin in those tablets was significantly less than the bottle of just-plain-biotin.
The reason biotin works to help hair grow stronger and longer, is because it helps the body produce keratin, which is what hair and nails are made of. It's water soluble and pretty easy to swallow, even for me. The bottle says to take two tablets daily with a meal. I rarely eat meals so I take them on an empty stomach mostly. I started to take three pills a day after I realized they were working, and I thought there were no nasty side effects.
As I researched biotin, I realized some other people had reported acne along their jaw line and cheeks. I had an "aha-moment" because I'd been breaking out regularly along my cheeks and jaw for months... always one or two blemishes at any given time- and that wasn't really like my skin. So I do believe the biotin is breaking me out. However, in my mind- It's totally worth it!
You have to understand how slowly my hair grows... It's thick, coarse, and curly. I had a black woman tell me she doesn't understand how my hair is so nappy or how I manage to make it look so good, given the texture of it. I colour my hair a lot, so I see exactly the rate at which it grows. I'm lucky to have a cm of regrowth after about 6 months.
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| Hairvolution 2014 left me with a very similar, copper coloured version of Yolandi's trademark microbanged' 'do. |
I started taking biotin around the time I modeled in the Goldwell/KMS Hairvolution 2014 Toronto show, which happened to be in August, I think. A month after my July abdominal surgery. My hair was already shaved on one side, and I was feeling equal parts scared and liberated when my stylist decided to shave a small section out of the front of the other side as well. The front of my hair was cut into Yolandi Vi$$er style micro bangs, which I have since grown out but did trim into Bettie bangs, twice,Once off of the runway, I decided to rocked the look for a while. I didn't have much choice, really, and no surprise- I received tons of compliments. I did decide to grow out one newly shaved side immediately, though. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of what was done to my hair for the show accessible at this point.
So my hair was shaved in August, and four months later it had grown to this length:
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| It's not the most glam picture, but it demonstrates my point. |
I know to the rest of the world this doesn't seem like much growth, but to me it is significant! I will continue to take biotin and deal with the acne I assume it has caused. It is mildly unpleasant, but I have found nothing else that helps my hair to grow so quickly. My nails have always growth beautifully, and continue to do so, so unfortunately I can't tell you of any difference there.
Like anything else, even vitamins can cause adverse effects in people with certain health conditions or on specific medications, so if you decide to take biotin based on my recommendation, it may be wise to check with your doctor or pharmacist.
I am back to stay, so look forward to regular updates! I would love to provide you with more information on biotin or alternatives, but unfortunately I have a nasty headache at the moment. Perhaps I will edit and update later!
xoxo,
-h. Cat
