SheilaG

I have been on this site for days now, I think I have read just about every thread. As a former Hairstylist I have some knowledge. I just looked at my Paul Mitchell Shampoo 3 bottle it does NOT have the Propylene Glycol in it, however my husband uses a professional product called Nioxin as it some potent stuff, originally for men with thinning hair as it stimulates the scalp this does have the PG in it. Just to let everyone know Nexxus went public which usually pisses hairstylists off, so if a salon sells Aloe-Rid treatment and you want it, better buy it as a lot of salons are going to stop carrying it. John Amico sells a product call "come back" very potent stuff to strip the hair. As I sit here and stress about my test next week I have very fine blond hair and I am just gonna go with the Nioxin as I know this is some powerful stuff. Also Malibu 2000 treatments are great as long as the process is done correctly, work the product in really well and lots of heat to open the shaft, also when rinsing product out of the hair use hot water as cool water closes the hair shaft back up and traps the product.

1tokeovertheline

The PM 3 has the three EDTA's that were originally reported to have an effect on the hair test results. Aloe Rid Treatment, Malibu 2000 and other so called "salon" products can be purchased at Rite Aid drug Stores. Interesting as a hair dresser you are going to use heat. A study quite a while back was started using heat with the Mac method and other treatments. Then the posters disappeared.

SheilaG

Thanks for the info on PM3 didnt know thats what to look for. Yes I know those products can be bought at Rite-Aid and without posting unecessary info Hairstylist strongly oppose diversion of product a long standing debate in the industry. Hmmm... well heat opens the shaft, today I used vinegar and Nioxin cleanser, sat in the sun...burned like hell, not to mention I overclorinated my pool and soaked my hair in that...LOL... I will do the Mac method next week before my test. I have very fine hair and dont want to dissolve it with that "cleanser(pink stuff)", I gotta have some hair for them to test. Keep in mind I was a smoker for about 20 years and quit about a year ago hmmmm....well about a month ago I took 3 hits off a pipe and now I have the test on July 13th(45 days later), I think I am ok, but damn thats all I keep thinking about is failing this stupid hair test.

1tokeovertheline

It is unclear which actually works. Some think the Aloe Rid Treatment because of the Propylene Glycol and some the EDTA's in the PM 3. I use both products with a vinegear soak and passed with 30 days clean. I think you will pass but understand you being nervous. Good luck.

SheilaG

The Nioxin cleanser has both EDTA and the Proplyene Gylcol, think that will be enough with vinegar?

FakeBoobsRule

I saw in an earlier post that you don't want to use the clean and clear stuff because as you said you don't really want to "dissolve" your hair. The Macujo method obviously is not 100% and it doesn't look like anyone knows exactly why it works sometimes and other times it fails people. You really should reconsider adding the clean and clear to the routine. Have you tried to apply a small amount of the clean and clear to a small patch of your hair to test its effects on your hair and if it can take it? The salicylic acid step seems to be very important or else it wouldn't have been included in the method. True I did burn my scalp a little but that was after doing about 8 treatments the last day. I saw you are a former hairstylist. You have probably seen some of the different dandruff shampoos that have salicylic acid in them to help treat dandruff. I know all scalps are different but if they are using salicylic acid in shampoos it can't be all that bad, or at least for many people. I would bet that the application of the vinegar, salicylic acid, and then Tide play a greater role than using PM3 or Aloe Rid Treatment or some of these other products or else people would just shampoo their hair 20x with one of those shampoos.

I would offer a suggestion to you that if your hair can take the clean and clear then use it. If your hair or scalp can't take it then at least use a dandruff shampoo containing salicylic acid like Neutrogena T-Sal. This is actually what I started with then switched over to clean and clear. I thought that using a keratolytic would help expose the inner hair shaft so I was using T-Sal and vinegar (I have no idea if it this is why it works but it is a possible and sound theory). Then I found this site and followed the Macujo method almost exactly as written. I just did it about 20 times more than he said to.

