Nape Care

One of my biggest issues for MOST of my life has been my nape!  Breakage, dryness, alopecia, slow growth you name it, even at my longest lengths it was always just plain old choppy and never the length of the rest of my hair.  Throughout the years various practices have helped the hair grow and become healthier but right now with my last alopecia flare up it still isn't anywhere near where it should be.

Well if you are a fragile nape sufferer and looking for some great tips in treating and "rebuilding" your nape check out the following article which, imo, has all the basic steps you need to get your nape growing in long and strong!  Thanks to Eryn over at hair2toe for sharing!

http://www.hair2toebeauty.com/2010/03/how-to-grow-your-nape.html

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?

Introducing Syntonics Edge Define Hairline Smoother - My 1st Product Review (PR)

Hey All,

So I had the greatest and busiest week last week and had little time to blog. My bday was on the 27th and so the hubby threw me a huge bday bbq on the 24th during the holiday weekend. Food, fun, friends, family and drinks, what more can a girl ask for??? I'll tell you - Syntonics Edge Define Hairline Smoother. This new product from Syntonics is awesome. I almost missed out on receiving it see I was on Dr. Ali Syed's sight and apparently there was a contest that I completely overlooked. My cousin caught it and entered me just as I was complaining about my peach fuzz patch in the back from alopecia. I received it, have been using it and I absolutely am in love.

With its pomade consistency, not only did it slick down the nape section in a way like no other, at the end of the day my hair was soft, non greasy, non flaky as if I had used a regular old moisturizer. It slicks down my kitchen with the rest of my hair w/o that hard "gel" feeling. Just to show the effects - yesterday I had to run out at the last minute, the humidity was ridiculous and I absentmindedly didn't use it and ended up with an embarrassing bush in the back of my head. So yes it makes a huge difference. Ladies if you need to slick edges, napes hairlines etc, run not walk and get this product. Nape control and slickness like no other. I am soooooo addicted!!!

Ingredients: Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificata, Purified) Extracts: Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf and Calendula Officinalis Flower, Ceteareth-25, Glycerin (Natural), PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Propylene Glycol, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Menthol, Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate.

Alopecia Areata & Anemia--Very Important

Hello All,

Today's post is quite long but well worth.  I am relaxing 2morro and very excited with all the growth I've gained however the ordeal is going to be bittersweet.  I suffered from alopecia areata for many yrs and  up until recently had no clue what I was suffering from.  It always reared its ugly head on the left side of the nape heading up to the ear.  I chalked it up to 1)Wools fabrics 2)stress 3)products.  Over the yrs my stylists couldnt figure it out as I was a wkly patron and my routine hadn't changed.  "Why is your hair breaking, are you on new medication?" I alo saw a well accredited African-American dermatologist who said it was "damaged" and gave me some injections which landed me a visit w/an ENT specialist b/c I ended up with a backup of fluid in my earl canal as a "side-effect" from the injections.    When I really began to pay attn was in cosmetology school.  If I was experiencing damage/overprocessing etc why was the damage localized to one area?!  Everytime?!  It just didn't make sense.  I still didn't know what direction to turn.  

Fast forward a couple of yrs and I went for a colonic.  Well after analyzing the feces (ik it sounds gross but it's what they do....lol) she told me I had low iron and needed and supplement (your guess is as good as mine as to how they know from looking at poop).  She referred a liquid herbal supplement and I immediately began taking daily.  I noticed so many improvements in things that I didn't know were related to low iron counts and I was feeling great but after I would run out I would become very laxed about replenishing my supply.  So right b/4 I was about to hit APL the thinning and falling began again.  One day I looked up and I was damn near bald and while in tears the hubby says "let's back track, what've you done differently, what foods are you eating or have you stopped eating, it has to be something!"  I thought long and hard b/c as above 1)It was summer no wool 2)I wasn't stressed at all 3)Hadn't switched products in forever and again was almost APL.  We looked at my diet, exercise habits and then came the supplements.  Whaddya know, I hadn't taken my iron supps in a couple of months.  And guess what when I went for the colonic I was wearing a weave b/c of the same issue, it was after the supplement that my nape was growing to its longest lengths.  When I would stop for months at a time it would start again.  I never made the connection.  I never even knew I was actually anemic!!!  I called my mom right away b/c I know she's anemic and asked her was it hereditary and could I possibly have it.  Her response "Chile you've been anemic since you were about 12 or 13 yrs old, where the heck you been".  Well that's when it all began!!!  Again bittersweet, the sweet? - I felt I finally could conquer this issue once and for all and retain length w/o any pitfalls - the bitter - Why the hell am I just finding this out about 18 years later.  Why didnt' the stylist and the dermatologist hell even my physician do testing of hormonal imbalances etc related to alopecia areata or at least suggest one of these things as a possible cause.  My allergist tested me for thyroid last yr b/c she thought that was the culprit and thank God it wasn't (and didn't even know it could've also been a factor) but she took more steps than anyone ever did leading me to step my game up!!  

Long story short, or not so short lol but I am officially on the road to recovery.  I cut my hair in an EL bob in Dec 08 and so my hair journey began.  Ladies, I hope this helps somebody out here.  I am writing about this b/c it has affected me for so long and during that time I felt like nobody understood what I was going through.  It's been very hard and sometimes emotional, don't get me wrong I'm not one to trip over lenght, I've had Halle Berry, T-Boz cuts and longer hair as well.  But the point is I want it cut when I chose to cut it, not when I'm forced because of problematic areas and point blank I don't like unhealthy hair anyway you slice it.  If you find that you have similar issues, esp if they are localized to one area, please listen to that gut feeling and push your doctor!  If they say it's nothing, see a specialist and another and antoher until you find out what's wrong. Do your own research if you have to but it's not normal by any means! Again how can hair have localized damaged when it's structured the same?  You would see various breakage in different spots all over your head.  But the same spot all the time!  It's a sign of something deeper but it's up to you.  I've atttached some links for you to check out but don't stop here.  Hair's to knowledge and healthy hair growing!  I hope this helped.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2207

http://www.hairlosstalk.com/alopecia/alopecia-areata.php

http://health.abqjournal.com/ConditionFactsheet.aspx?id=3&topicid=0&pg=1#S2 (check out the causes.