Growth Update!
Monday, February 08, 2010 | 6 comments

It's been two months since the last update! Sorry for the hiatus, lovelies. We'll be updating more frequently now. Anyway, I am one month away from my first year ful...

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Hey, ladies! It's summertime which means that the sun will be on full blast. Here are a few easy ways to take care of your locks until Summer ends:
  • Keep your ends off your clothes
  • Co-wash frequently to promote growth
  • Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
  • Wear protective styles, like braids, to give your hair a break
  • Going swimming? Bring a leave-in conditioner and conditioner to protect your strands
  • Drink water!

Anyhoo, I hope these tips help you take the best care of your hair. If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment or e-mail me. :)


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I dyed my hair! But before everyone starts lighting their torches and grabbing their pitch forks, let me just say that it's demi-permanent. Demi-Permanent lasts a bit longer than semi. Sooo, what color is it now? It's a reddish tint called Cinnaberry from Natural Instincts. The one thing I'm in love with is the conditioning treatment that came with the box. It's very softening! Anyway, just thought I should share that with you.


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"If a person uses minoxidil to stop hair loss for a length of time and then stops taking the drug, hair loss will occur again."

Just a little reminder for those who have considered using Rogaine or any regrowth treatment with Minoxidil in it after reading the article, "7 Reasons Women Lose Their Hair."


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While surfing through the Internet, I found this great article by Leslie Baumann A.K.A The Skin Guru. She goes in deep about why women lose their hair and what treatments can help. Enjoy!

Let me make one thing clear: women, if you are experiencing hair loss, please know that you are not alone!

Women's hair can thin for a variety of reasons, and yet the topic is still far less openly discussed than male hair loss. In many cases, though, the causes are diagnosable and treatable, making it particularly important that women discuss hair loss with their doctors. First, let's consider some common factors that can cause and contribute to hair loss:

  • Low iron levels: Iron deficiency, with or without anemia, can lead to hair loss. Do not simply start taking an iron supplement without having your iron checked by a physician because too much iron can also lead to health problems.
  • Thyroid disorders: Both an overactive and an underactive thyroid can lead to hair loss.
    Low estrogen levels: Many women experience hair loss during and after menopause, when estrogen levels begin to drop. Other hormonal changes -- changes in oral contraceptive use, for example -- can also trigger hair loss.
  • Post-pregnancy hormonal changes: Similarly, new moms may find that they're shedding a lot of hair in the first one to six months after delivery, when their estrogen levels return to normal. Actually, what seems like excessive hair loss is really hair's natural growth cycle regulating itself, as high hormone levels tend to keep women from losing normal amounts of hair during pregnancy.
  • Telogen effluvium: This is the general term for sudden, temporary hair loss as a result of recent stress or surgery, which typically occurs around two months after the causative event or illness. (It may also be used to describe sudden hair loss as a result of other factors on this list, such as post-pregnancy hormonal changes.)
  • Medications: Many medications may lead to hair loss. If this is a concern, talk to your doctor about potential alternatives.
  • High levels of vitamin A or selenium: There is rarely any reason to take more of these nutrients than you'd find in a good multivitamin.

Several recent studies of men have found that smoking also seems to increase hair loss. I don't know of any similar studies in women, but one thing is clear: Smoking is harmful for a multitude of reasons, whether or not increased hair loss is among them!

The best plan of action for anyone experiencing hair loss is to determine the underlying cause and eliminate it. And the best place to start is a routine physical exam with blood work. By simply drawing your blood, your physician can determine your ferritin (iron) levels, thyroid levels, and estrogen status - and that will already get you far in recognizing or ruling out many of these causes.

If your physician does not uncover a reversible cause for the hair loss, though, it may be the unavoidable result of genetics. But there are still products that can help stimulate re-growth:

  • Rogaine (the trade name for the drug minoxidil), which is applied directly to the scalp, causes dilation of blood vessels and increased blood flow to the scalp. As a result, the hair follicle gets better nutrients and oxygen and the shrunken hair follicles become larger and hair grows thicker. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not use Rogaine.
  • Propecia (the trade name for the drug finasteride) is sold in pill form and inhibits the conversion of testosterone (which women have in small amounts) to DHT (or dihydrotestosterone), a hormone that gradually shrinks hair follicles and causes them to have shorter growth cycles. Though only FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss, Propecia may also help patterned hair loss in women. (Pregnant women or women who are planning to become pregnant, however, should never take Propecia.) Studies evaluating the efficacy of Propecia in women have been contradictory so it does not work in all women.

Both of these treatments work only as long as you use them, though; once treatment is discontinued, hair will typically return to its pre-treatment thickness. Stay tuned to hear about a new light treatment in a comb that may improve hair loss.

Wishing you great hair!

Article Credit: Leslie Baumann
Source: Yahoo! Health


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Sorry about being M.I.A but I've been on vacation! LOL. I was soaking up the sun and getting stung by jellyfish. Minor sting though. Anyway, I've added a new poll so go ahead and answer that. I will write up a new article sometime today and post it either today or tomorrow. I'm off to answern TCHD mail (I have 198 to answer!). Happy reading!


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If you are cowashing daily with extensions, make sure your length dries well before washing again. that may also be why you experienced such tangling and matting as well, if the hair stays wet for long periods of time the cuticle stays somewhat open and the tangling is kinda ridiculous. Squeeze/Blot those extensions as dry as possible with a towel and maybe leave a day in between so that the hair is fully dry before washing again. you can also just swab the scalp in between washes. I use witch hazel with a few drops of peppermint oil.

- Lina40 from Fotki


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My Foundation: I don't wear foundation but if I did, it would be MAC.
My Mascara: L'Oreal Original Voluminous Mascara in Black or Rimmel Lash MAXXX
My Blush: N/A
My Eye Shadow: NYX Chrome Eye Shadow in Sunny Day (Gotta love NYX!)
My Day Cream: Murad Acne Complex Skin Perfecting Lotion
My Lipstick: N/A
My Beauty Product Brand: Too many! MAC, NYX, Wet n' Wild, etc.
My Essential Beauty Product: Mascara! I have to have it, I feel naked without it. :)
My Favorite Makeup Product: Eyeshadow! NYX especially...
My Perfume: N/A
My Nails: Ummmm, none right now.
My Feet: Leopard print flats with a gold lining.
My Hands: French tip!
Three Products to bring on a deserted island: Chapstick, mascara, silk scarf.
Woman I admire for their beauty: Catherine Zeta-Jones!
Woman with the Best Sense of Style: I really don't know... I'll come back to this one.
My Ultimate Dream: Be a popular graphic designer/artist!
How Do I Define Womanhood: Independence, confidence, and internal beauty.
My Favorite Fashion Publication: Vogue, Cosmo, Seventeen, etc.


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I was tagged by The Anti Hair Slave so here are 6 quirky things about me that you probably didn't know.

  1. I am a perfectionist. I still go back to old TCHD posts to look for errors. :)
  2. I'm an art freak. I love art and do my own art. I'm a big fan of Britto, Dine, and Fish.
  3. I secretly wanna dye my hair black with a hint of purple...
  4. I've never had a Jamaican beef patty or an orange. Don't ask me why...
  5. I have a four pack but never worked out a day in my life.
  6. I hate clowns. Stephen King's It didn't help either.

The Rules:
Link the person who tagged you. Mention the rules in your blog. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours. Tag six following bloggers by linking them. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

I tag... HairsMyStory.com, Hairly Obsessed, The Beauty of Life, The Cheap Chica, yummy411, and Stained Couture