Category Archives: Causes of Hair Loss

The Hair Loss Conversation

I am struck so much by the unfortunate display of sadness about the alopecia conversation. I started the HairBlues.me blog 10 years ago, and still, after all this time, women, and I might add, men, and children continue to be troubled by this condition. That’s why the Alopecia industry is such a big industry: wigs, solutions, and potions that promise delivery of new locks.
When you find a moment, listen to my brief podcast about this challenge.

This podcast is available on Apple podcast, Google podcast, and other platforms of your choice. 
Just click this link to select:

https://anchor.fm/judith-guerra7.

We can get to the moon, but we have not solved this problem yet – unless we accept that “beauty” comes in all forms. The sooner we get in touch with that the sooner we will not find ourselves witnessing painful incidents of what is pre-determined as “beauty” by how one’s hair grows and looks.

By the way, does anyone remember the beautiful Black women in the Black Panther film who are bald?

Following is a post that I wrote on this blog March 2013 about hair loss.

Continue reading The Hair Loss Conversation

Hairblues in Pandemic Times

Photo by Churckyno Bryant from Pexels

Thankfully, as a society we have progressed to a consciousness where a woman who identifies with her baldness in a way that she feels depicts beauty, is a welcome change to the hair loss challenge.

Nevertheless, it does not negate the fact that when a woman is confronted with unexpected hair loss, when she has had no previous symptoms – for example, Thyroid issues  it can be alarming.

For a number of women, who have had the recent Pandemic virus for more than a few weeks, Covid19 has been the suspected cause  for some of them losing “globs” of their hair.  A travel nurse, Juli Fisher, reported to WebMD News that she noticed she was losing “globs” of hair in the shower several weeks into her Covid19 illness. She  later  learned about others who were suffering similarly  from  a FaceBook group the “Long Haulers”.  Dermatologists refer to this type of hair loss as telogen effluvium, a temporary condition due to physical or emotional stress.  Oftentimes the hair grows back within a year.  Please use the links below to read details about this condition.
Continue reading Hairblues in Pandemic Times

Hair Loss Nutrition

canstockphoto14539757If you are one of the women or men suffering from hair loss, you are probably ambivalent about whether there will ever be a cure, which does not require years of needles, medications, and whatever else you have heard about in the beauty market.  Some of us have actually experienced ‘snake-oil’ remedies, only to suffer the consequences of losing more hair and never to recover those locks again.

‘Two thirds of men suffer with hair loss by the age of 35, and 40% of hair loss sufferers are women’ – Source: American Hair Loss Association – Men’s Hair Loss / Mission. And to make matters worse,  a recent article reported that thousands of women ‘lose hair because of using a well-publicized product’, which was endorsed by a particular celebrity.  With all these unsuccessful instances, actually there is a conversation going on about whether the FDA can help not only with hair products, but beauty products in general. So, what are people with hair loss concerns to do?  Alopecia is a real, ongoing, epidemic-level condition. “What is to be done?”

canstockphoto14705801My answer for now is to remain positive, hopeful and continually reaching.  I continue to explore prudently.  In conversation with a hair specialist I learned that she had a client who saw an increase in hair growth by changing her diet.  She was actually able to reduce the amount of  false hair used/added that would be used cosmetically to enhance her look!

That’s good news!  We can explore with our diet: what a win-win remedy!  Even if we don’t see a substantial increase in hair growth, we will be feeding our bodies with good nutrition, and reaping the benefits of better health.  “Hair LaVie” is a vitamin company, which makes a series of products.  Consumers have testified about results, which come from the use of their products.  You can peruse their website at your convenience, if you want to learn more.

I was encouraged by a recent post on the “Hair La Vie” blog, which stated:  ‘If you’re looking for a healthy and nutritious way to try and grow your hair, these nutrient-packed smoothies & juices are for you. Not only can these juices boost hair’s growth, but they can also provide you with shiny, smooth, and more manageable hair.’ Source: Hair La Vie 

smoothie-1427436_1920Smoothies were made with: Cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, apples, ginger juice, celery, lemons, berries, spinach, chia seeds, vanilla almond milk, banana, avocado, mango, walnut, flax seed, chard leaves, strawberries, Greek or regular yogurt.

Now that you have your shopping list, what are you waiting for?  Let’s experiment with some ‘natural’ remedies, and treat ourselves at the same time.  Click Hair La Vie for recipes.

hairblues_helpful

Looking for Hair Loss Solutions

canstockphoto14539757Anyone dealing with hair loss knows that it is a continuing conversation.  Sufferers of alopecia, who have no remedies for lost eyebrows, lost eyelashes, and balding are always open to suggestions and remedies for this condition.  It is a welcoming fact that now women (and men) feel comfortable enough to wear their heads bald as ‘beauty’ statements.  However, many other alopecia victims remain uncomfortable.

