Healthy Hair

About a year and a half ago, I accidentally (and stupidly) fried my hair in an effort to save money and do an at-home Keratin treatment.  The Keratin treatment was supposed to turn my naturally-a-little-frizzy hair into smooth, shiny locks.  The box clearly stated NOT to use it on bleached hair (which I have), but I thought it would be okay.  Wrong!  After you put the treatment on your hair, you are supposed to comb it through very straight.  As I started combing my hair, it starting coming out in big chunks.  I quickly washed the product out of my hair, but the damage was done.  It continued to break for months after that, I had to chop it, and I’ve been working on growing it back out, healthy, ever since.

Of course, it looked nice chopped when it was just styled from my awesome hairdresser.  But, I have a major cowlick and could never get it to stay side swept like that.  I really don’t mind the shorter length, I  just want it to be healthy!

Now, I try to wash it every other day (I can’t go more than that with workouts) and only dry it with a hairdryer or use a curling iron on the first day, trying to let it air-dry as much as possible.  Then I might put it up in a top knot the next day.   
I use Kerastase oil (just on the “pony tail” so it doesn’t get weighed down) and I think it’s been working miracles.  It’s the green one for damaged hair.  I was surprised to see that Amazon sells it- I used to have to wait until I had a hair appointment at the salon.   

I only use it a couple times a week and a tiny bit goes a long way. It makes your hair really sleek and shiny, taking out the frizz too.  It also smells divine.  I love the Kerastase shampoo and conditioner too, but it’s expensive so I don’t always buy it. 

I wanted to ask y’all about Biotin supplements.  I read that Biotin is often recommended for strengthening hair and nails, though scientific data supporting this outcome are weak. Nevertheless, biotin is found in many cosmetics and health products for the hair and skin.  I found this brand on Amazon and it had a lot of great reviews, but I was wondering what you think or if you’ve tried it.  

Let me know!

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

21 Comments

  1. I haven't tried Biotin myself but my mom raves about it. Going thru menopause, she started losing tons of hair but started taking biotin and it's started to grow back in and her nails are super strong. She highly recommends it.

  2. Hi Megan! Your hair is adorable! Funny you should ask about biotin, while at my parents for thanksgiving I was complaining about my fingers! Right beside the nail they tend to 'crack' from constantly washing my hands, dishes, cold! Anyway, my mom said here and gave me a biotin tablet. She said the dermatologist told my dad to take them because he also gets cracked fingers especially in the winter! However she's certain his is not caused from washing dishes! So I'm going to keep taking to see if it works!
    Take care,
    Kara

  3. I am not sure about Biotin, but the folic acid in my prenatal vitamins is doing wonders for my hair and nails. I have continued taking them after having my second son:) Your hair looks gorgeous…going to have to try that Keratase

  4. I'm always trying to grow my hair out! Thought it seems it grows about 3 inches past my shoulders and then won't go any further. 🙁

    I've used biotin for several years now and I swear by it! I do notice a difference in my hair, but mostly in my nails. I use whatever they sell at target (Nature's Brand? something like that; I've also used up & up) and I make sure it's the 5000mcg. I definitely think it's worth a try.

    If you're looking for a great deep conditioner that's not expensive, try the Loreal Advanced Haircare Total Repair 5 conditioner, in the yellow tub. It's, like, $3 with a coupon but it works wonders for my hair. I've bleached it for 12+ years and recently went red. My hair is super healthy, soft, and shiny. But now I'm going to have to try the Kerastase serum.

    Good luck, Megan!

  5. I went through 24 wicked chemo treatments roughly 3 years ago and lost ALL my hair…eye lashes and eye brows included. (All other hair was lost too but felt I didn't need to get graphic. lol!) Fortunately my nails did not fall off but they turned a gnarly yellowish/brown and eventually had black spots and streaks. Get the idea I was a mess? ha! I began taking a Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin & Nails as soon as treatment stopped. After a few months of allowing the cancer drugs to leave my system, my hair & nails began to grow quickly. Both are actually in better shape than before chemo (something that rarely happens). I have also cleaned up my diet but not enough to make this big of a difference. Whether or not there is research to support this supplement, I am here to give it a big thumbs up. Here is a link from CVS which is my local drug store.

    http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/Natures-Bounty-Hair-Skin-And-Nails-Tablets?skuId=898122

  6. My mother is a hairstylist and a guy she works with has a client with Alopecia. He said the only thing that worked for her to increase hair growth was Biotin and Silica in conjunction! I used that method for a while a few years back, and it does work! You don't typically see results for a couple of months, but then it started growing really fast. Hope that helps!

