Rooibos Tea Growth- Measure In!

[tiny_teesha]

(Yes, we're putting something else on our heads this month! Check jojo's thread for indepth discussion about the experiment )

Rooibos tea! (Red bush)
It has many unstudied health benefits, but I read somewhere (whether or not this is a good source or not is entirely different) that rooibos produces around an 80% increase in hair growth and decrease in shedding, so lets see if it works! Good for digestion and a good mood too! Add milk or leave it red! High in antioxidants, low in tannins and no caffeine! Why not give it a shot? (its my favourite tasting tea i've ever tried, and so good for you...some hate it. I really really love it so much! To me it tastes smooth and warm which are really textures but it tastes like nothing i've tried.)


Application:
Some people are spraying it on their scalp or drinking or both, I'm doing both, Making a cup and then just dabbing the tea bag after i've drank it (less waste, easy!).



Please post your results!
Tick all boxes that apply to you. This is a public vote! Apply Rooibos in a method you're comfortable with and in a month, or 2, or 3, come back and poll your results! (Don't forget to measure!)

I ran out of room for questions to ask in the poll, so here are a few extra:

Measurement before and after Rooibos Tea Experiment:
Percentage of growth increase:
What brand of tea are you using?
How and how often did you apply/(drink) it?
Why did you choose this method of application?
What percentage of decrease of shedding did you find, if any?
How did topical application effect your hair greasies?
Did you find any other positive side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application?
Did you find any negative side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application?
If you drank it, how did you find the taste? What was it like?
Will you do this for another month +? Why/Why not?




This space is left to be updated with the questions asked here so it is found in the first post. I'm busy but I'll try to keep it updated! Pardon my bad spelling of "expirement" in the poll, i have no excuse! EXPERIMENT! EXPERIMENT! Now I got it!


Notes for newbies- Rooibos tea does have effects on peoples hormone levels and can interfere with their monthly cycles, to be safe one probably shouldn't use it if one is pregnant but it's your choice. Also don't forget to spot test, you might be allergic!

[tiny_teesha]

I'll go first!

What brand of tea are you using? I used Nerada Vanilla Rooibos Tea.
How and how often did you apply/(drink) it? I drank at least a cup to about 4 cups a day, and applied it with the tea bag probably 2-3 times a week. I've been using homeopathic medicine also which dramatically instantly decreased my shedding considerably. So my results are probably not of only rooibos tea, but a combination of things.
Why did you choose this method of application? I wanted to get the most of it so i used both methods
What percentage of increase of growth or decrease of shedding did you find, if any? I found that my hair sheds probably 1/3 as much. My hair SEEMS to be growing more, my tape measure is at my parents so i'll have to wait for a number.
How did topical application effect your hair greasies? My hair gets greasy less fast if i put it on on the day i've had a shower, otherwise it just spreads the oil around and can make it look worse in that situation.
Did you find any other positive side effects? If so, what?And from what method of application? My sensitive teeth were less sensitive.
Did you find any negative side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? My monthly cycle went really strange for a while from drinking so much so i cut back to one cup a day or less.
If you drank it, how did you find the taste? What was it like? I love it...it's warm and soothing and smooth. I guess since mine has vanilla it really helps.
Will you do this for another month +? Why/Why not? Yep, i used to do it daily but now i've toned down because I forget. I think it at least made my hair smell nice, and be less greasy if i applied it right after a shower, and i do think it made it fall out less. It may have even impacted my growth but i didn't measure, my hair seems longer since i cut it already, usually that takes a while...so i think it is working.

[gthlvrmx]

Measurement before and after Rooibos Tea Experiment: about 3.20? inches longer in 3 months
Percentage of growth increase:.25, roughly
What brand of tea are you using?: wish i knew, my friend gave it to me
How and how often did you apply/(drink) it?: i applied topically twice a day everyday for 2 months, then went on and off on the last month
Why did you choose this method of application?:in june.
What percentage of decrease of shedding did you find, if any?: around...30?
How did topical application effect your hair greasies?: slightly greasier actually
Did you find any other positive side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application?:smooth hair AFTER it dried
Did you find any negative side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application?
If you drank it, how did you find the taste? What was it like?: ITCHY! itchy itchy itchy from topical application, i couldnt continue and will not unless i find otu how to prevent itchiness. i get build up fast.
Will you do this for another month +? Why/Why not?: only if i find a way to prevent itchiness

[pepperpot]

Just thought I would chime in because I happened to be drinking it for a month or so.