I am often on the www looking for and researching topics I find useful and interesting. Recently, I was told about a product called neuHAIR.  This NEUHAIR2product promises to: 1) provide nutrients to the hair and scalp, 2) deliver thicker hair, 3) give the hair volume.  The cost: $150.00 .  The company stands by their product and gives you a 90 day guarantee return policy.  neuHAIR also has products for eyebrows and eyelashes.You can read more about it  by clicking this link – neuHAIR

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To learn more about how to manage/prevent hair loss use the links below:
https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-loss-treatment-for-women

https://www.webmd.com/beauty/thinning-hair

I hope this is helpful 🙂

Brush Your Tresses Less!

brush wi hairI have heard from more than one person that while brushing their hair many of their locks remained in the brush!  You can imagine their alarm about hair loss.  This is something we see happening with women often these days.  Not only with older women, but also with younger women.  So, I checked what some of the hair specialists had to say about brushing  hair 100 strokes a day. Continue reading Brush Your Tresses Less!

FYI – Hair Loss is a Lonely Feeling

lonely_hairbluesAnyone suffering from hair loss knows it is a very lonely feeling. She also knows that anytime she sees an article about Hair Loss that she is  immediately drawn into what that person’s experience is like, and what she can learn from the other experience.  Such was the case as I was standing on the checkout line in the grocery store when I spotted the title article in the March 2013 Family Circle magazine,  “The Health Problem 30 Million Women Have…Are You One of Them?”  How could I resist reading this article?  Shouldn’t I be informed about this problem?  And sure enough, just as I had suspected, the article was about Hair Loss.

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I bet many of you had no idea the number had gone up so dramatically — 30 Million Women!  Yet, even with that news, it still is a very personal experience to each of us who is going through it, and who struggles daily with how to attack, or solve this condition.  Many of you may think that you did something to cause this condition. Many of you are wondering if there are any cures out there, which may help to slow down this process.  Similar to the condition itself, help seems to be very slow coming.

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Penny Musco’s article “What Happened to My Hair” will not tell you of any miracle cures.  She does not paint a ‘rosey’ picture for you about the turmoil of hair loss.  What she does do, that may help some of you, is she accepts the facts for her particular situation, and eventually accepts herself.  Her family (including her husband) still loves her, and she does not feel ‘shame’ anymore for having lost her hair. Although many of the “solutions’ she tried did not work for her, it does not mean it will not work for you.  I suggest you use her “4 step plan to save your strands”.

1. Get to a dermatologist, pronto.

2. Opt for medical procedures first.

3. Consider cosmetic solutions second.

4. Be Patient.

Read her article at:  http://www.pennymusco.com/Media/Non-fiction/WhatHappenedToMyHair.pdf

I hope this is helpful! hairblues_helpful

Tips for Chemically Relaxed Hair Beauty

AaaH ..best hair relaxer ever!

Many women prefer the convenience of chemically relaxed hair.   What can we do when those chemicals cause other types of scalp problems? How do we avoid suffering from hair loss caused by chemicals in the future?  Here’s good piece of advice that I found searching the Internet.

It’s best to consult with a professional to determine what your particular needs are when it comes to relaxers. And no, you cannot apply a lye relaxer over hair that’s been processed with a no-lye relaxer (and vice versa)! However, you can apply a different relaxer to new growth if your current straightener isn’t giving you the results you want. It’s not recommended to constantly switch relaxer types or brands. Once you find the relaxer that works for you, it’s best to stick with it until or unless it stops. via Lye and No-Lye Hair Relaxers.

It turns out that many hair care blogs have articles commenting on just this topic.  I searched for some of the key points  highlighted, which may help to reduce any problems that you are  having due to chemically induced dry scalp with your relaxed hair.  Read on and don’t forget to click the link at the end for a more detailed discussion about these topics.

After your hair has been chemically straightened, wait 48 hours before you wash your hair. The chemicals need time to set.

Once a week for the first month, apply a deep conditioning mask and cover your head with a shower cap to lock in heat.

When you sleep, use a satin pillow case, this will help protect your hair by preventing it from tangling.

 When it comes to styling your hair, avoid using high heat blow dryers or curling irons. If you must use them then reduce the heat.

Try to avoid using hair spray or gel as they can dry out your hair.

If you want to colour chemically straightened hair, then wait 14 days before you do.  via How to Take Care of Chemically Straightened Hair.

 Daily application of a moisturizing cream also helps. Avoid products that contain petroleum and silicones as these are often too heavy for relaxed hair. Instead, look for products that use oils like aloe vera, jojoba, olive oil and other natural oils. These are much lighter than the petroleums and silicones, and they moisturize your hair without weighing it down. via How to Take Care of Relaxed Hair | eHow.com.

