natty

My Victory Over CCA

2010-06-28T22:49:00.005-04:00

I don't really update this blog much anymore. Put simply, the reason is because I never really accepted that diagnosis that I got from the doctor. There were many times when I got discouraged about it. But deep down, I just really refused to allow it. You know? I just said, "No" to CCA. I believed I had the right to do that. This is my body. I refuse to let CCA have it.

I leave this blog up because when I heard that diagnosis, I went looking for hope and I didn't find it. I wanted to see someone say that it didn't take their hair or that they had beaten it or had found a cure. I never saw it. Hopefully, someone else will not have that problem should they ever hear those heartbreaking words.

I have come to the conclusion that most black women aren't even aware of what CCA is which is interesting since it is black women that are most often the victims of CCA. Formerly called hot comb alopecia, CCA stands for centrifugal cicatricial alopecia. It is a scarring alopecia in which the hair that is burned out of the follicle and does not grow back. There is no pinpoint reason for it. Some suspect it is from the harsh treatment that we put our hair through to straighten it. It can present with or without pain. It is disfiguring and permanent.

But I said, "No."

Take a look at what the disease is able to accomplish once it burns out:

found here

found here

See why I said, "No?"

I found that the answer for me was to keep the blood circulated through exercise. I also do scalp massages whenever I think of it. Lastly, I eat a much better diet than when my diagnosis was given to me. Lastly, prayer works for those of you who believe. All of this has been a great help to me.

So for those of you who have gotten or at some point may receive that diagnosis, if you didn't have hope, have it now.

Since I consider myself cured of CCA, I will more than likely not blog about it anymore. However, you can always scroll through the pics on the sidebar to the right that I intend to leave up as a way to document my victory over this disease.

"No", is a very powerful word and should be used way more often than it is.

I Wub My Hair!

2010-01-09T21:14:00.004-05:00

These days my hair is getting a lot of love with little fuss. I think I've gained some length which makes a braid out easier for me because it doesn't get rubbed out when I sleep. Easy do for school! Well, you know...besides my hat.

Just teaching for the break and getting some work done without having someone over my shoulder on it. It's nice.

For the Children

2009-12-21T15:27:00.007-05:00

It's a shame when children have to bear the brunt of societies woes.

If you haven't yet heard about this child whose braid was cut off by her teacher, click here.

Shame isn't it?

On What About Our Daughters, you can find more information along with the office and address of where you can write and express your opinion.

End of Semester Photo Shoot

2009-12-16T23:58:00.005-05:00

Well, there goes another semester...and I'm still here!!

I think my hair just likes being left alone.

Anyway, I've made it this far. Time to finish strong!

Happy Holidays!!

Bad Girl!!

2009-11-15T22:28:00.001-05:00

Naughty me. I didn’t wash my hair this week...but I had a very good reason!! School is making me pull it out!

I have a test in my philosophy class and I’m not done studying for that yet. At this moment, my hair needs to be washed and dc’d and I need to wash my scarf too. It’s starting to smell a little too much like my oil. Not cute. Sigh.

I think I’m going to have to wait until after my test to get into it though.

Oh! And I’d better not forget to get my vitamin in too. At least I can do that.

Old Treatment

2009-10-27T16:08:00.006-04:00

I'm home with my daughter who is under the weather and napping right now. Just flipping through some old files to clean up my laptop and I realized I forgot to post some pics of a treatment I did of a banana moisture treatment a little while back. From the looks of these pics, I think my hair is getting thicker. Maybe all this TLC is helping some!

Impatience Pays Off

2009-09-17T21:20:00.009-04:00

I'm so impatient.

I have heard all of the raves about some of the black hair care products sold only online like Qhemet Biologics, Oyin Handmade, Anita Grant, Asha's, etc. I'm pretty sure I'm missing out on some great products by not participating in the mail order game. I just like the idea of having something now and keeping the S&H in my pocket. In the end, I figure, they're missing out too on a potential loyal customer. So, it evens out.

When I find something for my hair, I usually find it in a health food store, drug store, or grocery store. Granted, because of my picky scalp, there's only so much I can find in these stores. But recently, I found a few things that I really liked and so did my hair!

Since I still happen to be in the process of building a regimen and the weather is getting a little nippier here and there, I decided to be proactive and find a leave-in conditioner and re-up my Aubrey's conditioner. Well, I actually didn't get the Aubrey's after all. I decided to try Earthly Delights Conditioner instead. I also saw a leave-in conditioner in an attractive blue and white bottle called BWC. Little did I know this was an acronym for Beauty Without Cruelty.

I had heard of this brand before, but I never knew that anyone near me carried it. The predominately natural ingredients are what convinced me to try it. Plus, for all the beautiful ingredients, it was under $10 bucks. I tired of buying ingredients with a slew of names for a grip when I couldn't even pronounce half of them. Since I wasn't sure at the time though about this brand, I also picked up another leave-in just in case this BWC stuff was a wash.

