Grow Your Own..Hair?

So you may remember some weeks ago I blogged about Alpecin, a caffeine shampoo available at the drugstore that claims to stimulate hair growth and prevent hair loss. For those unfamiliar with my current situation I am suffering post-natal shedding and losing a considerable amount of hair with every wash leaving me with almost bald temples. I will say that the Alpecin improved the situation, - you can see my 'before' shots here and my current ones lower down this post - but it's target market is men and I found the formula much too drying on the ends of my hair, a problem I doubt men worry about. So.. when I was contacted to review the LA Science Anti-Hair Loss System I was dubious. The thing that really swung it for me was that the directions state that no additional conditioner is required as the formula has conditioning agents.. very much the opposite of the Alpecin so I thought, why not?

The shampoo itself is much thicker than I'd expected and so I took it at it's word and didn't condition. I rubbed it in to my scalp for 2 or 3 minutes and then left it on my hair for a further 10, it doesn't state that this is necessary but I can't see that it would hurt. After towel drying I applied the serum to my temples and a little over the rest of my scalp and went to brush it through. Unfortunately my hair is very tangly so although my hair may not need the moisture a conditioner provides I definitely need one to get a brush through it so I did have to apply a generous helping of Macadamia Oil through the ends in order to de-tangle the lengths but I have to say after blasting it with the hairdryer my hair looked and felt thicker and fuller after only one application. I'm not yet sure how/if conditioning will alter the effects but I am very interested to see the results in a few weeks time.

 

Alpecin did do something and for the money it's impressive but after taking so long to nuture my hair back to almost full health I'm not going to ruin it now by using a shampoo that will strip it of every drop of oil it's ever produced. I would recommend it as an occasional clarifying shampoo or for those with very greasy hair but for the rest of us girls it's just not going to work I'm afraid. The LA Science already shows more potential and althought it's a pricier treatment hair loss can be really traumatic and if it works I know I'd pay whatever the cost. Saying that the shampoo is actually pretty reasonable at £15.29 for 250 ml, it's the serum at a whopping £30.59 for 50ml that's the kicker but rest assured I will be back to tell you whether it's worth all those hard earned pennies!

Have you suffered with hair loss? Permanent or not it's never nice so if you've found a miracle cure or just something that you feel is working/has worked leave a comment and let us know.

Miss BB

Alpecin - Shampoo To Grow Your Hair?

Given my ever present ambition for long, lustrous locks you'd be forgiven for thinking this was another gimmick I was trialling in an attempt to boost hair growth and you wouldn't be entirely wrong. While I am very interested to see whether it effects the speed of growth I'm more concerned about the bald patches I've been left with post pregnancy...

Unfortunately I didn't have my DSLR to hand when I took these so they're not as clear as they could be but you get the idea. I'm sure there'll be some that say they're not bad but they're the only visible symptom.. my hair is falling out all over and it seems to be getting worse. When I wash it, when i brush it, even when I run my fingers through it I'm shedding hair left right and centre. I've tried not to use heat at all so I put my hair up and when I take it out the hair band is covered. I know this is normal, during pregnancy your body behaves in strange ways and most women will retain hair they'd usually shed and within 6 months after birth they lose all that hair. I know this because it happened the first time so I'm not overly concerned but if there's anything I can do to slow or halt the process I'm going to try it. So from today Alpecin will be my shampoo of choice and I will report back with my results. I'm really hoping it has extra effects and I've found a drugstore miracle for you all but only time will tell. 

I've used it a couple of times already and I can tell you it tingles and feels like it's doing something. The spiel claims it keeps the hair in a suspended growth state for 24hrs and recommends you use it every day but it's primarily aimed at men and while they may not worry about dry ends we women do and this is anything but moisturising. I would probably work really well as a clarifying cleanser as it strips all the oil from my hair but like I said.. I'll give it a good run and let you know how I find it!

Available at Boots.com - link - for £5.35

Have any of you tried Alpecin? They have a large range of products which I may go on to try and I'll tell you a little more about in my follow up post but I'd be interested to hear from you if you've already tried anything or have any other hair loss remedies.

Miss BB

Go Blonder With John Frieda

 

If you asked 100 people what they thought of the John Frieda Go Blonder range you'd get some very mixed reviews. I've heard awful things about peoples hair turning orange, breaking off and even.. falling out! These issues I believe are predominantly down to user error. I know that's a little controversial because there are a huge amount of people out there claiming that this range ruined their hair through no fault of their own but barring actual allergic reactions (eg. Fleur De Force - see her video review here) I think the majority just don't understand what they're putting on their hair!

I wanted to talk about this prior to my review because of the sheer volume of bad experiences there have been. There will be some who skim read this post or just look at the pictures and go straight to comment "don't use this, it will wreck your hair!!!" but I thought if I started with the cons perhaps they'd catch a few lines of text too. 

First of all the shampoo and conditioner contain no peroxide, they claim to lighten naturally with citrus and camomile and while I was skeptical lemon is a bleaching agent so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. The way I use it is.. I wash my hair and leave the shampoo in for 5 to 10 minutes while I'm in the bath I then rinse and apply the conditioner. I cover my hair in a towel or a shower cap and leave the conditioner on for as long as I can, that could be hours but I haven't attempted overnight yet. When I wash it out and dry my hair it is soft, shiny and visibly lighter. People have complained of dryness and I'm not sure why, I don't know if its the amount of time I'm leaving the conditioner on that is combating this but my hair is not 100% healthy and I've had no problems whatsoever.

