Falling Hair Series- Alopecia Shampoo

Information from: The Complete Book Of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood

Blend the ingredients together in a bain-marie and use the shampoo once a week.  Don’t shampoo in between but instead get adventurous with the scarves.

Alopecia Shampoo

Soap stew     4 ounces

Jojoba oil     12 ounces

Carrot oil     6 drops

Lavender     10 drops

*A bain-marie (also known as a double boiler) is a French term for a piece of equipment used in science, industry, and cooking to heat materials gently and gradually to fixed temperatures, or to keep materials warm over a period of time.

Falling Hair Series- Alopecia Conditioner

Information from: The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy- Valerie Ann Worwood.

Before shampooing, apply the following conditioner.  Blend the ingredients together and massage into the scalp.  Leave on the hair for at least thirty minutes before washing off.

Alopecia Conditioner

Jojoba oil- 1/2 teaspoon

Evening primrose oil- 10 drops

Palma rosa- 3 drops

Hair Loss- Why

Hair loss happens for a variety of reasons- In my experience, outside of hereditary, it generally stems from some sort of past or present abuse, dhb.

Hair Loss- The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy- Valerie Ann Worwood

When hair starts coming out in handfuls and bald patches appear, you have a serious problem of hair loss.  Balding is a separate subject, but for those who suddenly start to lose their hair in a more haphazard way, and without the reassuring knowledge that their hair loss is hereditary, the sight of a clump of hair in the comb can be a really frightening experience. 

The first thing to do is to see your doctor and make sure that you are not suffering from a deficiency of the thyroid or pituitary gland, especially if you have other symptoms.   Scarlet fever and syphilis can also cause bald patches.  Hair loss is something of a mystery once these medical conditions have been ruled out, and the medical profession does not know the basic physiological reasons for the hair follicles suddenly refusing to do their job.  Other known causes include severe mental strain, radiation treatment, certain prolonged medical treatments, ill-health, and wrong hair care, but these do not apply to all the unfortunate sufferers of his very distressing condition.

In this section the treatments recommended are for alopecia,  and those with a less serious case of hair loss can apply the essential oils for reducing hair loss listed below to those treatments.  Essential oils, and indeed many nut oils, can stimulate the hair follicle and increase circulation and oxidation sufficiently to bring about regrowth of hair, although in some cases this may resemble vellus, or baby hair.  While encouraging growth with the essential oil treatments, use only purified water (boiled or filtered) to wash your hair.  Avoid chlorinated swimming pools and do not swim in polluted seas.  Eat correctly and take vitamin B supplements.  Shampooing too often can increase hair loss, so cut down on that, and avoid heavy conditioning treatments which can stretch weakened hair, causing it to break.  Chemical products may leave a residue which if it builds up can lead to hair loss.  So turn to the natural option: first the oils.

Debra Hare-Bey’s top 10 hair styles when growing out your relaxer

Are you trying to grow out your relaxer- frustrating isn’t it! I will have patience with you because, I want you to be patient. My advice to you is to cut it- remove all the relaxed hair. Cut out the frustration of dealing with two textures (your textured new growth and your straight ends), the tangling, the hair loss and a style that doesn’t look good anymore. Cutting off your relaxed hair is the  only way to return back to your natural texture. 

True Statements

1. Relaxed hair will not suddenly turn into natural texture over time.

2. Your newgrowth will be naural, your relaxed hair will always be relaxed. 

3. Washing your hair in beer will not revert your hair back to its’ natural state. 

 

Reality

I know you know this but do not want to face reality-the only way not to have relaxed hair is to cut it off!

Patience

Now having said all of that, there are a few options you have if you do not want to cut off the relaxed hair all at once. Understand- without cutting it, it will not magically turn into your natural texture. Cut- you will have to. Gradually is your choice. If you choose this method, you must choose styles that do not require a lot of care. Choose styles that will allow your hair to rest and grow. If you choose not to follow this advice, your hair will break once you stop your touch ups.

Style Options

1. If you have any length to your hair, move into a shorter version of your hair style.  Go from your length to a Bob cut. From there, move into a Pixie. Keep your Pixie tight (cut often)- before you know it, all your relaxed hair will be gone.

2. Extensions: add extension to your hair in the form of braids or twist. This alternative will give you 2-3 months at a time of what I call “rest and grow”.  This is perfect for growing out your relaxer. Do this for a year- cutting your hair each time you replace your braids and vola’ no more relaxed hair.

3. Weave it: depending on the type of hair you choose, once again you have 1-3 months of allowing your hair to rest and grow. Like the extensions, cut and re-weave. In no time at all you would have removed all the relaxed hair.

