Balding and Bawling

[zailless]

Hi,
I am a newbie here. Just want to say hi to everyone. i have been lurking on the site from march last year so I have benefitted from your tips and advice.
I have used mtg surge and the vitamins. Originally my hair broke to the roots because of hair bleaching. I had half inch of hair in march 2005. now i have 7.5 inches natural hair when stretched but now I am balding to one side. I wear a wig over cornrows that I religiously moisturize with glycerine and surge moisture each day. I opened one of the cornrows to the front and found a smooth bald patch. then i opened another to my hair line and i only have fine hairs. I panicked the first day but i have since calmed down and i will see a dermatologist next week. the only thing i can think of is i stopped using mtg since january this year. exactly one month ago i mixed it with surge, but it burned my scalp so bad, i could pick giant flakes from the scalp. i dont know what caused it. maybe internal, dunno. any thoughts?

 

[MizaniMami]

Wow i was going to ask you about your relaxers but I read that you are natural.

Are you on any new medications? Stress? Life changing events?

I am so sorry about your hair situation and I hope you find the help that you need here, these ladies will help you.

 

[zailless]

Hi,
Thanks for responding. I am not on medications only vitamins but i do take weightloss products and i am wondering if that could have caused it. I dont have any stress that i know of. I looked at the bald patch with a magnifying glass and it looks like a scar like those alopecia pictures i see online. i see some tiny hairs peeking through. Dunno.

 

[MizaniMami]

Look on hte back of your weightloss products and see if it says anything about possible hair loss.

When I first read your post I thought alopecia too. Girl please let us know what it is when you go to the doctor. I hope everything will be okay.

 

[zailless]

I will post my results after I visit the derm next wednesday. I just checked the weightloss product (fizogen - the burn). it doesnt say anything about hair loss. Thanks for the support. i bought jojoba oil to see if i can heal the scalp cause it feels tender.

 

[kally]

Welcome to the board. My hair was in sad shape before I came across this site. I am far from an expert, but I do know my hair has improved a lot. I also am natural. I also did the wigs, but it seemed to make my hair suficate. I have kinky twist, but they are starting to thin out my hair so I will stick to bunning. These women here are the best and always have positive things to say and excellent tips. I am going on a shopping spree tomorrow and plan on buying the Hello Hydration and Extra Liso. it sounds so good. It will take a lot of trail an error to find out what works for you.

 

[Amina]

Hi,
I am a newbie here. Just want to say hi to everyone. i have been lurking on the site from march last year so I have benefitted from your tips and advice.
I have used mtg surge and the vitamins. Originally my hair broke to the roots because of hair bleaching. I had half inch of hair in march 2005. now i have 7.5 inches natural hair when stretched but now I am balding to one side. I wear a wig over cornrows that I religiously moisturize with glycerine and surge moisture each day. I opened one of the cornrows to the front and found a smooth bald patch. then i opened another to my hair line and i only have fine hairs. I panicked the first day but i have since calmed down and i will see a dermatologist next week. the only thing i can think of is i stopped using mtg since january this year. exactly one month ago i mixed it with surge, but it burned my scalp so bad, i could pick giant flakes from the scalp. i dont know what caused it. maybe internal, dunno. any thoughts? Many of the women had problems with mixing Surge and MTG together...maybe an allergic reaction?

Welcome to LHCF, hope your hair journey will be successful

Just a few questions:
Ok so how often you wear this wig (remember your scalp needs oxygen). Are your cornrows done tightly? How often you let your hair down?
What products do you use (shampoo, conditioners, etc.), how often you use heat in your hair (blow dryer, hair dryer, curling iron, pressing comb, etc.), and what other hair styles do you do to you hair? How often do you wash and what is your nightly routine (wrap, roll, cotton scarf, etc.)...Please list any other info you might have about your hair routine...this would give many women a chance to help you better.

 

[zailless]

I use mane and tail conditioner. organic root stimulator shampoo. i use surge plus but stopped since the hair loss. before i had a mixture similar to miconazole nitrate. i mixed glovers with clotrimazole. my pharmacist told me its a safe product to use in hair as they prescribe it for fungus in kids. i stopped using the wig cap so that my hair can breathe. the wig is airy, its the mesh top so i have freedom to scratch my scalp. i dont use anything else. i have been natural since march 2005. i use a baggy at night. but i stopped since the hair loss. i will ask my dermatologist if i messed my scalp. i stopped taking my vitamins for about 2.5 months now. i got tired of them. flax seed. fish oil multi, msm and vit c. i have taken this combination for more than 4 years. cant think of anything that i take. i am now just using pure jojoba.