Alba Leave-in had a great ingredient list as well so I got that too for slightly less than the BWC. Then, I figured since I was splurging anyway, I would try the Earthly Delights Herbal Shampoo (again, nice simple ingredients) and the Hair Growth Stimulator as well. These were probably my most expensive purchases. But the bottles of poo and condish are pretty big so they should last awhile (you see how I justified that).

I was a bit skeptical about this Growth Stimulator purchase though because it's basically coconut oil with herbs in it (and it was only four ounces). I have been using plain old EVCO for the longest now and I have my own bulk herbs that I can infuse if I want. But, (1) I tend to be lazy about infusions, and (2) Straight coconut oil tends to penetrate my hair to the point that it gets absorbed but only provides lubrication for a short while. Now, besides natural poo and condish (and the natural-er the better), I can't put anything on my scalp and let it sit for long, nor do I buy into the "hair growth in a jar" theories. But, I'd sworn off conventional/traditional gels for at least a year and I figured this pomade-like hair treatment might be light enough to not coat my hair heavily and yet heavy enough to give me the assist with definition and the slicker edges I want without causing too much build up or hardening my hair so much when used in conjunction with a hair fixative. It might also provide some lubrication and sheen. I love shea butter, but it does leave a lot of build up after awhile.

Yet the spree didn't even stop there. I also picked up a very cost-effective bottle of Jane Carter Solutions Condition & Sculpt to use along with the Hair Growth Stimulator.

Actually, the products in this JCS line look pretty appealing, ingredient-wise. But cost-wise, you've got to be kidding. For the amount that's in the containers, I'd expect that price to be cut in half just like the jars appear to be. But at 7.99, I figured I could swing the 8 oz bottle of this stuff. It was clear so it looked harmless enough.

Since this splurge I've had the opportunity to use the ED condish, the BWC leave-in, the ED Hair Growth Stimulator along with the JCS Condition & Sculpt and I have to say, they all work beautifully!

I co-washed with Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle, conditioned with the ED condish and then worked the BWC into my hair as I made about 16 twists or so. I sealed that with the Hair Growth Stimulator and I let that dry and set for a couple days. Then, on the third day, I released the twists. I mostly wear curly puffs, so, in the morning, on the bulk of the hair, I used a light spritz of water and the BWC followed by the Hair Growth Stimulator (just a dab goes a long way) to seal in the moisture. I used the Condition & Sculpt to brush the hair up into a curly puff and secured that with a scrunchie. Then, I slicked my moistened edges down with the Hair Growth Stimulator and a scarf for about ten minutes. At nights, my hair still felt supple and soft so I'd apply just a touch of the BWC and the HGS, twist the hair in the puff (sometimes one twist, sometimes two or three) and cover with a scarf to reset for the next day. My curls stayed all the rest of the week (unusual), and I don't think my hair has felt so conditioned since I went natural back in 1999 (definitely unusual)! My only problem is I love the feel of it so much I can hardly keep my hands out of it! My hair likes this stuff!

I haven't tried the Alba Leave-In yet. But, I've seen some great reviews on it all over the web. I think it's a little heavier than the BWC. Just in time for the cooler weather!

Kudos to the companies that make their products accessible for the patience-impaired! No disrespect to all the others, but someone's got to support me.

Encouraging Look

2009-09-10T22:02:00.007-04:00

I sometimes wonder if I am still fighting a losing battle. The literature that is out there regarding CCA is so unrelenting in discouraging any possible reversal of the disease. Thank God for 1 Peter 2:24. Keeps me sane in times like that.

So, I was doing some checks on my progress, and I'm slowly but surely gaining my previous length back.

And again, (as I've said before-and LOVE pointing out)I can see that the affected area, though slightly shorter than the rest (like by an inch), is still growing now where it wasn't before.

So awesome!!

Snatch Back

2009-08-26T13:40:00.003-04:00

Okay. So I got a little excited. Once I tried a pre-poo or hot oil (or whatever it is they're calling it these days) with some oils and found that it worked well without irritation, I started trying to leave some oil on the scalp (something I haven't done in years now). BIG mistake! I've been trying to force the issue with my scalp for a couple weeks now. It isn't going over well and my scalp is winning. It doesn't like oils there, point blank. Everywhere else it is fine-even though not needed, I guess since it has been working this long. But in spite of the exercise and eating right, if I try to put any kind of oil on that area of my scalp, it gets itchy after a few hours (like half a day or so). And if I don't obey and wash it back out, it will just get worse. So, I'll stick to hot oils that have to be washed out and keep the oil from my scalp. It's probably just too clogging to the pores in that area. Either that or they just like going naked.

So, to find another way to shine my hair up a bit more (I have brown hair that can be dull if not altogether boring on its own), I'm going to be looking into doing more frequent henna treatments alternated with cassia. I normally do a henna treatment once every three months or so. But, maybe it's time to try it a little more often. We'll see how that goes.

Till next time.