Measurement before and after Rooibos Tea Experiment: About .5 inches difference
Percentage of growth increase: No increase, just average growth
What brand of tea are you using? Clipper
How and how often did you apply/(drink) it? Drank about 3 cups per day
Why did you choose this method of application? I like the taste of it
What percentage of decrease of shedding did you find, if any? No change
How did topical application effect your hair greasies? N/A
Did you find any other positive side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? N/A
Did you find any negative side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? N/A
If you drank it, how did you find the taste? What was it like? Very pleasant taste
Will you do this for another month +? Why/Why not? Yes, because I like the taste

[Alaia]

All right. I'm answering the questions and then I will say why I picked:

"Any - Experienced side effects annoying enough to discontinue ( which method?)"

Measurement before and after Rooibos Tea Experiment: 30" and 30.25"

Percentage of growth increase: none

What brand of tea are you using? Two: one was Waitrose Love Life Rooibos + Vanilla, and the other was Tick Tock Rooibos.

How and how often did you apply/(drink) it? I drank it twice or three times a day.

Why did you choose this method of application? I was going to start with drinking, and if that didn't work, go on to applying topically.

What percentage of decrease of shedding did you find, if any? None. In fact I am shedding more than usual right now, but I don't think that's down to Rooibos.

How did topical application effect your hair greasies?

Did you find any other positive side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? Nope.

Did you find any negative side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? Yes. From drinking, and will be explained below.

If you drank it, how did you find the taste? What was it like? Yes! I love the tea. It's a bit leathery but fruity at the same time.

Will you do this for another month +? Why/Why not? Nope.

After three days of drinking the stuff, I started to get a constant headache. Thinking it was because I wasn't drinking enough water, I upped the H2O. This made no difference. Now, I am prone to migraines and headaches due to hormonal reasons, so I left it three weeks (I think it was three weeks, might have been two) just in case it was that. It wasn't. As soon as I stopped drinking the tea so regularly my headaches have cleared up.

I'll still drink it, but not twice a day. I'm not going to try topical application because it may just produce the same sort of side effect.

[Hairitic]

Measurement before and after Rooibos Tea Experiment: Aug 6, 2011: 26". Oct. 10, 2011: barly 27" .
Percentage of growth increase: -5% .
What brand of tea are you using? Twinings African Rooibos Red Tea. ingredients: Rooibos.
How and how often did you apply/(drink) it? Apply by final rinse 2ce/wk; drink once/day.
Why did you choose this method of application? Spraying oversoaked my head.
What percentage of decrease of shedding did you find, if any? No noticeable difference.
How did topical application effect your hair greasies? No noticeable difference.
Did you find any other positive side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? I like the taste of the tea; makes my ACV rinse smell better .
Did you find any negative side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? No.
If you drank it, how did you find the taste? What was it like? I like the flavor. It's a little spicy and fruity.
Will you do this for another month +? Why/Why not? I will continue because it's not doing any harm. It tastes good and it makes my ACV rinse smell better. My hair is soft and shiny after using it as a final rinse mixed with ACV and water. Maybe, just maybe, it needs another month or so to show some additional growth (please?) .

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I apply topically and whereas I'm not sure about any increase in growth, it makes my hair gorgeously soft and I mix it with lemon juice so it helps to slightly lighten my hair and bring out golden highlights.


Measurement before and after Rooibos Tea Experiment: My hair has increased in growth but I don't believe it's because of the Rooibos because I don't use it consistently enough for it to take effect
Percentage of growth increase: My hair tends to vary, but it used to grow at .3/.4 in a month now it grows between .5-2.5 in a month, on average at the moment it's about just over an inch a month
What brand of tea are you using? I don't know what brand it is, I'll have to check when I get home
How and how often did you apply/(drink) it? I spray it on my hair daily although sometimes I forget :P
Why did you choose this method of application? I haven't tried drinking it yet, I drink Green Tea and researched that G.T. actually does have scientifically proven antioxidants which do support hair growth. Also my hair is SO soft and manageable when sprayed with Rooibos
What percentage of decrease of shedding did you find, if any? My hair used to shed about 200-300, now it's tops 100 hairs a day
How did topical application effect your hair greasies? My hair isn't greasier because of it, my hair is greasier because I don't wash it as much as I used to
Did you find any other positive side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? SOFT And it lightly bleaches my natural highlights which isn't a bad thing for me
Did you find any negative side effects? If so, what? And from what method of application? Not really
If you drank it, how did you find the taste? What was it like? I haven't tried drinking it yet
Will you do this for another month +? Why/Why not? Absolutely, good for the summer months ahead for me in Australia to have something that keeps my hair soft

[owlathena]

A couple months ago, I started drinking a cup or two of rooibos a day. It doesnt seem to have had any effect on my hair.

[candycandace]

I really want to try this! Rooibos is just so hard to find. :/

[PF Graham]

No, but every time I see a Tea Party member, I pull over and rub them on my head.

I'm not sure it works but I really like how it feels.