MAN-SHANU FOR HAIR GROWTH

 

Question: Can man-shanu grow my hair like the Fulani?

Answer: Man-shanu  is milk fat that has been separated from fresh milk. From what I have been told, the Fulani and other people of Northern Nigeria, eat it and use it to soften and retain moisture on the skin and hair. Due to the fact that most Fulani people have long soft curly hair, there is a myth in Nigeria that man-shanu is solely responsible for their beautiful hair.

True or false?
I have not been able to find research done on man-shanu (or ghee) to hair growth but I have found sites that claim that it does grow hair with one claiming that it has the magical ability to open up closed follicles. Don't take my word for it but I wouldn't advise you to get your hopes up based on that.


Afro Hair Growth
According to Audrey Davis-Sivasothy's book, The Science of Black Hair: A
Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care, afro hair growth occurs through a two step process; hair growth from the roots (or from the follicles underneath the scalp) and hair retention along the length and ends of the hair (see p. 56)
One of characteristics of afro hair is that it gets dry easily and breaks off easily as a result of the dryness. That is why a lot of us assume that our hair is not growing when in actual fact it is growing but breaking off faster than you can retain length. To solve this problem, you need a lot of moisturising, sealing,and protein/moisture deep conditioning treatments for strength.

So where does man-shanu come into all of this?

Man-shanu used as a pre poo and to detangle

The nomadic Fulani might not understand hair care in the way that the online natural community does and with the terms that we use but they must have observed that manshanu leaves their hair soft and manageable. A friend of mine told me that her grand mother, who she says still has her full head of hair, mixes man shanu with coconut oil and has used it for a long time as a pre poo treatment before washing her hair.For me, I have learnt that;

• Man-shanu mixed with eggs can be used as a protein treatment
• When melted with hot water and mixed with other ingredients, like mustard oil and coconut oil  it is great as a pre poo treatment, and
•  Alone, man-shanu is great for detangling dry natural hair. 

If  man-shanu has all of the above benefits plus the ability to seal in moisture (if you don't mind the smell) then it can help with the second determinant for noticeable black hair growth which is length retention. Therefore, I  don't think we should completely throw out the idea that man-shanu can help with growth. No matter your hair texture, using it can reduce breakage and give you soft beautiful hair like the Fulani.

Reference: Davis-Sivasothy, Audrey. The science of black hair: a comprehensive guide to textured hair care, 56. Texas: Saja Publishing  Company,  (2011).