I was sent Monat products to try. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Hey y’all! So if you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed by now that I shaved my head this past march. I had been rockin’ the half shaved look for the better part of a year and found myself at a crossroads. Either I could let my shaved side grow out and eventually even it out, or I could just shave it all off and start fresh.

I chose the latter.

At first I was totally feeling my new look! The change was something that I knew I needed, but going from a half shaved head to the whole shebang was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. Being “bald” meant that I had to put in a lot more effort into my appearance since I had no hair to hide behind. I didn’t have anything to run my fingers through or play with, and one of the absolute worst parts was that I lost all my blonde. My color underneath was so dark and I didn’t know if it fit my face very well.

All that being said, shaved is definitely a fun, edgy look in most cases! It can be pulled off by anyone in my opinion, and although I would not try to talk someone out of shaving their head, it’s not something I, personally, see myself doing again.

So after seeing me post a throwback photo of me with long, luxurious locks, a dear friend of mine reached out and recommended I try Monat. It was a brand I already knew I loved after using it on the girls’ hair (which I still do), so with an enthusiastic “yes”, I was super excited to give it a try!

Related: Gentle Hair Care for Sensitive Kids

Monat Black Review

Before I start, here are a couple photos of me before using anything. It was just shy of two months since I had shaved my head, so my hair wasn’t too terribly short. I feel like my hair grows pretty fast as it is, so I was kinda surprised to see how far it had gotten in such a short amount of time.

I was sent the Monat Black shampoo & conditioner, which is specifically designed for short hair, and is also great for men! It also helps reduce premature thinning and increases vitality. The peppermint oil gives it a very strong fragrance and a slight tingling feeling on the scalp. One of the best parts about this product (and pretty much all Monat products) is that you only need to use a tiny bit! And for someone with super short hair like me, I only need to use like a dime-sized amount. I washed pretty much every day to get the best results, only missing a day or two occasionally.

One thing I did notice, though, was that the consistency was very watery. The very first time I opened it up, a bunch dripped right out like a faucet. Just something to be aware of! The first couple of washes, I noticed a pretty intense tingling feeling, almost like a very mild burning (I have sensitive skin). This is completely normal and it wasn’t nearly as intense after those first couple times.

Also, do not, I REPEAT: DO NOT GET THIS STUFF IN YOUR EYES. It will burn like hot acid. I suspect this may be in part to the peppermint oil as well, but I mean, lesson learned! I give it a good lather and leave on for about 3 minutes before rinsing. One key thing to remember is that you must always repeat! Monat works most effectively when used as a two-step process.

The second wash always makes a ton of suds. I’m not really sure of the science behind this, but it’s only the second wash that does this. Once it’s worked into a good lather, I rinse it off fairly quickly.

1 Week Results

To be honest, I didn’t notice a huge change length-wise after just one week. But this is to be expected! It typically takes 2-4 weeks to start seeing results. However, I felt a huge change in the overall feel of my hair. I started to notice that it felt less “grimy” and more clean feeling. I felt like it didn’t really leave any residue and made my hair feel softer as well!

Aaaaand cue bedhead! Most of my pictures were taken right as I woke up, as I’m sure you will be able to tell 😉 Again, not a huge difference length-wise, but definitely something!

2 Week Results

The two week mark was very much like the first. I noticed a slight change in the length, but more than anything, my hair felt fuller. Healthier. You can see in the picture on the right that it has a little bit of shine as well.

This was also around the time that my hair started to fall a little more downwards instead of straight up.

3 Week Results

And this is where I really started to see a change. Looking at the pictures, it almost seems crazy to me that it was really only a week apart. You can actually see the change in growth and it honestly has me a little shook. I had started putting product in my hair to style it, so you can really see all the different sections.

6 Week Results

I jumped forward a little bit and waited three more weeks before taking another pic. At this point, my hair was almost completely flowing downward. 

From the side, you can really see how much fuller it looks. And I don’t know if this is supposed to happen, but my dandruff had cleared up almost entirely as well. That could be attributed to other lifestyle changes as well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Monat was the culprit behind this development as well! 😉

10 Week Results

And now… for the biggest transformation!

After four more weeks, I was finally back to a safe hair length. I had cut my hair this short in the past, so it was something I knew. I was able to push it to the side again and really style it the way I wanted. It hardly sticks up anymore, and it is so much more manageable.

I mean… this speaks for itself! (Ignore my bedhead shag yet again lol.) Look at how much longer it got in just under a month!? I went from partial to full on ear coverage. I can almooost tie it in a ponytail in the back, too! I can only hope that my hair will continue at this growth rate as I maintain my Monat care routine.

In Conclusion

I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with Monat Black. I feel like it’s great for anyone who’s looking to grow, restore, or just take care of their hair. And after just over two months, I still have over half the bottle left! Let’s take a look at the before and after results:

Ta-da! And again, just over two months. I mean, my hair grows fast, but not this fast. And overall, it feels fuller, cleaner, and just more alive. And I’ve never really been one to go out of my way for my appearance, but with Monat, I feel like it does most of the work for me. And of course, as always, it is 100% cruelty free and vegan!

I’m looking forward to continuing to use Monat products as my hair continues to grow and thrive and who knows which one I’ll be trying out next!

Interested in trying Monat?

You can find all of their products here! And be sure to check out my review post of Monat Junior!

Post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure here.