Product Review: Mane Choice Manetabolism Hair Vitamins

Hey beauts!

Happy New Year from MeeMee! The first month in 2015 is almost over and I hope we’re all settling in decently. I just want to say again how amazing you guys are, and you will be reading a lot more from me this year. You have my permission to hold me to that statement.

Now to the business of the day.

Remember when I shared my excitement about trying out the Manetabolism vitamins? I am done with all 60 capsules and I shall now share my results (or nah?) with you.

Expectations

Before trying these vitamins, I had salivated at the major progress many girls claimed to have with this product on social media. I had never taken any hair/skin vitamins prior to this one. And so, as expected, I had high hopes. Maybe too high. For me, it was about the length and not even the thickness at the time. I had my hair in Marley twists during the month when I took these vitamins and so I had no idea how my hair was faring underneath. But I was really positive. After having my twists in for a little over 4 weeks, I took them out, did the usual ritual with eagerness to do that length check (not pictured here. Perhaps it was anger, but I somehow deleted that picture).

L: 2 days before R: > 30 days after

 

What went wrong?!!!

Well, the low hanging fruit will be the fact that I am currently treating heat damage. So right now, my hair is not very healthy. At my last wash day though, I didn’t lose as much hair as I expected so perhaps the pills reduced shedding? But my hair is a lot thinner than I remember it being. I admit that I have not always had dense hair. I also admit that I thought becoming natural will automatically equal high density hair (this deserves a post on it’s own. Can I get a show of hands from my mid – low density sisters in the house?). But this thinness that has accompanied the heat damage is not of God. Comparing the thinness from before I started the pills to after, there has been no significant change.

Lost comrades from the battle of the wash day

 

Any side effects

I don’t like that side effects has a bad connotation. It shouldn’t, because it’s basically any off-target effect (i.e. effect that you were not expecting or that the medication was not aimed at). Apart from noticing that my nails feel stronger, there were no noticeable side effects from taking these vitamins. I did not break out, contrary to some reports, neither did I notice any improvement in my skin condition.

Will I be buying this product again?

Meh

 

Yes. But not immediately. I will like to nurse my hair back to life and have my hair be healthy and stable. When this happens, I want to give these vitamins a second chance to prove themselves to me. If I don’t notice substantial change to my hair, only then will I give up on them.

On Hair Vitamins…

Like I said earlier, before manetabolism, I was a hair vitamin virgin. I had never even thought about using them to facilitate hair growth. I am not one to pop pills and I struggle with taking regular everyday vitamins. I don’t believe that hair vitamins are magical. I would like to see the original growth rate of these girls that have shown amazing change in their hair with these vitamins. Chances are that there won’t be any substantial difference with and without vitamins. What this means is that, genetically, they have rapid hair growth while some of us, don’t. So while I think that hair vitamins can help your hair to be healthier and can do its bit to improve your keratin structure, it cannot suddenly turn you into Rapunzel (btw, if Rapunzel had a big ass afro, that “let down your hair” story would not have sufficed) if your ancestors haven’t blessed you with such growth.

Summary

What have I rambled on about in essence?

1. My hair doesn’t seem to be growing much.

2. Manetabolism’s magic didn’t work on me in the way I thought it would. Although, it did decrease my shedding.

3. I am not Rapunzel… yet.

4. Vitamins are not magical.

5. Fix my hair, Jesus!

I know Joy, one of our readers, has tried Manetabolism and was not blown away. Has any one had a different or similar experience with these or other hair vitamins? Not to overflog this issue of hair vitamins but any chance your thoughts have changed since the last time we spoke about them? Let’s talk!

We had faux snow days where I live on Monday and Tuesday so my own weekend is just coming to and end and it is my first work day of the week. I hope your week is going really well. Remember, always gauge the type of hair your Rapunzel has before you rely on her letting it down for your transportation. Ok bye!

-MeeMee

xx.

Spotlight: Mane Choice Manetabolism Hair Vitamins

Hey beauts!

Are we all in the holiday spirit yet? If you’re reading this then I know you have entered into our big fat giveaway here.

