close up photo of a person holding hair

My Continued Struggle with Alopecia


Hi there my beautiful lovelies! Hope you guys are doing well and staying safe. Today I want to talk to you about my continued struggle with Alopecia and my new found savior.

Alopecia

As I have mentioned in my previous post, androgenic alopecia in women is due to the action of androgen, male hormones that are typically present in only small amounts. It is a genetic condition that can affect both men and women. Men with this condition, called male pattern baldness, can begin suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early 20s. It’s characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with this condition, called female pattern baldness, don’t experience noticeable thinning until their 40s or later. Women experience a general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown. Because the hair loss in androgenic alopecia is an aberration of the normal hair cycle, it is theoretically reversible. Advanced androgenic alopecia, however, may not respond to treatment, because the inflammation that surrounds the bulge area of the follicle may irreparably damage the follicular stem cell.

New Products I love

Why my alopecia, I am very careful about what I put in my hair. Instead of experimenting with various products, I stick to what already works on my hair. That being said, with the recent flare, I have decided to do more research and slowly change up some of the hair product. I will describe as follows:

Shampoo

I have been using store brand shampoo without paraben the past few years. However, my hair feels lifeless and dull. Hence, after my stylist recommend this, I did some research on OLAPLEX N04 Bond Maintenance Shampoo. OLAPLEX Shampoo is a highly moisturizing, reparative shampoo that leaves hair easy to manage, shiny, and healthier with each use. No.4 is color-safe and proven to reduce breakage and strengthen all types of hair. What I found is that my hair is noticeably softer and less tangle prone when I brush my hair. I absolutely love my hair feels with the shampoo.

Conditioner

For conditioning, I combine 3 different conditioning mask as a conditioner. Together I have a dime size amount add to mid length to the end and barely any on the top. The three I use are DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture, Moroccan Gold Series Treatment mask, and Coco and Eve Hair Masque. DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture is a ultra-rich conditioning mask. This treatment with a rich moisture preserving blend eases detangling, reduces frizz and nourishes dry curls without weighing them down. Leaves curls silky-soft and shiny. I definitely like it for it’s anti-frizz property. I also add Moroccan Gold Series Treatment Mask fortifies hair with hydration, nourishing each strand of hair and sealing split ends for complete repair and restoration. What I like about it most is that it has argon oil, which strengthens hair to make it more manageable and resistant to breakage, while creating silky, soft and flexible hair with a healthy, beautiful shine. Finally, I add Coco and Eve Hair Masque, winner of 13 beauty awards and a 5-in-1 miracle worker. It hydrates, conditions, improves hair texture and shine, treats split ends and tames frizz in just 10 minutes. Additionally, it transform tired, dry, damaged hair into shiny, glossy and smooth hair in one wash. The part, it contains virgin coconut oil to add shine and strengthen hair. I don’t leave the mask for 10 minutes, just couple of minutes.

Hair Serum

In addition to my at home oil mix, I also use Vegamour GRO Hair Serum. This multi-tasking GRO Hair Serum uses a combination of clinically-tested, vegan phyto-actives that work in tandem to help support a healthy and balanced follicular ecosystem while soothing the scalp and revitalizing hair roots. Free of toxic chemicals, carcinogens or harmful side effects, this cruelty-free, vegan hair serum is formulated with powerful phyto-actives shown in multiple clinical studies to increase the appearance of hair density while reducing signs of shedding to bring you thicker, fuller looking hair. I did see some difference in my hair.

Silk Pillow

Since my diagnosis of alopecia, I have been using a silk pillow. It keeps me cool at night and my hair soft and less tangle-prone. Most of all, it keeps frizz away. You can this 100% mulberry silk pillow.

My lovelies! Hope you enjoyed this post. Please let me know what have you found helpful for your hair and/or alopecia. Please comment below.

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram @forevernij and Twitter page @allaboutme3181. Are you on Bloglovin?  Also please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Let’s support each other. Please follow me and comment below with your information so that I can follow you back.