We'll break for some photos then get in to the spray...

My 'before' hair

 These shots were after using the shampoo and conditioner once

This is after 2 weeks of use and two applications of the lightening spray.

Now the controlled lightening spray is a totally different animal and this is where I believe people are going wrong. This product does contain peroxide and no matter how diluted or how gentle the formula you are effectively still bleaching your hair every time you use it. I would imagine many will use this along side the shampoo and conditioner as their regular hair routine and that regular use is going cause damage. We are so used to spritzing ourselves with all kinds of product that if it comes in a bottle we don't really think about how much or how often we're using it. I believe most are using this as liberally as we would a styling spray or worse still.. in the place of a heat protectant before blow drying. We wouldn't dream of bleaching our hair once a fortnight let alone several times a week and yet this is how this product is being used and that's why everyone's hair is falling out! One girl commented on my video that she was appalled to still be waiting for it to fade out months later.. that was when the penny dropped.. people have no idea what they're buying. I'm not blaming John Frieda at all and it would seem they've taken steps to clarify adding a new label to the the box stating in bold "this product contains peroxide' but it's not their fault.. it is in my opinion the fault of the retailer. This product should be sold in the hair colour aisle alongside it's dated equivalent, 'Sun In' and all the other at home bleaching products. If you saw it there you would treat it appropriately!

That being said I would have thought regardless of where you bought it it was pretty obvious this is a permanent lightening spray and not for regular use. I have used it twice and don't intend to use it again for at least another month, It's taken me too long to get my hair to the condition and length that it is to ruin it now. The comments that were common on the video where I hauled these products were "It will make your hair so orange" - it hasn't, "Your hair will be so dry" - it isn't and the most popular had to be "Don't use this!!". I wanted to put my views out in the blogosphere to counteract some of the negativity surrounding John Frieda's Go Blonder range. No it's not going to be for everyone and if you're worried.. just don't risk it but if you're already considering home bleaching or highlights It's going to be gentler than that so I'd say, why not? 

My personal experience has been positive, the shampoo and conditioner alone have been very effective and left my hair feeling no different to normal. The controlled lightening spray did leave it feeling a little dry but after a deep condition it was back to it's healthy(ish) self. I wouldn't recommend you use these products every day, it's common sense to alternate with something that's a little more nourishing when you're using colour products of any kind but I will continue to use them on and off to give my blonde a boost. My highlights have lifted considerably and because I'm not too light I could potentially put off a professional touch up for several months as my roots are also blending well. Overall I'm really happy that I tried this. Reviews of skin and hair care always have to be taken with a pinch of salt and a lot of the time it's impossible to know what will work for you until you try it for yourself!

You can purchase the range here with prices starting at £5.99

One last note, to give you a more well rounded idea of how this works for other people you can check out the review page at MakeupAlley here where the feelings are as previously mentioned.. mixed!

Miss BB

Nanoblur... the wrinkle test

Since it launched I have been dying to get my hands on this stuff. It claims to blur imperfections and fine lines as well as improve the look of enlarged pores. Some claim it is a kind of colourless BB cream that offers flawless skin with or without makeup.. obviously this appealed to me but I know that the majority will be looking at this as a wrinkle-fix so that was what I wanted to put to the test. Unfortunately (or fortunately for me) I am still relatively wrinkle free so for this I enlisted help in the form of my willing older half.

You can clearly see an improvement between the before and after shots above. This is a cosmetic product not a permenant fix which I think is why it is selling at just £19.99 but for that price the effect is so much better than I expected. I'm interested to see how it works on my pores and overall appearance of my skin but so far I am very excited about this stuff.. it seems like it actually works! If you're looking for a quick-fix-wrinkle-buster this is absolutely for you. The effects wont last forever but they'll last for as long as you're wearing it and as it's colourless anyone can try it!

Crest Whitestrips Review

I picked up these Crest Vivid Whitestrips a couple of weeks ago and promised a review so here it is...

They are the mildest version of the infamous strips so I wasn't expecting a Kandee Johnson smile overnight but I was expecting SOMETHING. I got 10 pouches with a strip for my upper a lower teeth. I have now completed the course and so can share my results with you. I took daily photos after Wearing the strips for 30mins and brushing my teeth.. before you say anything... yes I am aware I have crooked teeth!

Okay... so I got results but they aren't exactly going to set the world alight are they?

My teeth are noticeably whiter but I don't feel the result will be permanent and the roots of my lower teeth still seem yellow. My top teeth are much whiter so I am pleased but I am still disappointed. It hasn't put me off trying the stronger strips so watch this space for news on that in the coming months. These strips seemed different to ones I've seen people review on YT, they weren't stiff, they were like a mixture between clingfilm and bubble wrap  for your teeth.. very odd and very difficult to get used to and to keep in your mouth. I don't know if we had an older pack or if it is just the vivid strips but they were not at all what I was expecting. Another thing I noticed was that sensitivity increased towards to end of the course but I'm pleased to report that that wore off a day or two after I stopped using them.

Overall it's a mixed review I suppose. I wasn't super impressed but I wouldn't say no to another box in the future. They definitely did something, maybe my expectations were too high.

Here is the before any after again..

If you've tried these strips or would like to recommend others please do! I am definitely going to try some other form of home whitening before our wedding next year so leave me a comment if you've found the holy grail of home whitening!