Ayervedic Goodness

2009-08-14T23:20:00.004-04:00

I'm sitting here with a spiked amla paste over some oil in my hair and feeling pretty self-righteous about my efforts thus far. As I was patting myself on the back for how good I've been treating my tresses, I figured I'd record the steps in case it turns out I love my hair when I'm done.

I used Better Botanicals Herbal Oil, an Ayurvedic oil, first on my scalp and hair. Then I added some tea of burdock, chamomile, nettle and horsetail to some amla powder. This powder was actually not the usual Hesh powder that I've used in the past. It wasn't as fine as I seem to remember Hesh amla being (not sure if that's an accurate memory because it was a while ago since I did one of these). It was a little more liquidy than I was used to mixing it, but still pasty enough to stick to my hair. I applied all of this to dry hair and added a plastic cap. Now we wait.

I'm still trying to decide what to do after I rinse this out though. I'm not sure whether I should be using a heavy conditioner or a light one after an amla treatment. Since it has protein in it, I suppose I'll use a moisturizing conditioner afterward. Dang! I think I'm going to pat myself on the back again for that one!

Experimenting & Stuff

2009-08-05T13:05:00.010-04:00

So, I have to say, I broke down and tried this co-washing thing probably about five days ago now (yeah, the day after the henna). Guess what? My scalp feels fine. Surprised the mess out of me. Since it worked, I figured I'd check out that Curly Girl book and see if there was anything else to learn. I'll have to try some of that stuff out and let you know later on. All in all, co-washing would definitely be a plus to cut down on maintenance time when school starts back up...And my hair feels awesome!!

I'll see if that keeps up after a month. I used a condish that I hadn't used in a long time because the shampoo was too strong for my hair (and when I found AO it was all over). The condish I used for the cowash was Trader Joe's Nourish Spa. Doesn't smell like anything. But it worked for the cowash and no irritation. I guess that makes it a keeper. Maybe I can use the AO for a deep treatment now.

All week I've been trying different things to get to a style that could be maintainable for at least a week and still be able to spritz my scalp and maintain the shaft and ends without consuming so much time-and that could still be pulled out into a textured style at some point at the end of the week. I've been experimenting with conditioners and lubricants and what have you. It has been real. Then I thought I'd better get a progress pic too. So, I wanted to do another twist or braid out similar to the one that I did when I first started this blog. Okay, um...apparently, you forget some things after not handling your hair for awhile. See, I called myself doing a braid out this time. It came out really nicely. Great definition and everything (although I didn't use much gel-I'm trying to stay away from gels for a hot minute). But, when I took the braids out, the ends still felt a little dry so with all this reading on conditioner I figured, I'd slap some in to see if I could get some moisture to the curls on the end and maybe that would even make the curls pop even more. Um...water-based conditioner equals swelled up hair. That is probably like filed under Nappy Hair 101, right? Whatever. So, to fix that I tried to hurry up and put some oil back in it. It shined it up a little, but the water was kind of already doing its thing I guess. Then I decided I'd try to lift it at the roots and fluff it back out somehow. That didn't work out too well either. So I decided to put it up in a puff. At first, it looked pretty good. But then I saw some areas that I thought could be a little curlier so I started trying to wrap them around my fingers a little here and then there...and then I just started kind of trying to slick this side down and then that side. I kept trying to fix it so much that I think that's when it just got fed up and sort of sat up on my head looking kind of disgusted. I let out a little sigh and wrapped on my hair woobie-my trusty scarf that I've had since I first bc'd in 1999. Another great braid out bites the dust. Oh well, here's what I got out of that experience.

I don't think I have any pics from 2008. But here are a couple from my old 2007 album to compare.

So, maybe we'll try this again next week, lol.

Developing a Regimen-AGAIN

2009-07-30T13:01:00.003-04:00

So, I haven't had a deep conditioner in a good, long while and after seeing all these beautiful natural sisters being so diligent about their haircare, I decided to look for my henna yesterday. Yes, I did have to look for it, lol. I told you it has been a year! Anyway, when I found it, the stuff was expired. But, being the college student that I am, I decided I was going to use it anyway. I figured it probably wouldn't dye for crap, but I might get a little conditioning out of it if I was lucky. I also figured, if it turns out when school starts again that I have to strip stuff down to the bare essentials for lack of time, at least I will have pseudo-pampered it once over the break, right? I planned to put the baby girl to bed and do the henna around 9ish. I'd have the henna in for maybe two hours. No sense in leaving it in any longer since it wasn't going to dye anyway. Well, I sit here typing this entry with orangey-tinted palms and fingernails. Oh yeah, I figured since it was expired and wasn't going to dye anyway, I'd nix the gloves too. Once I saw that the dye had actually released onto my hands, I figured, I may as well leave it in for the full four hours then. Yeah, I didn't get to bed at a respectable hour behind all this figuring. Anyway, it's still damp, in knots under a hat now, but my two grays (which I think have somewhere along the line become three...) in the front are incognito again. Sweet!