4. Any type of wet set: Straw Set, Rod Set, Roller Set

5. Easy Twist Out: large flat twist or cornrows straight back done with gel in the evening- untwist/unbraid in the morning and finger comb. This can be worn for 3-5 days at a time.

6. Topknots, Buns, French Rolls etc.: all wonderful choices for a fabuously neat sophisticated look that requires very little care.

7. Twist & Curl: twist your hair (no extension added) and rod, roller, or straw set your hair. This will last for about 2-3 weeks depending on length and texture.

8. Finger Waves: perfect- you can bring that style back with all your fabulosity.

9. Wiglet: add a wiglet to the back of your hair for that chic, quick, easy style.

10. Barber Cut- you know you always wanted to try it. You have the face for it, it’s just finding the right barber. Now is the perfect opportunity and besides, the look is hot in temperature and in style. ” You go girl.”

I Hate My Hair- No, you should be happy you have hair!

“God, I hate my hair, I am so sick of this mess”- all while pulling, yanking, brushing too severely and continuing a host of other physical abuse. Could it be that you are not treating your hair properly, so in return, it does not look the way you would like it to look.  So now, because you’re having problems, you label your hair in the worst way-you physically and mentally abuse it. This has got to stop if you want to have hair. And, certainly if you want healthy, beautiful hair.

Talking badly about your hair is my personal pet peeve- when you talk badly about your hair, I believe you are sending the wrong message to your hair and  to your psyche. Self love in all forms for every part of you is important. That is what nurturing is all about. Take a moment and put yourself in your hairs’ place. Each and every day (not everyone but most) you complain about your hair. No thanks to your hair for providing you with beauty, coverage and sexiness. No thanks for remaining on your head opposed to the floor. No thanks for anything. What would you do if you were hair? At some point you would want to leave. But, yet and still, for the most part, your hair hangs tight- taking the verbal and some times physical abuse. If I were hair I would leave, I would certainly go where I was wanted (hair heaven) and cease to exist on your head. Think about that the next time you complain about your hair. dhb.

Beauty Myth Busters

Source: Natural Solutions- Vibrant Health- Balanced Living Magazine; Natural Radiance Section-Solutions for healthy good looks

Oil Not your Oily Skin

It seems completely counterintuitive, but oil is no foe of oily skin-it is, in fact, a necessity.  According to ayurveda, many people with oily skin actually suffer from dehydrated skin as well.  The key to clear skin? Separating the good oils from the bad to restore balance for a glowing-not greasy-complexion.

People with oily skin often try to wash away excess oil with harsh cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide.  This may remove the unwanted excess oil, called sebum, but it also strips away beneficial oils, namely the lipids that promote healthy, well-hydrated skin.  Once these are gone and the skin dries out, a back-lash begins as the skin overcompensates by producing even more sebum. 

So as scary as it may sound, women with oily skin should reach for products that contain naturally derived, lightweight, and noncomedongenic (won’t clog pores) oils.  Apricot kernel oil, safflower oil, and sweet almond oil regulate sebum production while kukui nut (from the candlenut tree, which has seeds rich in oil) and macadamia oils help protect lipids.

A Moisturizing Shampoo Repairs Split Ends.

Sorry, but you have only one way to get rid of split ends: a good  haircut. So before you buy a posse of shampoos and conditioners, first  pick up the phone and call your stylist. “Hair, in a nutshell, is dead,” says Patane. “Once it is damaged, there is no way to repair it other than trimming it off.”

Split ends are the frayed fibers of the hair’s inner cortex which comes surrounded by protective cuticles. When hair becomes overly dry or otherwise damaged, the cuticle can’t do its job of keeping the fiber flat, and it appears as though it’s peeled away from the hair shaft.  You can’t repair this; nor will the cuticle and fiber grow back together.  But you can take steps to prevent and camouflage split ends, For prevention, eat a diet rich in essential fatty acids (like guacamole and salmon) and use a light hand when styling (no hard brushing of wet hair and fewer blow drying and heat curling sessions).

The next-best option: Mask the appearance of the split ends.  Hair serums and deep-conditioning treatments help plump up stressed cuticles with soy and vegetable proteins that fill in the gaps and also help prevent further breakage.  Other natural body building ingredients include ginseng root and spirulina, as well as the latest hair-strengthening all-star, creatin.  “Products with these ingredients can be very effective, but they offer a visual fix, not an actual fix,” Patane says. “To really keep split ends in check, see your hair stylist once every six to eight weeks.”