“The Best Supplement for FASTER Hair Growth? " ANDREW LESSMAN’S Hair Skin Nails.

It had been two weeks since I last washed my hair---and today I finally mustered up the courage to do it. I am shaking my head at publicly admitting this bit, but it’s the truth. Six months have passed since my last relaxer, and my cornrows are looking rather bedraggled beneath my wig.  My husband has now begun to ask me when he will next see my hair…my real hair (see photo of me on my wedding day---with my real hair---no weave/tracks/pieces or whatever you may call them). I have to preface this post by saying that I believe we owe the texture, length capabilities and natural colors of our hair, to genetics. Certain aspects of our hair’s structure is simply genetic, but there are things that we can do to help maintain its length and improve its health---just like our systems at large! I have to admit, I am not the best go-to person for hair care tips, but ladies…I can tell you a thing or two about hair growth. There isn’t really a science to this---or maybe there is, but in addition to the gifts that your particular gene pool may boast, there are a few products out there that are time tested and proven, worthy of their merit for aiding in the growth and maintenance of more beautiful, stronger, and faster growing hair!
So here is my official two cents on a few of them…


Let me start off by saying that my hair is relaxed. It has been relaxed now for 17 years (read my blog’s tag line for my age). I don’t really subscribe to that “good hair”, saying. Good hair is healthy hair! Each and every single type and texture can be good hair…if it is healthy! I also do not put much weight in those hair typing charts (mostly because I don’t really understand the purpose of them) but I believe I have normal, healthy and beautiful hair [4a-type classified…unofficially]. Giving credence to the genetic link behind my story, I have had long hair my entire life (read: mid-back length by age 3, bra-strap length up till and beyond my first relaxer.) I have attained waist length hair time and time again, but I also have a rather frenzied love affair with the Scissors. Plus, as mentioned before, I have lost length due to major neglect but alas…it always comes right back.

There are numerous products on the market that make grand promises that include growing your hair, strengthening your hair, improving its “texture”, etcetera etcetera. I am here to share my time tested (2 YEARS IN THE MAKING) review on a few products. And the first of the lot in my Hair Giants series is:

ANDREW LESSMAN’S : Hair Skin Nails Supplement.

One night back in 2010, weary from work, I let the TV rest a bit longer than it should have, on HSN. (I try not to let this happen as unnecessary purchases may ensue.). This particular night they had a TSV (Today’s Special Value) from Andrew Lessman (Hair Skin and Nails formula with EGCG and Bioflavonoids) and well…I wanted it.

I called my boyfriend (now husband) and we both decided to get ourselves a bottle. I don’t/didn’t have an issue with hair growth but my skin was (and still is!) in an absolute state of distress, and my nails were worse for wear. J wanted to try it as well, as he had been experiencing thinning hair and major nail breakage. We decided to purchase the largest value size for myself (600 capsules) and J decided to get a 90 day supply. My mother (who was in her early 50’s at the time) also decided to try it out, and she ordered the 250 capsule size.

So…what happened?

1 Month in:

HAIR: By this point, I hadn’t really noticed much change. I had been taking 2 capsules per day, as suggested on the bottle. In addition, I had continued to take my regular multivitamins (Equate multivitamin for women from Walmart, my fish oil supplement from Vitacost.com, a Chlorella supplement and a fiber supplement.

NAILS: Though I noticed a marked increase in the growth rate of my previously gnarly nails, much to my dismay, they began to become much harder---to the point of being brittle. My nails were no longer as “pliable” as they had been before, and oddly, they began to crack in odd places.

SKIN: I wasn’t surprised that my skin had made no noticeable changes at all…

6 Month Mark:

By this point, I was very pleased as I could note a much more accelerated growth rate of my hair! My hair had also become thicker. The downside however, was the marked increased in coarseness of my hair. I had never had particularly hard to manage nor coarse hair before. So I can only assume that this vitamin played a role in changing the overall texture and manageability of my hair. My skin had also gone through a startlingly embarrassing cycle of increased breakouts (blackheads and cystic acne….all over!).

After a bit of research, I decided that I was not tolerant of the levels of biotin in the hair vitamin at all. Like many others before me, it was singularly responsible for the acne breakouts and I chose to decrease my dose to one tablet per day. At the one year mark, I also chose to purchase Andrew Lessman’s : Essential One Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement (which also featured an additional 500 mcg of biotin) and added that to my daily regimen.

So What Happened Two Years Later…to date?

My husband didn’t reorder the Hair Vitamins, despite having wonderfully accelerated growth of his previously stubby fingernails. He also did not see an improvement in his skin, but noticed that the hair that he had on his had had also begun to grow much faster! (He didn’t care for that fact as it caused more frequent haircuts, and it didn’t cause an area of thinning on his scalp to change much). He did however purchase the Multivitamin and still uses that to this day.

My mother also achieved an accelerated rate of growth in her over processed (permanent dye damaged) hair. Her hair also became much thicker! She too reported that her hair texture became coarser, though she happened to appreciate that particular side-effect.

As for me, and at that dose (1 tablet per day) used in conjunction with the multi vitamins, and a balanced diet, I retained a healthy hair growth rate that seems to exceed the average of ½ inch per month. The skin on my body has been softer as a result of this vitamin regimen. My nails remained strong until mid 2011, when my hand washing got a bit out of hand at work (leading to regular broken bits)---they still grow rather fast though! My skin is still intolerant of high levels of biotin. I sometimes skip the Hair vitamins for several days (and this practice also seems to reduce/eliminate the coarseness that I had previously experienced).  By finding the right dose for you, I would say that this vitamin is a great choice! Amongst other vitamins and minerals, it features hair health champions like: Silicon, MSM, Gelatin, and the afore mentioned Biotin. Do note however, that the Andrew Lessman hair/skin/nails vitamins seem to go through reformulation often.

He tends to do upgrades, but each seems better than the last.  Though it was a bit pricey ($89 for my 600 capsule buy) mine happened to have lasted a long time! Especially since I did not maintain the suggested 2/day dosing, and ultimately would skip several days at a time after a year had passed. Do make sure to purchase while this item is on sale though...as is stands, it is priced lower on Andrew Lessman's direct website at procapslabs.com.

As this may be rather expensive for some people, stay tuned for the next blog post about other Hair Growth Supplements & Products that may suit your needs as well!

WHERE TO BUY:

- Hsn.com

- Amazon.com: Women's Multi

http://www.amazon.com/Equate-Womens-Daily-Multivitamin-Tablets/dp/B00134L9DE/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1331856437&sr=1-1

- Hair Vitamins

http://www.procapslabs.com/Products/SearchResults.aspx?input=hair

Multivitamins and Hair Skin Nails Vitamins from Andrew Lessman

http://health-fitness.hsn.com/andrew-lessman-essential-1-360-capsules_p-6340950_xp.aspx?cmsstr=120652&webm_id=10056244&web_id=&sz=3&sf=HF&dept=HF0035&cat=HF0085&o=&ocm=seis

- Vitacost.com (offers 300 capsules for less than $9!)

http://www.vitacost.com/Vitacost-Fish-Oil

"The Bouquet Toss."

***THANKS FOR READING***