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Follow my Instagram page on @forevernij

Follow my Facebook Page on @forevernij

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Follow my Twitter account @allaboutme3181

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Shop from my closet at Poshmark

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CAUSES CLOSE TO MY HEART

PLEASE DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH MY FUNDRAISING LINKS:

I consider myself fortunate to have good health, a full-time job, and a roof over my head. However, there are still so many people who are struggling to put food on their tables. Please join me to help those who are struggling. If you have good health, full-time jobs, and a roof over your head, please join me to help those who are struggling. Whether you donate $5 or $500, you will make a huge difference in someone’s life.

No Kid Hungry:

America’s kids need us. The coronavirus is closing schools nationwide, and millions of vulnerable children are losing the school meals they depend on. For some, it’s the only food they’ll receive on a given day. We have a plan to feed kids, but we need your help today to continue our work to ensure every kid gets three meals a day. You can click above to donate to my gofundme page donation going directly to the organization, or you can click on the direct link to the site.

Food Bank of Maryland:

PLEASE DONATE ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN AND SHARE THE POST WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

Manna Food Center, a nonprofit organization, strives to eliminate hunger in Montgomery County through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Millions of children go to bed hungry in America every year, sadly it’s worse now! Today, 14 million children regularly miss meals — three times more than during the Great Recession and five times more than before the pandemic.

Many parents have lost their job during the pandemic. Sadly, that shows no sign of stopping. Your donation can bring relief to the millions worried about where their next meal will come from. It’s even worse for Latino and Black families, whose rates of nutrition insecurity have spiked to 25% and 30%. In the world’s wealthiest country, this is unconscionable.

Even before the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 37 million people in America struggled with hunger and nutrition. The Centers for Disease Control reports 76% of people killed by COVID-19 had at least one underlying condition, most of which were diet-related. Diet-related diseases also fuel skyrocketing health care costs, which rose from 5% to 28% of the federal budget in the past 50 years.

Let’s make the world better, kinder, brighter. Every dollar you give will create real change. $1 will feed 5 hungry children here in the US, but $1,000 will feed 50,000 starving children overseas. Be the good in the lives of many by giving right now.

SUPPORT ME

Your generous support will help me continue to bring content to you.

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ic0b9 and get a free ride.

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shallow focus photography of hand

Alopecia or Telogen Effluvium?


Hi there my beautiful lovelies! Hope you are doing well and staying safe. Today, I want to talk to you about a different type of hair loss that you may not be aware of. It’s called telogen effluvium. Today, I want to talk to you about Telogen effluvium and how it differs from alopecia.

What is Telogen effluvium?

Photo courtesy of Istanbul Hair Clinic: https://www.istanbulhairclinic.com/b/telogen-effluvium

Before we can talk about the similarity and differences between telogen effluvium and alopecia, we need to talk about that telogen effluvium is. Telogen effluvium is a non-scarring form of diffuse hair loss with no clinical or histological evidence of inflammation and can affect up to 50% of the scalp hair. It is the name for a common cause of temporary hair loss due to the excessive shedding of resting or telogen hair after some shock to the system. New hair continues to grow. Telogen hair is also known as club hair due to the shape of the root. The new hairs coming up through the scalp push out the resting club hairs and increased hair fall is noticed 2 to 4 months after the triggering event.

Acute telogen effluvium can affect people of all age groups and both sexes. In a normal healthy person’s scalp, about 85% of the hair follicles are actively growing hair (anagen hair) and about 15% are resting hair (telogen hair). A few hairs may also be in catagen. A hair follicle usually grows anagen hair for 4 years or so, then rests for about 4 months.  A new anagen hair begins to grow under the resting telogen hair and pushes it out. As a result, we typically lose about 100 hairs daily.

What Triggers Telogen Effluvium?

If there is some shock to the system, as many as 70% of the anagen hairs can be precipitated into telogen, thus reversing the usual ratio. Typical triggers include:

  • Childbirth: postpartum hair loss. This can resolve after a few months or transition into female pattern alopecia.
  • Physiological neonatal hair loss
  • Acute or chronic illness, especially if there is fever
  • Surgical operation
  • Accident
  • Psychological stress
  • Weight loss, unusual diet, or nutritional deficiency (eg, iron deficiency/)
  • Certain medications
  • Endocrine disorders (eg, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism)
  • Discontinuing the contraceptive pill
  • Overseas travel resulting in jetlag
  • Skin disease affecting the scalp (eg, erythroderma)
  • Excessive sun exposure.

