Miconazole Nitrate (MN)

Back in October after perusing all the blogs and forums I decided to try MN in a desperate attempt to get some quick growth where my hair loss patch is.  For those of you who are unaware, the full title is Miconazole Nitrate Vaginal Cream (2%).  That's right, yeast infection cream on your scalp!!!! The theory behind it is that since the active ingredient, MN, wards of bacteria and fungus in the vajayjay, it should serve the same purpose on the scalp in which bacteria and fungus also grows.  By removing, the fungus/bacteria and keeping it at bay, it allows for the hair to grow faster b/c there are no longer hindrances preventing the growth from coming through or suffocating the scalp, in a nutshell.  I must admit at 1st I had some serious reservations but the more I researched the more I saw how popular it was and ladies were claiming these amazing results and growth rates that they were able to achieve with the stuff. So after getting over my skepticism I thought what the heck, if its safe for down under which is much more fragile it can't hurt right?!  


So, my initial attempt I used it neat, naked whatever you want to call it.  Just straight outta the tube.  That was a big NO.  I got major headaches and was gonna stop using it all together but again I did my research and saw this was quite common and b/c of this,  most ladies created their own concoction comprised of oils etc. to decrease the intensity.  So I got to mixing on my own.  My formula of choice was 1. Tube of MN 2. JBCO 3. Garlic Powder 4. Cayenne Pepper (Powder) 5. EO's of Peppermint & Grapefruit.  I used an old conditioner jar and applied to my scalp anywhere from 4-7 nights a week.   


The truth of the matter is I did not receive the fantabulous results that most spoke of.  There definitely was not an incessant growth spurt to the point I had to think of retouching that spot in 3 weeks, or the famous claim of 1/2 and inch per week or an extra inch per month.  Definitely not!  But what I will say is that it promoted growth in that area b/c at one point I wouldn't notice any growth between my stretches.  Upon using the MN mixture hair definitely began sprouting in the patchy areas and filling in so to speak, which is still growth, but there was definitely no major length improvement.  BTW, I limited to my edges and hair loss areas, the whole point is to get them to catch up.


All in all it was okay but not the miracle worker that its portrayed to be, at least not for my hair.  I saw a slight difference so it does something but due to the nature of what it is intended for I decided to back off after about 4 months of use.  I mean hey, you wouldn't put it down there for 4 months right?! That's the main reason I decided to back off and choose more natural herbs and remedies.  The end result is I don't have a problem with it but wouldn't necessarily run out to purchase it again.  


Have you tried MN?  How did it work for you?

Relaxer Prep

 I did it yet again and made it to 12 weeks, I am an official 3 monther!  I will be 12 weeks post and relaxing on Sunday.  The best part about it is that it's so dang easy now, so there is no turning back.  What's also great is the fact that I feel confident that I can stretch longer; the only reason I don't is b/c of this patch of alopecia and it's location really minimizes my style options.  Anywho in preparation of my relaxer this Sunday here's what I did last night:
1. Prepoo'd w/a mix of Aubrey Organic GPB (review coming soon), an egg, wheat germ oil and olive oil and Nature's Gate Condish.
2. Chelated w/L'anza Healing Hair Care Swim & Sun HPF 30 Daily Chelating Shampoo -Sulfate and EDTA free(review coming soon)
3.Deep Condish w/Jessicurl Weekly Treatment
4. ACV Rinse for porosity control

I didn't apply any leave-ins, I simply put some distilled water in a spray bottle and saturated my hair, sealed w/olive oil and let air dry using Sunshyne's scarf method.  When my hair was about 90% dry I applied Hairveda's green tea butter (review coming soon) on the ends and mid-shaft down the hair, wrapped in a bun and went to bed.  I woke up to soft, moisturized hair and new growth.  I will  be using the distilled water and olive oil solely to moisturize and seal until my relaxer in order to minimize product build-up on the hair which can cause under-processing and/or uneven relaxer results.