 

[zailless]

i wash once a week. i only wear the cornrows. i dont do them too tight. my scalp gets tender. my scalp is sore now even without any tight cornrows in it. something inflamed it i think but i cant think of what. i didnt see any hair loss before my revisit with the mtg and surge.

 

[Brownie]

Sorry to hear about what is going on with your hair. Surge and MTG caused me major scalp tenderness and huge flaking, and it burnt my neck (my neck turned black---I was relieved when it turned back to its regular color). The mixture could have easily inflammed your scalp. Good luck and keep us informed of what happens. The vitamins could still be helpful for you though---at least a multi. B-vitamins and vit C are good for stress too.

 

[Ebonygurl00]

Welcome to the LHCF!!

Is MnT and ORS products filled with protein? If they are, then that could be a problem. Jojoba Oil is great! Keep using it. Start back up on the vitamins!! Vitamins are VERY important. I know I didn't help, but I wish you the best. Good luck!

 

[firecracker]

I think you need to put down the surge asap. Surge is full of protein and too much protein can thin out your hair if your hair isn't totally moisturized. I do mean jheri curl juice moisturize at all times. Try Biotin.

 

[determined_to_grow]

Welcome to the boards i am sorry to hear of your hair troubles. I think you problem could be due to your cornbraids being to tight or stress. As far as suggestions maybe you can try focusing the mtg only on that area or use various essential oils- lemon, castor oil, etc. - there is a wealth of knowlege here and you will be able to grow your hair back in no time.

 

[divinefavor]

Welcome to LHCF!!!

Your thinning/hair loss may be due to the cornrows. Maybe try going without that for a while and see if that helps. Also your doctor should be able to shed some light on the cause for it. Please let us know how it goes.

 

[Synthia]

I think it's the cornrows too -- I don't care how loose they are.

Some people just can't wear them.


My hair likes being free. If I put braids in, I will go bald. I wore braids for 5 months in college and fu*kked up my hairline at the temples.

And check out the beautiful Susan Taylor, editor of Essence. Beautiful braids for years --- and a receding hairline. I rest my case.

The hair is meant to be free.
(just my opinion).

Good luck and please give the cornrows a rest to just test it and see what happens. Don't stress your hair.

 

[zailless]

I had no idea protein could thin the hair. I am just going to focus on completely natural products for now. I started back on the vitamins. gnc ultranourish hair, eve multivitamins, now foods omega 369, fish oil and vitamin c. msm. i pulled out some cornrows. i was afraid to comb my hair out, but the rest of my hair is not shedding much, just a few strands compared to the day i found the bald patch. i think its because i restarted teh vitamins. I am so glad for the support. i want to find the problem soon cause i measured my hair and its 8 inches , i would hate to lose it. its the right side from my hair line to the area above my ears. i can put my finger through my cornrow. i make sure they are not tight, but you are right about not stressing the hair and leaving it to be free. if i pull my hair back i can lose my hair line just like that so all cornrows are done in the direction of the growth pattern to help with that. i am gonna do some kind of steam room to remove toxin and see my derm and keep up with vits and destressing.

 

[Amina]

I agree with the ladies here...Step away from the Surge and the MTG...mixing some products sometimes have a negative effect....The cornrows also could make your hair thin....


First, visit A NewComer's Guide to Starting Out.....

Second, find a hair regimen that works for you (following someone elses might not give you the same results).

Third, if you are natural using LHCF is great also using natural websites....Natural Hair Websites

Once you recieve your advice from your derm. maybe finding a hair buddy would be an idea.

 

[Poohbear]

This is what you need to do...

Throw away the Surge
Throw away the MTG
Throw away the Glovers
Throw away the miconazole nitrate
Throw away the wig
Throw away all those vitamins (look at Bublnbrnsuga...she doesn't use vitamins at all)

Start eating right, drinking lots of water, exercise, and please...leave your hair alone! Don't worry about having long hair too much. The length will surely come. Take proper care of it. Keep moisturizing it and you'll be fine.