SheilaG

Well I have read alot of your posts, You seem to know what your talking about. I will do the MAC method as prescribed...Matter of fact I am getting ready and heading to Walmart. Last time I looked they had the clean and clear, but not in pink, I think they had blue, what about walmart brand(Equate) is that the same? LOL Thanks for your input!

FakeBoobsRule

Look for something with 2% salicylic acid. The reason why I changed from T-Sal to clear and clean was just in case some of the other ingredients in the clean and clear like "benzophenone-4, denatonium benzoate, dimethicone propyl PG-betaine, isoceteth-20" held the key. Walmart brand should be identical to the brand name it imitates but there can be a little leeway. If your job depends on it you might want to play it safe and go with the brand name. Clean and clear can be easily found at CVS and Eckerd's and other drug stores. Try not to use Walgreens they are evil.

Jerry G

Here's my take on passing a hair test. My advice is oriented towards the current and former heavy user. I am a former chronic user of high end herbs. 24 hrs a day for 30 years.

First of all, if you are smoking now, stop until you pass your test.

Some hair test companies do great marketing. They want you to believe that they can tell when you have treated your hair and that their test is better than others. I think that is complete BS. In all my research here, only one person has reported an inconclusive result, and he is not really sure that is what happened.

After much research and a failed(personally, as well as many other documented heavy users) test using the Mac method, I decided that I was going to treat my hair with basics(baking soda, peroxide bleach, ammonia) which open the cuticle as opposed to acids(vinegar etc...) which close the cuticle.

The cutoff levels were lowered several years ago, this may be why fewer people seem to pass using the Mac method(circa 2003) than in the past.

I'm a hispanic with black hair. The Mac method seems to work best for those with light colored, fine hair.

I knew my test would sample from slow growing arm pit hair, so even though I was between 30 and 45 days clean, I was very concerned.

I bleached and redyed my hair 3 times. I washed the bleach and the dye out with a very strong clarifying shampoo(Toxin Wash). I used a 40 volume developer(the bleach, the strongest a layman can buy), and a dye with ammonia that has to be mixed with a 10 or 20 volume developer. I think it is best to go to a pro, but it has been done many times at home. These product are available at any beauty supply store.

In between treatments I mixed a baking soda paste and massaged it into my hair. Then I washed with Toxin Wash. A bottle of TW goes a long way used only on your pits.

The day of the test I did the baking soda paste, then a full TW treatment and then a full Zydot treatment. According to Zydot customer service, the effectiveness of their product is enhanced by being preceded by a strong clarifying shampoo. I think these two products compliment each other.

I know of no one who has failed when they followed this program exactly. Many heavy users with little to no clean time have passed. I know of two who failed only bleaching and dying twice, with no other treatments.

If you have some clean time, spread the treatments out a little. Do the last one about a week before your test. If you have less than 10-14 days clean, do the last treatment as close to the test as you can.

I personally think that the Mac method with it's acids is contra to this program. Sec thinks a little differently. Each person will have to figure that out for themselves.

Relaxers have had very good success lately. Users report that these are very harsh products that are very hard on your hair. Find one with propylene glycol as a primary ingredient(like 2nd) and that also contains ammonia. I have no personal experience, but there are several recent reports in the results thread.

There are a couple of guys that have posted home brews recently, I like the look of some aspects better than the Mac, but they are unproven at this point(4/25/08).

For the last time, Aloe Rid Shampoo does nothing, it is the discontinued Aloe Rid Treatment that contained a large percentage of propylene glycol that was effective in reducing thc metabolites in the hair. There are swimmers shampoos and treatments that are high in propylene glycol available at the beauty supply store. These shampoos could substitute for TW.

I hope this helps.

dirtdevil

Quote is from results thread

I dont know the whole story here, but it would appear maybe some can test for the shampoos. I dont see why not. I know they wash the hair first, but, I mean if the stuff gets inside your cortex, where the metabs are, and you get those out with the shampoo chems, unless you get the residue of the chemicals that removed them out then couldnt they find those too? Im sure its more expensive and time consuming, maybe some do and some dont. My job is extreamly safety sensative, got to pass an important one. this bothers me.