Wonders Never Cease

Funny thing; At one point I used to relax every 4 weeks but I'm 10 wks post this weekend and never been able to better manage my hair this far into a relaxer stretch.  I've got some hardcore newgrowth, I ain't lyin, but I've had absolutely no difficulty managing my tresses.  I think this is largely due to the fact that I've learned what works for MY hair and now I am keeping it simple and sticking to those specific products.  No deviating for me....I even did the unthinkable this past weekend and fell asleep w/o moisturizing, sealing or putting on my scarf!  To make matters worse the next night I wasn't feeling too hot and tied my hair up for bed real half -you- know- what, and when I woke up my scarf was off again! (The next morning the hubby said I look like Edward Scissorhands..lol!!!)  No sweat thought I recovered by giving my hair a lil tlc with a hot oil treatment pre-poo for about an 1.5 hrs, a co-wash w/baking soda, deep conditioned for 45 min w/heat and air-dried.  My hair was like new, my new growth was soft and fluffy and I was cool.

I remember when a light "snip" was the answer to all my hair problems: a lil dryness, limpness, boredom etc but now I opt to fix what's wrong by listening to what my hair needs.  Knowledge is definitely power!

Progress Pics - 1yr

It seems I made the mistake that everyone on the hair boards and forums advise you NOT make;  I didn't take photos of my cut in Dec 08!!!  My 1st pic was in March 09 so I took some pics a couple of weeks ago and decided to post what a difference a yr makes;

The top left photo is March 09 an ear length bob.  And now for March 2010:

Outside of the "hole" where my alopecia patch lies underneath, I can't complain, but that "hole" is enough to make me go crazy trust me.  Don't worry, I have a quickie solution for when I want to wear my hair out b/c of course I can not let that show and look like a hot mess:

Just sew to mini comb-clips on a track of hair, measure and cut to suit your needs and voila!

HHG

HairVeda Whipped Cream - Ends Hydration Leave-In

You're  gonna def hear me talking a lot about going cone free for the next few posts b/c, well frankly since I have done so, some beautiful things have occured. The main and most important aspect since doing so is my hair is back to it's ability to retain moisture.  And so it begins!   I was eager to try HairVeda's Whipped Cream - Ends Hydration, but refused to purchase until I was close to running out of Jane Carter's Nourish & Shine (which btw is so worth the price b/c it's lasted me a couple of months for that small tube).  In  any event I received my HV WC in the mail about a month ago and washed my hair in order to test it out on a clean/fresh head of hair.  Boys & Girls - LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING (of course in my fire marshall bill voice!), this stuff is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME !!!!!  I mean I just don't know what to say but after I moisturize w/this and seal w/extra virgin olive oil (evoo) (remember how my hair used to hate evoo?!, not anymore but we'll get into this in another post) and go to bed, I wake up in the morn with the softest hair ever.  The end result is as if every bit of every ingredient in this moisturizer has gracefully penetrated it's way past the cuticle layer and was welcomed w/open arms; and meanwhile as I rest at night, it  is carefully absorbed, so that I wake up w/the softest, most supple head of hair I've seen in a couple of years!  On top of that the smell is divine. You all know I have a penchant for tropical and fruity fragrances, so the fact that it fits the fragrance bill just puts this product over the top for me.  And no, the smell is not overbearing, the fragrance is lightly lingering if not gone by morning (I am a perfume wearing gal so I don't like too many fragrances intermingling, it makes me nauseous, no matter how good they all smell individually).  Although not an issue, my only con is that it's not as creamy as I anticipated but trust me it is not a problem at all. I do think I will, rather I know I will go through this 8 oz bottle much quicker than the Jane Carter N&S because of this. 


Overall, this is definitely a staple for me and it will be replacing my Jane Carter N&S (although I am proud that I used JC consistently for a couple of months w/o buying every moisturizing product in site). Hair's to my new victory in hair hydration!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Whipped Cream - Ends Hydration
Leave In & Moisturizer 

Not too heavy, not too light! Whipped Cream has Just the right amount of moisture and oils to give you moisturized ends.

Whipped (Baggy) Cream was originally formulated to work with the baggie method. However our customers reported that they use it for roller setting, wash-and-go styles, sleek ponytails, and as a leave in conditioner.