Since nail and hair growth are under the same influences, an arrest in hair growth is often mirrored in the nails by a groove across them coinciding with the time of the shock to the system — a Beau line. The time of the shock can be estimated from the fact that a fingernail takes 5 months to grow from the posterior nail fold to the free edge. So if the groove in the nail is halfway down the nail, the shock must have been two and a half months ago.

Diagnosis of Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is usually diagnosed by its clinical features.

  1. Hair thinning involves the entire scalp +/- loss of other body hair.
  2. Examination shows diffuse thinning without focal areas of total alopecia and short hairs of normal thickness.
  3. A gentle hair pull test reveals an increased number of hairs; most are telogen with a typical epithelial sac.

A trichogram can help confirm the diagnosis; more than 25% telogen hairs in a trichogram strongly suggests telogen effluvium.

What Are Some of The Treatments?

Telogen effluvium is self-correcting. Recommendations include:

  • Gentle handling of the hair, avoiding over-vigorous combing, brushing and any type of scalp massage
  • Treat any underlying scalp disorder or hormonal problem determined, if any
  • Ensure a nutritious diet, with plenty of protein, fruit and vegetables.  
  • Correct any abnormality in thyroid function, or levels of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid.

Regrowth usually occurs after removal of the trigger causing telogen effluvium. However, repeated episodes of acute telogen effluvium can sometimes evolve into female pattern hair loss.

Telogen Effluvium Vs. Alopecia:

Courtesy of Academy of American Family Physician (AAFP)

Both telogen effluvium and alopecia cause hair loss, but the reasons and patterns for hair loss are different with each condition. A doctor can tell which one you have and how to manage it. With telogen effluvium, you might notice more hair than usual coming out when you wash or brush your hair. You may find more hair on your pillowcase. The appearance of your hair might change and look thinner all over your head. As for alopecia, women lose hair along the line of the part first. Hair around the top of the head gets thinner as well. Women’s hairlines aren’t usually affected and they seldom go completely bald. With alopecia, hair loss in men starts above the temples. The whole hairline recedes into an “M” shape. Hair at the top of the head also thins. Sometimes, total baldness occurs.

Female Pattern Baldness – Courtesy of HealthDirect Australia https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/female-pattern-baldness

Unlike telogen effluvium, the underlying cause of androgenetic alopecia is your body’s response to androgens, a type of sex hormone. There is a genetic component to the condition. You can usually identify family members who have had the same kind of hair loss.

Hope this helps you distinguish between the two types of hair loss. I have suffered from both. It was my dermatologist who has diagnosed me with telogen effluvium. Hence, please talk to your physician about the type of hair loss that you have. I would love to hear from you which one you have and how did your deal with that type of hair loss.

Please subscribe to this blog or follow me if you have a WordPress account.  Don’t forget to check out my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram @forevernij. Are you on Bloglovin? Also please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Let’s support each other. Please follow me and comment below with your information so that I can follow you back.

——————————–   Happy Reading ———————————-

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Follow my Instagram page on @forevernij

Follow my Facebook Page on @forevernij

Subscribe to my YouTube channels (two)

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Buy From My Closet

Shop from my closet at Poshmark

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CAUSES CLOSE TO MY HEART

PLEASE DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH MY FUNDRAISING LINKS:

I consider myself fortunate to have good health, a full-time job, and a roof over my head. However, there are still so many people who are struggling to put food on their tables. Please join me to help those who are struggling. If you have good health, full-time jobs, and a roof over your head, please join me to help those who are struggling. Whether you donate $5 or $500, you will make a huge difference in someone’s life.

No Kid Hungry:

America’s kids need us. The coronavirus is closing schools nationwide, and millions of vulnerable children are losing the school meals they depend on. For some, it’s the only food they’ll receive on a given day. We have a plan to feed kids, but we need your help today to continue our work to ensure every kid gets three meals a day. You can click above to donate to my gofundme page donation going directly to the organization, or you can click on the direct link to the site.