Hope that helps! Take care!

 

[Ebonygurl00]

I don't think you should overload on the vitamins. I only take a multivitamin and sometimes Puritan Pride's Biotin.

 

[Synthia]

I had no idea protein could thin the hair. I am just going to focus on completely natural products for now. I started back on the vitamins. gnc ultranourish hair, eve multivitamins, now foods omega 369, fish oil and vitamin c. msm. i pulled out some cornrows. i was afraid to comb my hair out, but the rest of my hair is not shedding much, just a few strands compared to the day i found the bald patch. i think its because i restarted teh vitamins. I am so glad for the support. i want to find the problem soon cause i measured my hair and its 8 inches , i would hate to lose it. its the right side from my hair line to the area above my ears. i can put my finger through my cornrow. i make sure they are not tight, but you are right about not stressing the hair and leaving it to be free. if i pull my hair back i can lose my hair line just like that so all cornrows are done in the direction of the growth pattern to help with that. i am gonna do some kind of steam room to remove toxin and see my derm and keep up with vits and destressing.

Um, protein is natural.

I guess if you want it in the most au naturelle form you can just use an egg for a couple of hours (which I do weekly and LOVE -- although I also use other more contrived proteins).

 

[Radianthealth]

Surge caused my scalp to flake horribly. I have heard from several others on the board who had similar experiences. It was really disgusting and caused me a bit of distress. I am better now though. Throw away the Surge and Good Luck!

 

[kandegirl]

If you have small bald spots that you didn't have when you were using MTG it may be a fungus. That's what my aunt (a beautician) told my friend she probably had b/c she had a small bald spot on her hair line. She just used MTG and Virgin Hair Fertilizer and I believe it filled back in. I think it's b/c MTG can be used on fungus.

I hope your doctor is able to help. Sorry this is happening.

Side note: When I see a spot coming I use Tee Tree Oil on the spot and now I use MTG too. And then pure Shea Butter to grow hair back.

 

[wicky2828]

I think it's the cornrows too -- I don't care how loose they are.

And check out the beautiful Susan Taylor, editor of Essence. Beautiful braids for years --- and a receding hairline. I rest my case.


Bad Syntiha LOL...

 

[wicky2828]

Sorry to hear about your hair problems. Here are my two cents and sorry if I repeat what the other ladies have said. If done too tightly, cornrows can be the devil. They can and will take out you hair (I know this from personal experience). Also, if the thinning is around the temple area, check the fitting and material of your wig cap. If it is too tight or if stretchy area that fits around the hairline is too rough feeling, it might rub your hair out. Good luck and let us know what the derm says.

 

[zailless]

Thanks to everyone for their support. I just came back from seeing my dermatologist. she said its alopecia areata. she offered steroid shots but i declined. went for the steroid cream instead. she said its an autoimmune response and that they dont know what causes alopecia. My medical doctor on saturday said it could be hormones, stress etc. I think I am better off waiting for the tests that come back from the md. the dermatologist prescribed the cream without checking anything. I ordered some castor oil from my grandmother in jamaica, so when i get that, i know my scalp will be fine. For now I am only using jojoba oil.

 

[ajargon02]

Thanks to everyone for their support. I just came back from seeing my dermatologist. she said its alopecia areata. she offered steroid shots but i declined. went for the steroid cream instead. she said its an autoimmune response and that they dont know what causes alopecia. My medical doctor on saturday said it could be hormones, stress etc. I think I am better off waiting for the tests that come back from the md. the dermatologist prescribed the cream without checking anything. I ordered some castor oil from my grandmother in jamaica, so when i get that, i know my scalp will be fine. For now I am only using jojoba oil.