So a while ago, AB talked about hair vitamins and her experience with African Hair Accel.

With so much excitement and gratefulness, I received a month’s supply of the Mane Choice Manetabolism Healthy Hair Vitamin.

What is it and what does it do?

Manetabolism is a dietary supplement that “aids in promoting healthy hair, nails and skin by supplying nourishment to the body’s cells and by directly targeting hair follicles, nail beds and skin layers.In addition, it also boosts energy levels and helps to strengthen the immune system.” The major selling and advertisement point for this product is its effects on the hair as evidenced by its name and its USP (which reads ‘Longer. Thicker. Healther’). I have seen lots and lots and LOTS of pictures heralding the good name of manetabolism that I am so tempted to ignore any doubt that this product will cause a drastic change to my hair. I shall try my best to remain grounded.

What’s in it?

Vitamin A (as Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin D3 (as Cholecalciferol), Vitamin E (as d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Vitamin K, Niacin, Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin), Biotin, Zinc (as Zinc Sulfate), Proprietary Blend*.

*The proprietary blend comprises: MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), Shark Cartilage, FucoMax Fucoidan, Horsetail  (Equisetum arvense) (Whole Herb), Inositol, Grape seed (Vitis vinifera), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) (Leaf), L-Lysine, L-Alanine, L-Arginine HCl, L-Aspartic Acid, L-Cysteine, L-Glutamic acid, L-Glycine, L-Histidine HCl, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline, L-Serine, Taurine, L-Threonine, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine.

Other Ingredients: Cellulose and Magnesium Stearate.

Pretty impressive, eh?

Impressions

I have been taking these for a couple of weeks now. The packaging and branding is quite exquisite; understated, yet calling. I have a bias against pills and capsules, and I find these ones particularly large :(. However, this hasn’t stopped me from swallowing them.

I have yet to notice any side effects or changes in my body. I shaved off body hair recently and it doesn’t seem to be growing at an alarmingly fast rate.

Cost wise, these babies retail between $24.99 and $ 239.88 depending on how many bottles you buy in one transaction. You can find them on amazon and the mane choice website.

I currently have my hair in braids and I am trying to do heat damage control so I don’t know how these will affect progress with this product. I will see you with good news (yes, I’m being positive) in a couple of weeks.

Have you tried these vitamins or any other hair vitamins that you are impressed with? What do you think about hair vitamins in general? I’ll love to read from you.

Have a brilliant weekend!

– Mee Mee

<3.

Finally, My Review! : African Hair Accel Hair Vitamins

I finished one month’s supply of African Hair Accel Hair Vitamins last week, on Monday morning.

As I stated in this past post here, the vitamins were sent over to me by African Hair Accel to try, but you can trust me to give you my honest, unbiased opinion. 🙂 And there are progress photos too.

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

1. TYPO! As soon as I got this bottle, the first thing I noticed was “Essental Vitamins For Hair Growth”. Where did the “I” go? Was it on vacation? I kid, but if I was seeing this for the first time at a pharmacy or something, in the midst of other options, I wouldn’t be willing to put my trust in this one. I didn’t have an A in WAEC English but I’m just particular about things like this.
2. The smell. Not druggy, but not exactly odourless. It smelled slightly yeasty at first and I hoped I wouldn’t be burping that later. I got used to it it, and that was all. No I didn’t burp that, no problems there.

INGREDIENTS

Here they are, as follows:
Vitamin A (as renyl palmitate), Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid and rose hips), Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol w/beta-cyclodextrin), Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl acetate), Vitamin B1 (as thiamine monohydrate), Riboavin (vitamin B2), Niacin (as Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCl), Folic acid, Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin), Biotin (as d-biotin), Pantothenic acid (as d-calcium pantothenate), Calcium (as dicalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate), Iron (as ferrous fumerate), Phosphorus (as dicalcium phosphate), Iodine (as potassium iodide), Magnesium (as magnesium oxide), Zinc (as zinc oxide), Selenium (as L-selenomethionine), Manganese (as manganese sulfate)
Hair blend: Choline bitartrate, Betaine hydrochloride, Citrus bioavonoids (from Citrus spp., fruit), Inositol, PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), Rutin (from Dimophandra mollis, fruit)
Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid, croscamellose sodium, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, water base coating, talc, carnauba wax

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

90 caplets for 30 days, meaning 3 a day. Morning, Afternoon and Evening. Vitamins like other meds of course, are to be taken with food.

