Preface: I didn’t mention this in the video or the article, but I do NOT think it is the responsibility of YouTubers (bloggers, etc.,) to hold the companies responsible for their marketing. This is a business, and I’m not knocking anyone’s hustle. I simply wish the companies took the time to overall be more genuine and honest in their marketing, rather than just selecting folks that already have bountiful heads of hair. Same way I feel about other natural hair companies that are selling the myth of the curl — just show the honest diversity and all will be well.
Yes, Jouelzy writes for Ebony! This article was original published 4/24/2014 on Ebony.com
There’s been a major boom in the hair vitamin market, with quite a few companies marketing their own brand vitamins as the magical pill needed to get long and thick tresses. Celebrities are even jumping on the bandwagon to endorse the brand of their choosing. From hair care brands to weight loss companies, the bevy of bottles to choose from is outstanding. But there are so many questions around these questionable pills everyone seems to be defaulting to for overnight success in hair growth. So many of us wonder what’s in them? How do we even know what the best brands are? And most importantly, do they even work?
For the most part the staple ingredients in any hair vitamin are going to be components of Vitamin B (that includes Biotin), vitamin E, and a sulfur based supplement like Methysulfonylmethane, commonly referred to as MSM. All of these supplements are available at your local vitamin shop and any store that carries vitamins. However, the vitamin industry is not stringently regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who classifies vitamins as dietary supplements and outside of regulating Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), does not restrict how much of one supplement can go into a single vitamin capsule. That is why it is important to get the Supplement Facts of any hair vitamin prior to purchase, so you know what you are ingesting.
Secondly, just about all the supplements found in any hair vitamin can be ingested through eating a healthier diet of dark leafy greens such as Swiss chard. With any form of the B Vitamin family, whether it is B-complex, B12 or Biotin, one must drink a lot of water in order for it to be effective and not lead the acne breakouts. You cannot pop a hair vitamin pill and then drink 32 ounces of soda or a sugary drink. Taking these vitamins requires healthy eating habits and access to a bathroom; you’ll be peeing on the hour, every hour.