Just a dime size amount will do! It softens your new growth, adds unbelievable shine and gives new life to your hair! Your ends will love HairVeda's Signature Whipped Cream. Product may settle. Just shake well before use.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Ricinus Communis Oil, Beeswax, Lauryl Laurate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Cetyreal Alcohol, Proysorbate 60, Steryl Alcohol, Sunflower Oil, Allantoin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Germall Plus, Frangrance

Nature's Gate Herbal Daily Conditioning Conditioner

So I finally found it!  Thanks to From Short to Long (FSTL) for hooking me up with Nature's Gate, my new cowash conditioner of the year.  Lemme tell you how it all begin.  You gals know last year I finally figured out that my hair hates cones. At 1st I couldn't figure out why my hair wouldn't fully absorb moisturizing products and always felt like it had build up and a stiff crunch.  I stopped the protein so I knew it wasn't that and that's when I realized it was cones.  I did my research for natural condishes/poos/moisturizes and that's how I came to build up my Hair Arsenal. My only prob was that I could NOT find a condish 2 cowash w/that was cone free, and honestly I was thinking about  not looking further b/c I absolutely loved my Aussie Moist and didn't think that nothing would compare.  I was willing to take the risk of having some cone some of the time w/my Aussie but lo and behold along came the good news!.... FSTL did a post on cones and I mentioned my dilemma about a cowash condish and she referred me to Nature's Gate.  I immediately ran out to purchase some for my next cowash and try it out.  Folks, I wasn't disappointed!  This stuff is the truth, it has an earthy, musky scent, it reminded me of the spa, my cousin said it reminded her of baby powder and mom says fruit ( I think she needs to be tested...lol).  Anyhoo, this stuff puts some serious moisture into your strands, it's definitely up there w/Aussie Moist. I've used a couple of x's, even after clarifying to test the moisture and ya'll it works.  It's brown, which I found weird, dont ask why.  It resembles apple pie filling sans the apple chunks with the viscosity of apple sauce sans the clumps and graininess (I think I need to stop eyeing this apple on my table!!!!)

 I can't wai to try other condishes from this line.  If I had to rank it, it would come a close 2nd ( I mean neck in neck close) to Aussie (the smell of Aussie by far, nothing can top, I'm in love with it and it's a tad, just a tad bit more moisturizing), but since it finally makes me 100% cone free, it's #1 to me!

Product Description: With herbal extracts to naturally fortify, smooth and detangle hair.
Our Original Herbal Conditioner is created from an exotic blend of unique botanicals that add intense shine and help smooth the hair shaft. Our rich brown conditioner works great on all types of hair leaving it soft, glossy and naturally radiant. Effectively conditions hair while helping to enhance texture, shine and radiance. Hair is revived with a unique blend of Water Lily, Lotus, and Oak Bark used for their amazing conditioning benefits. Soothing Chamomile, Lavender and Cherry Bark leave hair soft, silky and smooth, making this the perfect conditioner for everyday use.


Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Quaternium-87, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Bark Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Lilium Candidum (White Lily) Bulb Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Quercus Alba (Oak) Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Caramel.

11 1/2 Weeks

Yup, I did it.  Finally a 3 month stretch, one of my resolutions for better hair care in 2010.  Greatest part about is no shedding or breakage.  That's what's up!  It was a lot easier than I thought, which made me realize it's all about the products!  Folks, you need the RIGHT products for YOUR hair.  In the beginning I tried everything that worked for anybody who seemingly had healthy hair.  I thought it must work for me and my issue if its working for them, but that's so wrong.  Don't get me wrong it takes experimentation but the bandwagon can cause you more harm than good at times.

Learn to read ingredients and see the common denominator in different brands that make your hair feel a certain way after use i.e. silicones makes my hair stiff and tangly, I am VERY protein sensitive, olive oil is just too heavy for my hair (I don't my prepooing w/it though b/c of the fact it will get washed out), my hair loves coconut oil and the list can go on but the point is I had to pay attention to what works and what didn't in order to get the perfect regimen for MY hair.  So as I've stated before, I prefer the more natural, organic lines, doesn't mean I shun the rest, I still have a few in the stash, but you get the point.

I will relax this weekend.  I was thinking of going another 4-6 wks but its becoming a pain in the butt and I don't want to overdo it.  One week and one stretch at a time, right?