After about a week later since my previous experiment, I find my hair loves leaving in condish. So, that's a keeper. It's much easier detangling it now after shampooing because I put it in after the 'poo while still in the shower and finger, then comb through. My hair takes it in like a smoothie and it dries very soft. I love it! I haven't used much product (besides shea and gel) in my hair over the past year because I just don't want the bother of something flaring up what is a very calm scalp right now. My hair did have a lot of build up behind the shea. But, I have only really been concerned with my scalp. Besides I was doing a lot of hats and ponytails with ends tucked in and what not. Occasionally a full head of twists (like probably two or three times in one year). Nothing more than those staples. But, because of that, my hair hasn't been as supple as I know it could be if I used some other treatments. After one week, I can already tell that leaving in the condish is going to help a LOT with that. Since that experiment worked out so well, I figured it couldn't hurt to try some other things.

Here's what I know about my scalp in that section:

1. Doesn't like oils sitting there too much. Apparently is must be okay in poo or condish because the ones I use (AO's line) contain oil. As long as it's not just sitting there and it's rinsed off the scalp when I'm done though it doesn't balk at it.

2. Hair is now growing in that area so it seems it must have lots of physical activity for blood circulation. However, hair (and probably scalp) has gotten a little dry (and a bit more coarser) in that area over time because it doesn't like oil sitting there much.

3. Only likes brief periods of massaging. Anytime I tried to massage it too long in the past, it got really tender. It prefers exercise for long periods of time.

4. Likes being washed, but doesn't like staying wet long. I don't know why that is.

So, I believe that I will add maybe weekly or bi-weekly pre-'poo scalp massages with a warmed herbal oil. Since it will get washed out with the 'poo, then I can't see that it will harm the scalp much. And it just may benefit the condition of the hair in that area.

I've also decided to start deep conditioning again on a more regular basis. I use Aphogee every now and again. But nowhere near regularly. Still, I'm thinking I might be able to find something that has more natural ingredients, but effective for what I need it to do. Whenever I use the Aphogee (or any other condish that isn't all natural) I have to be careful not to touch it to my scalp. I just like to keep it happy, lol.

Last change, and this is a big one for me. I am going to promise myself to stop yanking through the knots and manually breaking them off and all that stuff. Yes, I have been doing that this past year. I know, very bad. Not kind to the kinks at all. Most recently I've been just snipping them off with the clippers. I just don't know that I have the patience at this time in my life for all that. But, I'm working on it. It's easier when you can see progress.

I guess I said all that to say that the diagnosis really changed me. Before, I loved everything hair maintenance. But then it seems I went from full maintenance to almost no maintenance (especially when school hit). Now I figure I just check for stuff that I think can be helpful and keep it moving. I haven't even been length checking like I used to. The first time I measured in a year was a couple weeks ago when I found out that that section is 8-9 inches now. And, that's the only section I measured. I kind of just eyeball how much longer the rest of it is beside it and try to see if it looks weird. After the henna treatment last night, I did stretch my hair out to see if there was any length. I haven't broken out a ruler (I seriously doubt I'll do that for anything except that section anymore). But I can see that even though I joined a challenged to get to apl by December, I'm already there now. Well, the back is. I can tuck it into the crack of my arm pit, lol. You do some interesting things when it's 3 am and you're really tired. The hair around my ears reaches just beyond my shoulders. The hair surrounding my temples and at the top of my head is somewhere in between the chin and the shoulders and the hair at the front touches a couple inches underneath my chin. Who knows what all that means really though? I think I've reached medium-length. But I won't really be satisfied until I can get that one section to be on par with the rest. I do know that it used to not even touch the nape of my neck. Now it's there and it might be a little bit passed it now. I'll have to check that again though. I don't remember. Anyway, we'll see if some of these new changes won't help.

Before the summer ends, I'll find my camera and get a progress pic to see if anything looks different from last year. Maybe there's still signs of life left under this hat after all.

I'm Rich!!

2009-07-27T20:35:00.005-04:00

There is such a wealth of information out there now on how to deal with natural hairstyles that I'm almost overwhelmed by what to look at next. ALMOST. My current new favorite blog is Texture Playground. I've been reading her blog and watching her youtube tutorials and am even thinking about subscribing to them. Why? Because I have been natural since around October 1999. But I learned some things on there tonight that I didn't know (and I researched like a mother when I went natural).

A couple of the methods that I have been aware of but I've never tried as a natural have been co-washing, detangling (with comb or anything else besides my fingers) while wet, and leaving a conditioner in the hair to dry as a leave-in. My main reason for not co-washing is because I always felt it would leave build up on my scalp and with the scalp woes that I had, that was out of the question as my scalp would scream it's bloody follicles out at that. For that reason, I will probably continue to use 'poo just like I have. But for the health of the hair shaft, I will more than likely only use it once only or extremely diluted and emphasize the conditioner. For those out there with CCA and have to be careful about what you use on your scalp, the product line that I've found that has cleansed and helped my scalp to breathe without irritation is Aubrey Organics. I like the GPB Balancing Shampoo and the Jojoba & Aloe Desert Herb Conditioner. You should try it and see if it works for you.

