Showing posts with label Growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Growth. Show all posts

Monday, June 23, 2014

Reader's Question: Alopecia, Regrowth, and Hair Styles

READER'S QUESTION:

I have been following you for a while and I admit I am a huge fan of your articles. After carrying locs for 7 years, I big chopped in January to start a new nappy journey. Unfortunately, my hair start to shed heavily beginning of March. I believe it is because of an alopecia post-partum. (My daughter was born end of December). I even have bald spots. Having short hair and severe alopecia on the edges is quite a tough moment. I would like to know if you could make an article on this topic and give some advices to treat the alopecia and above all to style hair...I find it very hard to style my hair. Thank you in advance for your support. Cheers.

LOO'S ANSWER:
Gathered from what I've read as well as seen firsthand, this sort of alopecia can begin 2-5 months after childbirth (Eastthum, JH. Postpartum alopecia. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2001) and should be temporary.  However, definitely consult a physician, especially if you are noticing more bald spots or no hair regrowth in the next few months.  In the meantime, I don't mind sharing the following:

TREATING POSTPARTUM ALOPECIA:

Time and patience.  I know that this is not an answer one wants to hear, but it's true.  Postpartum alopecia usually resolves itself, so just give it time.  In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to massage the affected areas to help (a bit) with circulation and regrowth.  I do NOT recommend using essential oils, though, merely because some are not a good idea while breastfeeding.  However, you can consult your physician if you wish to use them.  
HAIRSTYLE IDEAS:

Finding hairstyles that mask the postpartum alopecia are difficult, but you can do your best to make things work until your hair grows back.  Some women (e.g., my sister after giving birth to her child) opt for cutting their to make it all closer to the same length.  Others go for wigs.  The two videos below provide additional options: 1) Fold N Tuck hairstyle for hiding bald spots or thinning areas and 2) a temporary spray-on color for visible bald areas.  I do wish you well and a belated congratulations on the birth of your daughter!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Re-post || 4 Lesser-Known Practices of Naturals with Long Hair

Originally posted on BGLH.


What do CiprianaFrancheskaGeniece and most other long-haired naturals have in common when it comes to regimens?  Well, it is no secret that protective styling, low manipulation, minimum heat usage, and washing in sections are generally a must.  But what other components of our regimens have helped us to achieve long, healthy hair?  Here are four that are generally overlooked:
1. Washing: Conditioner washes or pre-shampoo treatments
When it comes to washing our hair, we either do an oil/conditioner treatment prior to shampooing (i.e., pre-poo) or we use conditioner as a shampoo substitute (i.e., co-wash).  Why?  Because pre-pooing and co-washing help us to avoid the drying effects of shampoo, which can lead to brittle, breaking hair.  Additionally, certain pre-poo treatments, like coconut oil, can strengthen the hair and minimize hygral fatigue (i.e., stress on the hair due to water uptake and eventual evaporation). Those of us who do use shampoos generally go for sulfate-free ones, which can further decrease any drying effects.   However, even with sulfate-free shampoos, many of us still pre-poo for added protection.
2. Trimming rarely or dusting instead
Many long-haired naturals go a year (yes, a year) between trims while a few go six months at the minimum.  Some long-haired naturals do not trim at all and just “dust” or do a “search and destroy”. A “dust” involves trimming ¼ inch or less off the ends.  Doing a “search and destroy” involves only trimming those strands that have visible split ends.  What is the bottom line?  Generally, we only trim when our hair absolutely needs it AND we keep our hair fairly healthy so that it does not need one often.
3. Staple Products: Oils and inexpensive conditioners
When it comes to staple products, we generally love oils and conditioners, and they do not have to be fancy, expensive brands either!  Conditioners help to reduce dryness and breakage. Oils either replenish or seal in moisture, depending on the type.  Additionally, oils help to minimize knots and tangles, which can be death to our length retention.  Some of us long-haired naturals also love to add oils to our conditioners to provide extra slip for detangling.
4. Detangling: Wide-tooth, seamless comb or fingers
When it comes to detangling, we generally use our fingers and/or a wide-tooth, seamless comb.  Those of us who use combs usually do so on conditioner-soaked hair and with the K-cutter or a bone (or resin) comb to avoid snagging and ripping.  Those of us who finger detangle do so on wet or dry, lubricated hair depending on what works for us.  Whether we detangle with our fingers or a wide-tooth, seamless comb depends heavily on our hair texture, density, type, and styling process.  What about the brush and thin-tooth comb?  Many of us steer clear of them.
Though these are the more common techniques of healthy, long-haired naturals, you will find that a few of us stray from these basics.  Ultimately, what works for one individual may not work for another, so learn what works for YOU!  Hopefully this can be a guide, but most importantly, keep in mind these three concepts:
Less is more!  Keep it simple!  And leave your hair alone!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Hair Diary || From "Stunted" to Growth

For a long period of time (August 2010 through February 2012), my front hair was stunted.  It appeared as if it wasn't growing (though we all know hair is growing) or as if it had reached its terminal length. I just assumed that my years of relaxing had done a number on my follicles in that region.  After all, my front hair hardly ever grew past 6 inches while wearing a relaxer (except in my childhood years).

Note how my front hair did not retain length from February 2011 to February 2012.
(It actually had not retained length since August 2010, which is not pictured here.)
Note the length retention in February 2013 after cutting ~1-2 inches several months before to create bangs.

So, annoyed by my seemingly stunted growth, I decided to cut some bangs and forget about my growth in that region.  Then during my wash-n-go experiment a few weeks ago, as I was finger detangling in the shower, I noticed how far my bangs stretched.  No more "stunted", they had finally retained some length in the past year!  It made a lot of sense 1) considering Jc's article on "Trimming for Longer Hair" on The Natural Haven combined with me 2) practicing gentler detangling in that area. (I'm usually impatient by the time I get to the front of my hair for detangling.) So those two methods helped my bangs retain some length.  Do check out Jc's article for a thorough explanation of how trimming helps!  I think I might do another cut (about 1 inch) of the bangs.

Now for some random hair shots:

One week after flat iron.  Wore the straight hair for ~3 weeks.
Majority of the time, it was in jumbo twists and bunned.

February length check. ~3 weeks after flat iron.
For the
next ~3 weeks I will wear wash-n-gos using Cyntriarf's method again.

Mixology || Recipe for Possible Regrowth of Edges

Are you trying to re-grow your edges?  The following mixture proved effective in a study of alopecia areata.  Though the conclusion of that study does not automatically translate into regrowth of edges that suffered via other means (e.g., traction alopecia), it may not hurt to see if this mixture works for you.

DISCLAIMER: Essential oils are very potent. Please consult your doctor before using them, especially if you are pregnant, breast feeding, or have a medical condition. 

Ingredients (and portions from the journal):
3 mL of jojoba oil
20 mL of grapeseed oil
2 drops of thyme essential oil
3 drops of lavender essential oil
3 drops of rosemary essential oil
2 drops of cedarwood essential oil

Instructions:
Mix all the essential oils into your carrier oils (jojoba and grapeseed) and store in a container.  Use mixture to massage your edges for 2 minutes before going to bed.  Then wrap your edges with a warm towel to aid in the absorption of the oils. Do this nightly for several months.

Ulavu.Com

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