  7. I used Biotin supplements after having a baby last fall. I have super thick hair, but I was losing it by the chunks (and losing my mind too)…no thanks! I can't say I noticed a huge difference in my hair–other than it was starting to grow in–but my nails were SUPER strong. So it must have been working, right?? Good luck! Your hair looks fantastic, btw…

  8. I take Biotin supplements. I have thyroid issues and would lose large amounts of hair. My hairdresser, Internist, and Dermatologist all told me to take it, so I do. It is a slow process, but I saw a difference in the speed of hair growth. My nails have improved, but I did not see any difference in my skin health.

  9. I just started taking Biotin daily. I saw a friend and her skin looked awesome so I asked what she does and she said that she takes Biotin. I was hoping for changes in my skin but I would be happy with hair and nail changes too!

  10. I don't take biotin, probably should for my nails. My hair is super thick and healthy. I do not color (yet) and I wash every other day just like you and do very little with the hair dryer. I do however use a flat iron, because just like you I have the cowlicks over my forehead and need the help to calm them down some, lol

  11. My dermatologist also told me to take biotin. I see a huge difference in the LACK of hair falling out. Now if I run out and do not take. The hair falls out again.

  12. I've been taking Biotin for 6 months and have seen a major improvement not necessarily on the condition of my hair but it really helped the the length. It's never grown past a certain length until I started. It grows super fast too! I recently found out that I very low levels of vitamin D and am now on a prescription of 50,000 ml. a week for two months. I researched it and read that Vitamin D can really help improve as well.

    My doctor recommended Caltrate D for additional supplement after I stop the prescription. I'll let you know if that helps the texture (mine is damaged from lack of vitamin D I think).

    Thanks for this post Megan! I'm going to try that serum too!

  13. I took biotin for a period of time when I was trying to get my hair to grow. I am not sure it helped with the growth but my hair was def shinier! It made my nails stronger and grow faster. At one point I was cutting my nails twice a week! My skin cleared up as well. I didn't have any negative effects from it.

  14. Hi Megan. Our youngest, Katie, has experienced hair loss due to her medication. Her doctors (her naturopath and dermatologist) both recommended she take a biotin supplement. It is definitely helping!! She also uses Aveda's Avanti products every few shampoos (she normally uses moroccan products). Her dermatologist said that when hair is "shocked" , for various reasons, it goes into a "resting" state and it can take a good 6 months to go back to normal.

  15. Hi! first, let me just say I just found your blog, and immediately bookmarked it. I can't wait to go through everything! second, I haven't used biotin in a really long time. I think I was using nature's bounty. however, there are 2 hair supplements I do recommend. one is the Phytophanère supplements from phyto (although they are pricey http://www.sephora.com/phytophanere-hair-nails-dietary-supplement-P2884). another good, inexpensive option is maxi hair (http://www.amazon.com/Country-Life-Maxi-Release-90-Tablet/dp/B000168G1S).
    xoxo

  16. I take a biotin supplement, purchased from WalMart (whatever brand they carry). It has really helped my hair and nails. It took about six months for it to make a noticeable difference, but wow! My hair had been thinning. Now it is thicker and shinier. The biotin also helped my nails which have always been notoriously weak.

  17. Hi, I was just catching up on my blog reading and saw this so my comment is a bit late. I've used many of the NOW brand vitamins for years and have been very happy with them. I use the Biotin one that you blogged about. I like it but I can't say that 100% that it made my hair grow because it grows quickly anyway. I've heard that Nature's Bounty Super Potency Biotin is also good but I've not tried that yet. Good Luck!

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