Of course, this is way too much information for me to try everything all at once and completely stress my hair and scalp out. But I did try one of these suggestions. This past week in fact, I did use conditioner as a leave-in after my final rinse. Um...I loved it!! My hair feels like it actually has weight now that it hasn't had in a while. It was softer than what it normally is after drying from a 'poo. And that's only one week! Not to mention the fact that I've been free enough using that method (with twists in) to wash twice in the past week (once was more than enough per week at any given time during my journey-since '99). While I prefer protective, hands-off styles, since I'm wearing medium sized twists, it wasn't so much of a challenge to have to retwist.

Off to see more tutorials!

Has Anyone Ever Heard Of To Each His Own?

2009-07-26T13:28:00.005-04:00

Okay. Everywhere I go in nappy blogland these days, I'm seeing some post on Solange Knowles! If you have been under a rock and haven't seen any of the pictures, here is the one I keep seeing:

I even read what I believe was her own response today (on this blog which is becoming one of my faves and you must check out!!) as to the comments on her recent hair style. I was really surprised with some of the other celeb responses to her choice though after reading about it on mediatakeout. Maybe they're not getting the point. It's HER hair!!!

It reminds me of the time a lady from my church went natural. She was natural I believe for about six months. But then one day, I saw that she'd relaxed again. I don't have a problem with how anyone wears their hair. They should do them full tilt. But the reason, was a little off to me. She told me her husband didn't like it. I'm all for believing scripture-but somehow I still don't believe that God wants us to be in someone else's box. That's just me, I guess.

I think the celebrities in response to her hairstyle, as my president might put it, reacted stupidly. But then, black on blackness crimes are always ugly.

New Blogs?! What the??!

2009-07-21T20:45:00.002-04:00

You have to forgive me because I've been out of the game on hair since I went back to school...and I've actually still got a year to go. I've only taken my head out of the sand since the summer began. Mostly lurking on nappturality, LHCF, and other sites. But I'm amazed to see so many napptural blogs out there these days! And tutorials! On everything napptural you could imagine! Even products. Where did they come from?! When I started this blog I seemed to be one of VERY few black women that were interested in blogging about napptural hair. Now there are so many others out there that have caught that bug! I'm simply astounded.

I recently checked the member status at napptural blogs and there were 23 blogs!! What the??! However, most of those blogs did not have the code correctly put on their site which ringsurf will throw out upon activation/checking. Sorry, it's their way. So, while I'm yet on summer break, for those of you who have unsuccessfully tried to become members of the napptural blogs community, I will begin to check the ring again once a week until school starts back up around late August. Can't make any promises after that. A sista's got to get that paper, ya know?

By the way, to all of you napptural bloggers out there, new and old, I'm really feeling the material I'm reading on your blogs!! So informative!

Long Time No See

2009-07-19T01:40:00.003-04:00

I just read on nappturality that someone had actually read my blog! That was funny to me. Back when I started this, I couldn't get much feedback. Most of us are on fotki. Add to that the fact that I have been in grad school since then, and well....time just flew by and I haven't seen this blog in a year now.

So, here I am a year later and I'm still exercising and eating pretty well. I'm so glad that the school I go to actually has a pretty nice gym. At this point, I can say that I've reduced the CCA to merely a circulation project. As long as I can keep the blood flowing in that area, it's all good. No pain. And I've also seen growth as well. I'm really pleased! I had cut the area down when I started the challenge of growing my hair out (only half-heartedly I might add since my diagnosis was pretty dismal). It's now around 8-9 inches in that area. I'm really pleased because before, when the condition was at its worse, it would only grow to 5-6 inches. That's it. All it could do from there was break off. And burn!! Exercising has helped to increase the blood flow under the scalp to the top of my head (toward the back) which is where I felt the pain and the hair was suffering most. With good eating, the blood is healthier as well. Healthy blood and good circulation equals much better hair growth apparently. Doesn't hurt that the jean sizes went down too. ;)

Well, according to the poster on nappturality, this blog was an inspiration. I'm happy that my journey with this could help someone. And as I posted there, I'm so happy now to be able to set some more goals for myself now. Before it was all about fixing a problem. Now, I can get back to the business of actually caring for and styling my hair with hope.

IT GREW!!!

2008-07-16T09:13:00.005-04:00

After my last post, I decided to take a minute to just see if maybe my hair had grown since there hasn't been any pain in such a long time. You know what? It did! The area that was affected by scarring alopecia has grown a full two inches! Mind you, I could tell a couple months ago that it hadn't grown any. While the rest of my hair grew fine, that one area, stopped growing. It was thinning out though not completely balding. But it just wouldn't grow any longer which led me to believe that eventually, it'd all fall out anyway and I wouldn't have any hair growing in that area! Thank God, I didn't give up!

