Author:  Richard Garner – Certified Trichologist
Editorial Content Provided by The Hair Society

Monat

Monat or not to Monat?  This seems to be the question.

There is a lot of internet chatter these days both for and against the product line offered by Florida Multi-Level Marketing company Monat Global. I am not here “bash” them nor am I here to advocate for them. I am merely offering my views on what I’ve seen thus far.

Depending on which post you subscribe to or which industry influencers you believe, will most likely depend on how you answer the above “Monat or not to Monat” question of whether you would use or recommend Monat products or not.

Monat Global purports to be a global leader, all-natural, and professional quality, they state that their hair care line will help you heal damaged hair, even grow hair. Some of the online chatter in favor of Monat is that you can be your own boss, have unlimited earning potential, and you do not need to have prior experience in the hair care industry.  All of which is true in theory.  Earning potential within a multi-level marketing business model does present many geographical limits, especially if you live in a small community and are unable to branch out beyond that location.

On the flip side, the ingredients used in many of the Monat products have come into question by many within the beauty industry. The number of claims of hair loss are increasing and images of damaged hair purportedly all caused by Monat products are all over the internet. All it takes is a simple search.

While many professionals are now carrying and promoting the virtues of Monat, there are divisions among the rank and file of the professional beauty industry who also claim that Monat is not a professional salon product, and it damages hair and the ingredients are not safe to use.  At the time this article was written, there has been no scientific evidence provided to either support or deny the claims that Monat is, in fact, the root cause of these posted claims.  That being said, many professionally trained and licensed cosmetologists have all stated that Monat is, in fact, the cause of their clients having scalp irritation, damaged hair and even hair loss.  In fairness, Monat Global clearly states that if you have any adverse reactions to using any of the Monat products, to immediately discontinue use, return for a refund and seek the advice from a dermatologist.

Here is what we know for sure. Monat, a relatively new company that by most standards has penetrated the beauty market like a rocket. They’ve leveraged social media and other digital platforms to promote their product line and it has been met with nothing short of remarkable success. In order to sell Monat, all one needs to do is join the team of Marketing Partners. Like many MLM’s before Monat, there are numerous promises or suggestions of becoming self-reliant, owning a shinier new car or SUV and even earning upwards of 50k a month are all possibilities if you sell Monat, this according to the many claims made by existing MP’s online. These sort of claims are common among this and many other MLM businesses, and in most cases are unlikely or realistic outcomes for the masses. We can argue the virtues or lack thereof of the MLM business model, but we will save that for another day and another story.

Monat and it MP’s also make other bold claims about their products, from repairing damaged split ends to growing hair. Many of these claims are even backed up by a study paid for by Monat. Let’s take a closer look at some of these claims.

Here is where things can get a bit confusing for the unsuspecting consumer or potential future MP.  When it comes to the study that was conducted, if you do a simple Google search and read many of the results posted by many MP’s, one might actually believe that Princeton University, the Ivy League college was the actual institution that conducted the independent study on the Monat product line. Additionally, if you listen/read many MP’s comments, they’d have you believe the same. The fact is the research that was conducted was done by a company called Tri-Princeton, an organization not affiliated with the Ivy League College. This alone can be and in most cases is extremely misleading to the unsuspecting consumer. What’s more, many of the MP’s truly believe that Princeton University, conducted this study, so they are merely perpetuating an already misleading untruth. We conducted some basic searches of the Monat site and we were not able to find any clarification between Princeton and Tri-Princeton that would provide clarity to the MP’s or the consumer. It’s simply a falsehood that is unfortunately perpetuated by Monat’s MP’s on the web many times over.

Next is the claim that Monat is a “Professional Quality Product”. Based on what the beauty industry deems as being  “true professional quality products” Monat does not seem to meet those standards. Most trained and licensed professionals would tell you as would the product manufacturers themselves that make professional wet products, that professional products are generally sold exclusively in salons only and not via house parties, or door to door etc. The fact is Monat can be sold by pretty much by anyone and pretty much anywhere. Licensed professionals have spent hundreds even thousands of hours being trained to become a “licensed professional” not to mention the continuing education they are required to undertake annually,  and to sell Monat, you can have zero sales background, zero Beauty or hair care background and zero training from any accredited career cosmetology institution. What’s worse, is for an unqualified individual to make claims about restoring hair is in my professional opinion wrong on so many levels.  One should have at least some professional training on what hair loss really is, not just call it Alopecia, which is nothing more than the general name for hair loss.

