applied directly to the hairline and scalp to help hair grow.
Miconazole nitrate, the active ingredient in Monistat, is what many are attributing to their hair growth. A quick search on YouTube for ‘Monistat hair growth’ and thousands of videos populate, with some dating as far back as 2012. So while this is not a new phenomenon, some Black women still can’t get enough of this trick.
While there has yet to be any clinical trial to back up these claims, a study by NCBI did find that ketoconazole, a similar anti-fungal medicine, did help regrow the hair of patients suffering from alopecia. “Hair density and size and proportion of follicles were improved by KCZ,” the study found.
There have been some natural hair vloggers that warn about how directly applying Monistat 7 on the scalp may potentially cause headaches and recommends diluting it with water so it’s not as concentrated.
Warnings like that always make us a little leary to try a beauty trend, especially on our hair. However, there’s no denying that Monistat 7 as a growth stimulator has stood the test among the YouTube community, no easy feat in a beauty world that’s extremely fairweather.
Will you try it?
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.