REVIEW

So, these hair vitamins promise strength (less shedding & breakage) and 200% growth. The experts say hair grows about ½ an inch a month on average, so I assumed this to be true for me, looking forward to being Rapunzel, one inch longer after 30 days of religious pill popping.

STATE OF MY HAIR

My hair is super kinky tightly coiled 4C hair. I had no issues with strength and softness, my hair was pretty healthy when I started this trial so it’s the growth I was really looking to see.

Taking the After shots was a bit of a clumsy affair, but here you have it guys, before-after shots as promised.

Front: Before 8 inches- After 8 and a half inches 

the back- After 9 inches, Before 8 inches

the middle- Before 7 inches, After 8 inches

I grew one inch in the back and in the middle ^__^  and ½ inch in the front. Not at all surprising because my front hair doesn’t grow as fast as the rest of my hair. Very good news because my hair has been kinda stagnant lately. The month before the trial, I did not even get my half inch!

I didn’t notice any side effects. My skin did not act up, and I didn’t grow a moustache lol! Yay!

I apologise for the quality of the photos, and I only just realised that because of the difference in the lighting, I took the before photos from the left side, and the after photos from the right. But I assure you, my hair is equal on both sides.

Any slight difference in colour you may notice is as a result of the henna treatment I did the day before this length check.

COST?

This costs $22 for one month supply, and $10 international shipping. At present, there are discounts on the website for 2 months supply and up.

I checked out other Hair Vitamins and they all seem to be in the 20-something dollar category. So I’d say African Hair Accel is well priced.

WILL I BE PURCHASING?

You see, there’s growth, but the fact is hair grows. This could help me grow faster but considering the pros- growth and the cons- the fact that I don’t like taking meds + though I think the pricing is fine, I’ll now be paying for something monthly where I was previously free of that- makes me ask this question: am I really this impatient? I don’t think so. $32 (shipping included) for an extra half inch? Naw.

BUT on the flip side, me trying to join #FitFam and all, I’m thinking I should have Vitamin supplements in my life. If I decide to make this a habit, I might as well choose Vitamins with more goodies for my hair. So to tell you the truth, I’m undecided.

If you’re interested in getting this, I’d say from my experience, by all means go ahead! You can get yours over at the official website www.africanhairaccel.com They also offer a 30-day money back guarantee. Fair enough? I think so!

What I like about the website is, Debit cards (Mastercard and Visa) are welcome! In this part of the world, we are Debit card people, not a credit card culture, so ordering things from the USA makes us get on one long thing or another!

ONE LAST THING

Abeg oh. Before you take this or any other dietary supplement, you are strongly advised to consult your doctor if:
1. You have a history of peptic ulcers or any condition associated
2. You have a known medical condition including heartburn
3. You are a pregnant or nursing mother
4. You are a child under 18!

What do you think, people? Yay or Nay? Holler if you’ve tried these vitamins too, or any other brands. I’d like to know how far!

Till next post,

Love,

AB

Xx

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Side note: it feels a little strange to be here blogging about hair, in the light of everything that’s been going on in the country lately, most particularly, the very disturbing kidnap of the Chibok school girls by terrorist group Boko Haram. Over 200 girls were kidnapped from their school on April 15. From here, I don’t feel capable of changing anything, and it sucks. But if any of this is news to you, please google “Bring Back Our Girls”, or for starters, read this article. Wherever you are, please read about it, talk about it, tweet about it, keep the girls in your prayers. If you’re in Nigeria, I’m urging you to be a part of the electoral process in 2015. It’s the least we can do.

Length Check!

Hey guys!