HairBlues Recommendation: Check out the Just Natural website to find products for relaxed hair that will help you to moisturize your hair and scalp with organic natural products.  Click the link below.

http://www.justnaturalskincare.com/hair-black/relaxed/-ALL-relaxed-black-african-american-hair-products.html

I hope this is helpful 🙂

What’s wrong with tight braids?

black woman standing near green plant
Photo by Matheus Henrin on Pexels.com

For generations African-American girls have had their hair braided because it is a traditional belief that it would help their hair to grow.

Nowadays, there is talk about braids “causing” hair loss. At HairBlues we think it is important enough to investigate what some of the causes of hair loss and braids may be.  Below are tips we found online that may help to ease this problem, which appears to happen more often these days.  Don’t forget to click on the link provided at the end of the highlighted tips to get  detailed information.

Beauty should not hurt! If your head hurts, it’s because your hair is braided too tightly, or you have too much extension hair added. In either situation, this doesn’t bode well for the future of your hairline. Some braiders may tell you to take an aspirin and the pain should be gone by morning, but any pain is an indicator that something is wrong.

Use warm water to loosen them: Take a shower and let the water cascade over your hair. You may need to gently rub your scalp to loosen the braids a little. This is not the time to worry about how much money you just spent and how much time it took to style these braids, so don’t think about that! Concern yourself with loosening up this tight style and saving your hairline.

Remove them: Yes, remove any braids that are causing little bumps to pop up on your scalp. This is not normal and can lead to hair loss down the road, especially if you make a habit of wearing tight braid styles.

Do yourself a favor and see how your head feels when you’re still in the stylist’s chair. Does it hurt while she’s braiding? That’s the time to ask her to ease up on your hair.

 Do not return to tight braiders: Some braiders are notoriously hard on hair. Once should be enough to tell you that this is someone who doesn’t care about the health of your scalp. via What Can I Do about Tight Braids.

FYI –Traction Alopecia:By Del Sandeen

Definition: A condition where constant pulling and tension on an area of the hair results in thinning, breakage and/or hair loss. This is commonly seen in women and children who braid the hair too tightly particularly at the hairline or wear the same style over extended periods of time, not allowing the scalp and hair follicles to “rest.”via Traction Alopecia.

 I hope this is helpful !

Tips for blow drying your hair

Ladies – are you blow drying your hair too much? Do you know how much is “too much”? Well neither do we.  However,  have you thought about air drying your hair occasionally, or not washing your hair so often? Below are some tips and great suggestions we found online about what you can do to avoid hair loss by damaging your hair when using a blow dryer.  Don’t forget to click on the links provided to get further details.

As far as blow dryer heat goes don’t use the high heat setting except in the beginning when hair is still very wet, once hair starts to feel mostly dry it’s time to turn down the heat.

 If you start to smell hairs burning it’s time to use the cold shot if you have one to cool it. Once hair is damaged from burning or any other way it is permanent.

The only way to really get rid of damaged hair is to cut it off, which you will in time.

 If you curl your hair with hot rollers or curling irons you can go old school every now and then and use regular rollers and rags like they used to before all of these hairstyling tools were invented.

 One last way to help prevent blow dryer damage is to use hair protectants. There are many on the market these days designed specifically to apply to hair before blow drying for this purpose.
via http://www.infobarrel.com/Does_a_Blow_Dryer_Damage_Hair#ixzz1rEEMzJ00

Read more:  http://www.thehairstyler.com/features/articles/hairstyles/blow-drying-hair-tips-how-to-get-a-style-that-lasts

I hope this is helpful

Research Gives Hope to Cure Baldness in Future

Encouraging NewsIt looks like that  in  about five (5) years there could be a cure for baldness. I am sure that some of you have heard about the discovery made by Drs. Cotsarelis and Garza,  co-inventors on a patent owned by the University of Pennsylvania describing the PGD2 pathway as a target for inhibiting hair loss. via Perelman School of Medicine Experts Identify Inhibitor Causing Male Pattern Baldness and Target for Hair Loss Treatments.

Although you may not   suffer from total baldness, it is still worthwhile knowing about this possible cure. Don’t be discouraged that the article focuses on ‘male pattern baldness’.  Women will also benefit in the future from this discovery.

Below are some of the Key Points covered in the article:

  Significant protein Prostaglandin D synthase (PDG2), also called PGD2, showed up in high levels of men with baldness.

  Scientists learned that PDG2 was not in areas of the body which have much more hair.

  Scientists concluded that the PDG2 protein impedes hair follicle growth.

  Scientist hope to find a way to block PDG2, which could reverse balding, or prevent balding.

I am sure there are special thanks being expressed to the doctors and researchers who have devoted their time and efforts to the balding issue.

You can read more about the research at: http://stm.sciencemag.org/

See you at the next Post! 🙂