I have to attribute this surge in growth to the corresponding surge in activity. I think that is a lesson well learned for me. I hope it helps others too.

Wow!!

2008-07-09T16:14:00.002-04:00

I have been MIA for quite some time! I didn't realize it had been that long!

I have found out the secret to no pain though folks. So maybe that's why...You want to know what it is? It's simple. No essential oil mixture. No special plant from Africa. You don't have to chant a million and one times for the pain to go away. The truth is, it's very simple. I can tell you that since my last post about not having pain until now, I haven't had any. None at all. You want to know my secret?

Exercise. That's it. Plain and simple. And maybe a little bit of eating better. I started feeling better when I started eating better. But I don't think it did the whole trick. But the moment I started exercising too....That's all it took and the pain has been gone! Isn't that amazing? Just one adjustment. Not to mention that I've lost ten pounds since I started.

It doesn't take a whole lot of time. I usually do something from 30 minutes to an hour everyday though. I think you could make it shorter if you had too. But, this was my cure for the pain of scarring alopecia. Now, I can't say my hair in that area has completely caught up with the rest of it. But I do believe it will only be a matter of time. Have you ever heard of the saying that the life is in the blood? Every follicle needs a blood supply. Your hair stops growing where there is no blood. When you restore the blood supply, and the blood supply is healthy, the result is healthy growing hair. AND NO PAIN!!!!

I came upon trying this not only because I had gained some unwanted pounds, but also because I noticed that whenever my scalp did hurt, if I used a handheld massager to the area for about five minutes or so, the pain would eventually stop. Well, what was that massager doing? It was circulating my blood. Nothing more. So now, I use my whole body to get that blood pumping. Cardio is really good for getting blood pumped around your body. And the rewards have been great!!

Anyway, I may have to change the description of this blog now!

Wordless Wednesday-Highlit Cornrows (I feel pretty)

2008-03-26T14:08:00.002-04:00

Odds and Ends

2008-03-04T16:48:00.004-05:00

Odds...

My family and I just went through the worst flu season ever. Everybody was sick! But all better now.

My daughter, who is still not talking at the age of nearly three now, has been tested by the state for developmental concerns. Seems as though they figure she is below the average for each of the five developmental areas. I'm so angry with her doctor because after a million tests, the first concerns I had seem to be what could be the major culprit for her not talking and her slow weight gain: her hearing and possible allergies. She was tested recently and now is going to get tubes in her ears and her adnoids cut down. This I had to get pushed through by going straight to an ENT. I had suggested this to the doctor a few times to no avail. After her testing with the state, we just scheduled her to see one. Voila! She's hearing muffled sounds. Thank goodness for mother's intuition.

Ends...

Looks like I'm about to resign soon at my current job (collegiate registrar). I just got accepted into an MFA program for painting and I'm so excited I could bust! Tuition waived and a nice-size stipend! Who says dreams don't come true?

While I've learned to control the pain of CCA, I still want to be free of it completely. Still praying. Still believing to the end.

Still Going....!

2008-01-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Still no pain. I am so excited! Plus, I'm still wearing a set of micro-braids and at the root of that previously-painful (I love saying that!) section, there is new growth! That hasn't happened in a LONG time! So for those of you who suffer from scarring alopecia with pain, I'm posting what I take. Maybe it might work for you too. Or maybe you have a total other set of issues. But, all I can say is, there is actual help with the pain management that is safer than what a doctor would prescribe and effective.

In no order of importance:

Primal Defense (HSO, Probiotics)-2 tablets, three times a day on an empty stomach
Inf-Zyme Forte (proteolytic enzymes)-6 tablets, 2-3 times a day on an empty stomach
SODzyme (SOD supplementation)-3 tablets once a day on an empty stomach
L-Arginine (amino acid)-3 tablets two times a day on an empty stomach
Vitamin Shoppe Super Colostrum (though I'd like to find a more effective brand that is cost-effective as well)-2 tablets a day on an empty stomach
Fish Oil supplements-2 gels at 1200 mg a day (when I remember)

NOW Special Two (multivitamin)-2 tablets once a day

I noticed the most difference in the reduction of pain when I began taking the SODzyme and Inf-Zyme Forte. The other supplements aid in other things like providing hgh or Lactoferrin, PRP, etc. That sounds like a lot of supplements. But whenever I take them, I think of my FIL who takes the same amount (if not more) in pharmaceutical pills and prescriptions for diabetes and heart issues. I think the way I'm going is much better for me.

Of course, I eat as healthy as I can, within reason. Chances are, I'll never be a vegetarian. But overall, I have drastically reduced my intake of meat. Of the meat that I do eat, I have increased my uptake of fish and decreased my intake of chicken and beef. I have not had pork in a few months now. I really do miss ribs, but as long as I stay painless, I may stick with that.

Progress?