I am so glad that you went to the dermatologist! That's so positive. When something as serious as that happens, the doctor is the best person to talk to. You know that we are here to support you in your journey, keep us up to date about it if you can. Did they tell you if this will go away if you try to "destress" or is this just something that will flare up when ever it wants and you have to just deal? Don't forget to let your hair breathe when not at work or home. It's good for your hair to hang out without the wig on ya know? You can always wrap your hair up w/ scarves or use hats when you are just letting it breathe. Good luck to you, keep us in the loop w/ how you are doing

 

[nychaelasymone]

Thanks to everyone for their support. I just came back from seeing my dermatologist. she said its alopecia areata. she offered steroid shots but i declined. went for the steroid cream instead. she said its an autoimmune response and that they dont know what causes alopecia. My medical doctor on saturday said it could be hormones, stress etc. I think I am better off waiting for the tests that come back from the md. the dermatologist prescribed the cream without checking anything. I ordered some castor oil from my grandmother in jamaica, so when i get that, i know my scalp will be fine. For now I am only using jojoba oil.

I had a similar problem and am using the cortizone cream. If you scalp was "tender" and you told your doc that, then you probably needed something to calm down the irritation. Cortizone will aid in that and it doesn't have many negative effects. I get shots every 6 weeks and it helps. But I piggy back what some of the ladies said....keep it simple. When I started I tried to follow every routine until I had information overload but I realized, hair is hair....u will figure out what regimine works well for you. Hair will grow...trust, 6 months ago I lost most of my hair and right now, I have a head full of hair...it's only 5 inches long but it's mine mine mine...plus my edges are still filling in but the follicles aren't dead. There's hope. Your scalp needs to rest and get off to many extras...just keep it simple. I try things here and there but that's normal.....don't worry, keep the faith, and happy hair growing!

 

[zailless]

The derm said that alopecia can occur at any time as well as it might not reoccur. its an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the hair follicles. when the hair falls out it leaves a bald patch that is a scar on the scalp preventing the hair from growing. The steroid will thin the scalp and reduce inflammation of the follicles. I am lucky its only a small patch but its still a bit daunting to know that it can reoccur at any time. She didnt say anything about stress or hormones. I think the tests from the medical doctor will tell me more than the derm. I was given clobetasol. she didnt say say anything about the wig. I did a research online and most sites encouraged the use of a wig during alopecia because it protects the scalp from the sun etc. my cornrows are usually 1 inch off the scalp so I dont have a receding hair line from tight cornrows, i am very careful about scalp. I cant wear tight braids so i do them myself. they are not flat, but medium sized and loose. the derm asked me if I always have them this loose or if I do them tight at times. I told her never. i dont, I am afraid to lose my hairline so I dont think thats the issue. I will take pictures so that you can see the bald spot. if the steroid works then you will see my starting point and we can do this togther.

 

[chocolatesis]

Thanks to everyone for their support. I just came back from seeing my dermatologist. she said its alopecia areata. she offered steroid shots but i declined. went for the steroid cream instead. she said its an autoimmune response and that they dont know what causes alopecia. My medical doctor on saturday said it could be hormones, stress etc. I think I am better off waiting for the tests that come back from the md. the dermatologist prescribed the cream without checking anything. I ordered some castor oil from my grandmother in jamaica, so when i get that, i know my scalp will be fine. For now I am only using jojoba oil.

Iv'e heard that Emu oil also has healing properties.

 

[nychaelasymone]

The derm said that alopecia can occur at any time as well as it might not reoccur. its an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the hair follicles. when the hair falls out it leaves a bald patch that is a scar on the scalp preventing the hair from growing. The steroid will thin the scalp and reduce inflammation of the follicles. I am lucky its only a small patch but its still a bit daunting to know that it can reoccur at any time. She didnt say anything about stress or hormones. I think the tests from the medical doctor will tell me more than the derm. I was given clobetasol. she didnt say say anything about the wig. I did a research online and most sites encouraged the use of a wig during alopecia because it protects the scalp from the sun etc. my cornrows are usually 1 inch off the scalp so I dont have a receding hair line from tight cornrows, i am very careful about scalp. I cant wear tight braids so i do them myself. they are not flat, but medium sized and loose. the derm asked me if I always have them this loose or if I do them tight at times. I told her never. i dont, I am afraid to lose my hairline so I dont think thats the issue. I will take pictures so that you can see the bald spot. if the steroid works then you will see my starting point and we can do this togther.

u have a wonderful attitude. When my hair fell out, I cried and cried and I just knew I was so unattractive but it was a humbling experience. Everything will be fine.....I'm sure in 6 months we'll be getting a praise report from you!