Monat False Hair Growth ClaimThe fact is, there are many different forms of Alopecia, and the fact is some modalities would not even make a significant difference and thus should be avoided in order to save the client time, money and help manage their expectation. Hair loss is generally not just a simple issue that can be solved with topical wet products. Sure some people can and might see improvements in hair diameter and growth when using some specialty wet products, but a professional should first examine that individual first to see if they are even a candidate for them and if there are other underlying concerns prior to starting a treatment protocol.  There are many other treatments to address thinning hair and hair loss, ranging from low-level laser light therapies, intensive scalp treatments, platelet-rich plasma injections, stem cell therapies, prescription oral drugs, transplant surgery, and non-surgical hair replacement, just to name a few.  All of these modalities are treatments that should be looked at but not before a proper diagnosis is made as to the type of hair loss or thinning, the cause and a client profile is made so as to properly recommend the best treatment(s).  To simply just suggest a product without first knowing more, is like suggesting eating gummy worms to cure cancer just because someone who is not licensed or properly trained said so.

There are even images being circulated all over the internet claiming you can grow many inches of hair in just 30 days using the “Let it Grow and S3 Supplements from Monat.  The picture to the right even claims a woman whose hair length was about 9″-10″ grew to 13″ or 14″ in just 30 days.  That would suggest 3”-5 inches of growth in just 30 days. This is simply untrue and not possible and only supports the argument that proper training and education is paramount prior to selling any product.  This is just one example.  There are hundreds on the web making similar claims.

You can decide for yourself if Monat is the right fit for you. My only advise to you would be to do your research, not just on Monat but any product you are thinking of using or selling. There is a myriad of reasons why you should or should not use certain product(s). The more educated you are the better off you will be. Don’t always believe what someone tells you either get a second opinion when possible. I can have a study done that promotes my business as well. Does that make it safe, okay or the best option…Not necessarily?  Its remarkable how a study can be performed and the outcome can be manipulated by how the study is actually conducted based on what questions are being asked of the company doing the study and the research in doing the study.

Another concern that seems to be all over the blogosphere with Monat, is the manner in which they deal with those who speak negatively of them and their products. It would seem if you are not a supporter of Monat Global and its products, or MP’s and you speak out against the them and the products, you can be and in many cases are subjected to postings of  negative reviews about your business on your social media pages, yelp and other social sites, even if they have never visited your salon or are not even in the same state as your business. If you speak out too loudly and offer your opinions, then you also may face being sued by Monet Global, claiming defamation, trademark infringement and so on. I understand a brand trying to protect itself, but on the surface this tactic and legal strategy seems like a very predatory one.  As licensed professionals, every day cosmetologists, barbers and the like make professional recommendations as well as offer opinions on products all of the time, its what they do.

As for the images available on Facebook and in other blogs, there seems to be an ever increasing number of claims from people who are having issues with hair loss and other damage to both the hair and scalp, all claiming that Monat is the root cause, and while I cannot say for certain that, that is the case, only because I have not personally examined any of these individuals nor have I documented any of their personal history of other potential underlying issues.  I can only say this…Something is causing this to happen, and if the only change in these people is the use of Monat, then I would first say STOP using the product, just as Monat suggests, and seek the help of a licensed professional or dermatologist.  That said, the few individuals that I have personally examined and all claimed they were using Monat have all had extremely damaged hair and in some cases had minor to sever scalp issues. Once they stopped using Monat and were treated with other products to repair both the scalp and hair, the hair and scalp did begin to recover.

My advice to anyone considering Monat as a new product to use or as a career path or both, do your due diligence first. Remember, there is truth in the old adage, if it looks too good to be true, it very well may be.  Do not be sucked in by the promise of unlimited wealth potential or a shiny new car.  Rather first learn as much as you can about the product, ask questions, not just from the people behind it, but from professionals, and then you can at least make an informed decision.

So Do you Monat or not Monat?  Leave your comments below and let us know where you fall on this topic.

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