2008-01-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

I was just surfing today and I noticed the bloggers posting about resolutions and progress and all that good stuff. I never did one of those. So here's my post. I can't say that I am where I wanted to be or thought I would be. But I can say that I have learned how to control the pain and that's a big step. I do remember hearing from Mature Natural, I think it was, that you have to be pain free for three months
before you can say that, clinically, your ailment is in remission. If that's the case, then while I don't like to wish my life away, come on March!!!

That picture is the style I'm wearing right now. It's micro braids. All my own hair. I'm thankful for the head band though. Those fuzzies are about to drive me crazy. I look like an eraser head!!

I THINK IT'S WORKING!!

2008-01-09T19:43:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it? I have been pain-free (I mean none) for about a month now! I had been praying for healing for so long. Some of you on nappturality may know, I went to the doctor and then to an herbalist. None of the treatments I got there helped much. Maybe a little. But before long the itch would come back and then the irritation. It was very much like a cycle. But I could depend on the problem to occur at least one week out of every month. So instead of looking for a healing touch, I decided to ask God to lead me to the solution that would work for me. That's when I found the article I posted a while back and learned that my eating habits were to blame for my physical issues. It became apparent that abusing the temple can be a bad thing once you get up in years. After some research...and after that prayer, it didn't take long...I came up with some things that I'd never seen before in all the searches I've done on scarring alopecia. I have been praising God ever since!

With some supplements called Inf-Zyme Forte by American Biologics, Primal Defense by Garden of Life and SODzyme with GliSODin and Wolfberry by Life Extension, I am experiencing a pain free scalp. All of these products supply and/or help the body to produce an extremely important enzyme called superoxide dismutase which fights inflammation in the body. SOD is an enzyme our bodies produce naturally. But for sufferers of inflammation, SOD levels are characteristically very low. That's a bad thing because SOD destroys superoxide free radicals and prevent the damage to cells caused by superoxide. If there isn't enough SOD to counteract the effects of the superoxide radical, you can expect to feel some inflammation and pain. It was important for me to find products that would supply or help my body to regain its SOD levels.

This is a quote from a site called hairloss help:

A: Superoxide dismutase. This is an enzyme produced by the body to neutralize the superoxide radical. Superoxide is a messenger of inflammation and is involved in the body's autoimmune response. It exists in a yin-yang relationship with nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator that appears to be important for hair growth, while superoxide is a vasoconstrictor that may be part of the signaling mechanism that tells hair to stop growing. Superoxide can also interact with nitric oxide to form a highly destructive free radical called peroxynitrite, which causes protein and lipid oxidation. A few hair loss products contain copper peptides, which are SOD mimetics; i.e., mimic the effects of the body's SOD enzyme. SOD-containing products have been noted a number of times by researchers to stimulate hair growth and block hair loss in mice. Recent study data on Tricomin, a copper peptide SOD, indicates increased hair growth in MPB. Among other beneficial things, SODs appear to help spare growth-stimulating nitric oxide, reduce damaging inflammation, and help reverse fibrosis (follicular scarring). There are a few patents for SODs as hair growth stimulators and even one for an SOD inhibitor that blocks hair growth by increasing superoxide

So, as for the hair growth, superoxide dismutase is supposed to help with that as well. We'll see in a year, I guess. But the eradication of pain was the first step. I'm so happy, I could dance!

"Cooley High"

2007-12-13T17:42:00.000-05:00

I have been wearing my hat lately since I took my braids out last week. One of my co-workers told me that every time he sees me in this hat he thinks of Cooley High! He may be dating himself. He's actually the first black man that I have ever seen hired here in a staff position. It's good to have someone that shares your culture around.

Anyway, I was stressing over that last set of braids. They felt great. But they made me look like a boy in my opinion. I had to wear a gown to an event that my husband had to participate in and those braids just weren't going to work for me. So I took the back braids out and used some gel to two strand twist the back. When it dried, I took them out and loosened a little more from the cornrows at the crown. So I had the cornrows in the front with a very well-defined twist-out in the back. It was perfect for that gown! When my husband banged on the bathroom door for the umpteenth time to hurry me and I finally opened it, the look on his face said it all!I love my hair!!! If I could have only remembered to take a picture...

On another note, I'm taking Primal Defense and Colostrum to see if this disorder will respond to some help. I'll keep you posted.

Got Milk?

2007-11-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

I have been researching information on scarring alopecia for seemingly forever and came across this article online today. Very interesting.

Inflammation & Hair
Cell Immunity

A chronic type of inflammation at the site of the hair follicle can suppress hair growth in a way much like donor organs are when rejected in heart patients. This is much like an allergic response from an overactive immune system. Hair cells are often treated by our immune system as a foreign body. An allergic response is simply an unregulated and overactive immune system.

It is interesting to note that a complete suppression of the immune system can actually prevent hair loss, but at the expense of the body’s ability to fight disease. An immunological attack to the hair follicle is from the inflammation of the blood vessels that feed the hair follicle. The actual reason for this isn’t completely understood, however it is known that controlling superoxide can help stop this inflammation.