As I mentioned in this post about Hair Vitamins, I am taking some vitamin supplements from African Hair Accel that are supposed to encourage faster hair growth. I braided my hair on  Friday, and I started taking the vitamins on Saturday. After the 30 day period has elapsed, I will take down my braids and do another length check to compare, and I’ll definitely show you my results.

So, here are length check photos taken on Thursday night, after I blow-dried. You can read about my blow dry process (the Tension Blow-Dry method in my last post here)

Left side, Front

middle section

Right side, back

As you can see, I measured 8 inches in the front and back, and about 7 inches in the middle.

I was on Black Girl Long Hair on Tuesday and appaz, for some people, it’s a crazy or psycho obsessive thing to do length checks with measuring tape? LOL people need to calm down. I got this idea from Ndeshimona of My Curly Potential, and I think it’s a pretty effective and accurate way to do a length-check. Definitely easier than making or buying a length-check tee, though I may still make one for making sake.

Of course, for the After shots, I will measure the same sections. The front and back ones are always in the same spots- with my ear as a landmark/ marking point.

Me I’m just happy that I’ve reached weave length, I can cut all this off now and package and sell as 8-inch Extra Virgin Afro Kinky Hair, hit me up if you want to buy! LOL

My 2nd Hairversary is coming up and I catch myself wishing I had more length to show for it like some of my “mates”. Then I remind myself that this is a journey, I’ve identified my setbacks, I made a plan and so far, I’m sticking to it. I’m just going to keep on loving my hair, and let it respond to the love in its own way.

Length aside, my hair is in a very happy place right now. It is super soft, shining bright like a diamond, and cooperating with all my products. I’m very happy, very happy indeed! 🙂

Fingers crossed,

Love,

AB

xx

Hair Vitamins: Yay or Nay?

Source: Refinery 29

Hey ladies!

Hair Vitamins are one hot topic in the Black Hair Community right now, natural and relaxed. You’ve probably heard of Hairfinity? African Hair Accel? Biotin? Manetabolism? No? Okay.

Many of us want that Rapunzel hair, and most of us wanters want it fast! Hair Vitamins promise to take you to healthier and longer hair, quicker.

How Hair Vitamins Work

No need to get too Science-y, here’s what I understand:

Food is body fuel, and different parts of the body need different nutrients to function; Vitamin A for bright eyes, Iron and Folic Acid contribute to the blood… Your hair benefits from Vitamin A and Iron and Folic Acid too, but here’s the thing. Hair isn’t an essential organ. Nutrients get grabbed by the other parts, before the hair gets its share. So if you aren’t eating well enough, the little you eat may not get to your hair.

Source: World Health

Hair Vitamin tablets are thus a concentrated selection of vitamins that are believed to be beneficial to hair, packaged in doses for daily consumption. They’re just like any other multivitamins, but these are chosen/formulated specially for the benefit of your hair.

What Are They Really Promising?

Marketing gimmicks aside, these supplements aren’t claiming to have Chemical X or any magic at all.

Source: Funny Junk

Hair grows, no doubt. Depending on several factors (genetics, how healthy your lifestyle is, diet, etc), some people grow hair faster than others. Still, it is said that on average, we can expect our hair to grow half an inch every month. Hair Vitamins promise to strengthen your hair and to give it a boost, help it grow faster than it usually would.

Okay AB, Why Are We Talking About This?

Curiosity got this cat. Very recently, I received one month’s supply of Hair Vitamins from African Hair Accel, to try out.

I will do a length check before I start taking the pills, and I’m also going to put my hair away in a protective style for the one month I’ll be taking them, to eliminate the chances of breakage from combing or any manipulation.

There isn’t a lot of information available about these things on the internet (probably because they are “just” Vitamins), not as many reviews as I’d like. My Acne situation is already very testy, I hope it isn’t aggravated (popular side-effect of Biotin) Also, I’m naturally very hairy so I hope the vitamins will concern themselves with ONLY the hair on my head! ( ._.)

Expect a review soon (honest and unbiased as usual), the pictures will speak for themselves.

But till then, what do you think about Hair Vitamins right now? Are you taking any? Please take the poll below- and you could also share a little (or a lot) more in the comments!

Love,

AB

xx