Cayenne pepper/capsicum is said to improve blood flow which is crucial to stimulating hair growth. This may be beneficial to people suffering from alopecia, excessive breakage or those with bald spots. Its red color is due to its high vitamin A content. 


How people use it…
Some people mix 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper with 1 cup of EVOO to make a paste and massage into their scalp. They leave the paste in for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes and then rinse. It is typically used 2-3 times per week.


The bad…
Many users complain that the mix burns and suggest using milk or conditioner to soothe the burning when rinsing. They also complain of sometimes seeing the pepper in their hair if they haven’t washed it thoroughly, but you can boil the pepper  and strain with a cheese cloth to prevent this issue.

If this seems remotely appealing to you, be careful and do a patch test.


Repost, Originally posted 2/7/08

Miconazole Nitrate is the main ingredient found in Neosporin AF and Monistat. Miconazole Nitrate is an antifugal medication, but many people claim that it grows hair and grows it FAST! I’m not really into growth aids, but I thought I’d write about it for the blog. Be careful though the Neosporin AF and some of the Monistat brands contain Mineral Oil (all except Monistat 3 or 7). If you’re going to try it many people suggest using 2% Miconazole Nitrate (check the main ingredient) and make sure you’re buying Neosporin AF as it is different from regular NEOSPORIN (it’s in blue packaging, used to treat athlete’s foot). There’s also Feet Accompli, it claims to be the Ultimate Antifungal Pedicure Cream. It contains the 2% Miconazole Nitrate but also has Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, and Vitamin E. It’s also $34 a tube. I did some research is basically my run down of Miconazole Nitrate.

THE GOOD (According to people that use it)

• Grows hair long
• Grows hair quick
• Can be mixed with oils
• Can be applied daily for optimal results
• Reduces Shedding

THE BAD

• No scientific evidence to support the safety of using on scalp
• Kind of expensive
• Embarassing to buy
• Cannot be used by anyone pregnant/expecting

THE UGLY

• Some have claimed it caused them untolerable headaches (most GENERIC BRANDS except Family Dollar brand)
• Others claim it’s more of a scalp movement than a headache and it’s not that bad
• Grows hair so fast that it’s scary with some users experiencing as much as 1″ of growth per month
• USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Originally posted 2/6/08