When a follicle bulb atrophies, in large part it is due from the attack of superoxide. This is what causes follicle miniaturization and ultimately the loss of hair. Too much superoxide can limit the body’s supply of nitric oxide, which is vital for blood flow through the capillaries that feed hair follicles.

Eating a regular diet of cooked, processed food and little to none of raw, whole, unrefined foods contribute to excess occupation of the superoxide free radical. Too much superoxide is destined to increase inflammation, specifically your capillaries that supply hair follicles with nutrients.

Certain types of prostaglandins (called series 2) are responsible for the cause of inflammations, often resulting in body aches, pains and increased hair loss. Researchers have found that bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme from pineapple, reduces inflammation by interfering with the synthesis of series 2 prostaglandins and other inflammatory substances. Taking a complex of glucosamine sulfate, MSM, and bromelain which all are anti-inflammatory substances can naturally aid your joints, not to mention your hair too.

Whole, unprocessed foods normally contain the anti-oxidants needed to control the superoxide that helps aggravate inflammation in the scalp. Superoxide can be broken down by the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD); a powerful anti-oxidant manufactured by the body and obtained from whole food sources. Abundant amounts of SOD are found in cereal grasses, such as the young leaves of organic wheat grass and barley green.
The process of aging minimizes the body’s ability to withstand the damage from superoxide. This is because enzymes like superoxide dismutase are not as prevalent in our bodies as we get older.

It has been thought that superoxide could be broken down by taking supplements of the SOD enzyme, however it’s been purported that unless manufactured within the body through diet, SOD does not survive stomach acids during digestion. However, SOD supplements are now available enteric coated—that is, coated with a protective substance that allows the pill to pass intact through the stomach acid into the small intestines to be absorbed. Otherwise for the SOD enzyme to be effective, it must come from super green foods like wheat grass or barley greens (in liquid or supplement form.) Also, organic forms of the minerals, zinc and copper can help fortify the body with SOD from within.

A substance called human growth hormone has shown some promise to help reverse follicle miniaturization (due to inflammatory type allergic response). A natural way to obtain human growth hormone (HGH) is from a substance called colostrum. Colostrum, derived from bovine origin (mother cows) is available in supplement form.
Colostrum is quite an extraordinary substance. It contains nutrients, enzymes, proteins, immunoglobulin (immune system protectant), and certain powerful growth stimulators such as the insulin-like growth factors (IGF). IGF peptides are closely related to the hormone somatotrophin, better known as human growth hormone, which is one of the most intriguing anti-aging substances.

Human growth hormone can stimulate hair growth on newly balding areas. Bovine colostrum contains a higher concentration of IGF-1 than human colostrum, and its structure is virtually identical. The amino acid L-Arginine has also been shown to stimulate HGH, however bovine colostrum delivers it more directly.

Colostrum, is produced when a mother animal gives birth to its offspring, its mammary glands filter out of the blood the immune factors it has acquired through a lifetime of fighting disease-causing organisms. It then concentrates these factors into a special non-milk immune supporting fluid called colostrum. A mother animal produces true colostrum for only the first twenty-four hours after giving birth.

Aside from growth hormone, colostrum contains significant amounts of interlukin-10 (a strong inflammation inhibitory agent). Another substance called TgF-B, has an important suppressive effect on cytotoxic substances (toxins in cells), this also has a powerful anti-inflammatory function. Bovine colostrum has yet another anti-inflammatory substance PRP, which has the same ability to regulate activity of the immune system as hormones of the thymus gland. It activates an underactive immune system, helping it move into action against disease-causing organisms. Most importantly for hair, PRP also suppresses an overactive immune system.

The combination of a strong anti-inflammatory effect coupled with a suppression of allergic response of inflamed tissue and cells is a very potent treatment for hair loss.

As with the substance PRP, the immunoglobulins that colostrum contains may also be responsible for regulating allergic response.

Colostrum has only been available in supplement form since 1997. The make up of colostrum increases the uptake of amino acids into cells, quite vital for hair growth. It is the Insulin growth factor (IGF) in colostrum that increases transport of amino acids into cells. Human IGF-1 (hGH) and bovine IGF-1 differ by only three amino acids in the sixty-seven-amino acids chain that makes up the IGF-1 molecule. Because of this similarity, bovine IGF-1 is just as potent as the human form and most likely quite a bit safer than a synthesized hGH.

Reference:
Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients – April 1999 (Colostrum & IGF)
Dr. Olle Hemell, At the University of Ulmea, Sweden; Science (Interlukin-10, a strong inflammatory agent)
Drs. Staroscik, et. al.; Molecular Immunology (PRP, anti-inflammatory and T-cell precursors)
Drs. Tokuyama and Tokuyama; Cancer Research Inst. Kanazawa Univ. Japan (TgF-B & suppressive effect on cytotoxic substances)

Copyright © 2000 Brian Simonis

This article was found here.