Food Bank of Maryland:

PLEASE DONATE ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN AND SHARE THE POST WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

Manna Food Center, a nonprofit organization, strives to eliminate hunger in Montgomery County through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Millions of children go to bed hungry in America every year, sadly it’s worse now! Today, 14 million children regularly miss meals — three times more than during the Great Recession and five times more than before the pandemic.

Many parents have lost their job during the pandemic. Sadly, that shows no sign of stopping. Your donation can bring relief to the millions worried about where their next meal will come from. It’s even worse for Latino and Black families, whose rates of nutrition insecurity have spiked to 25% and 30%. In the world’s wealthiest country, this is unconscionable.

Even before the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 37 million people in America struggled with hunger and nutrition. The Centers for Disease Control reports 76% of people killed by COVID-19 had at least one underlying condition, most of which were diet-related. Diet-related diseases also fuel skyrocketing health care costs, which rose from 5% to 28% of the federal budget in the past 50 years.

Let’s make the world better, kinder, brighter. Every dollar you give will create real change. $1 will feed 5 hungry children here in the US, but $1,000 will feed 50,000 starving children overseas. Be the good in the lives of many by giving right now.

SUPPORT ME

Your generous support will help me continue to bring content to you.

Toms: Get $20 off your first order at TOMS!

Door Dash: Get $30 off ($10 off each of your first 3 orders)

Uber: Sign Up to Ride. Use promo code
ic0b9 and get a free ride.

Lyft: Get your free ride.

Grubhub: Sign Up and Enjoy. Get $10 off your first order

Ipsy: Sign Up to Get Curated Products to Your Door Step

Boxy Charm: Use referral code Munziba-VDPRPCII

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Alopecia

Why Is Androgenic Alopecia Happening to Me?


Hi there my beautiful lovelies! Hope you guys are doing well and staying safe. As you know, I have Androgenic Alopecia. I have shared my stories and progress throughout the years. I have also received a lot of questions and comments about your struggles and progress. Have you been asking yourself after being diagnosed with androgenic alopecia, “why me?”, then you are not alone. Today, I will talk to you about some of the causes of androgenic alopecia.

What is Androgenic Alopecia?

androgenic alopecia

Androgenic alopecia in women is due to the action of androgens, male hormones that are typically present in only small amounts. It is a genetic condition that can affect both men and women. Men with this condition, called male pattern baldness, can begin suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early 20s. It’s characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with this condition, called female pattern baldness, don’t experience noticeable thinning until their 40s or later. Women experience a general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown. Because the hair loss in androgenetic alopecia is an aberration of the normal hair cycle, it is theoretically reversible. Advanced androgenetic alopecia, however, may not respond to treatment, because the inflammation that surrounds the bulge area of the follicle may irreparably damage the follicular stem cell.

What Causes Androgenic Alopecia In Females?

Androgenic alopecia can be caused by a variety of factors tied to the actions of hormones, including some ovarian cysts, taking high androgen index birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause. Androgenic alopecia or AGA is caused by androgens in genetically susceptible women and men. The thinning begins between ages 12 and 40 years, the inheritance pattern is polygenic, and the incidence is the same as in men. In susceptible hair follicles, dihydrotestosterone binds to the androgen receptor, and the hormone-receptor complex activates the genes responsible for the gradual transformation of large terminal follicles to miniaturized follicles.

In women, this form of hair loss is associated with an increased risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is characterized by a hormonal imbalance that can lead to irregular menstruation, acne, excess hair elsewhere on the body (hirsutism), and weight gain. Smoking may also increase the risk of developing female pattern hair loss. Researchers believe that some of these disorders may be associated with elevated androgen levels, which may help explain why they tend to occur with androgen-related hair loss. Other hormonal, environmental, and genetic factors that have not been identified also may be involved.

A variety of genetic and environmental factors likely play a role in causing androgenetic alopecia. Although researchers are studying risk factors that may contribute to this condition, most of these factors remain unknown. Researchers have determined that this form of hair loss is related to hormones called androgens, particularly an androgen called dihydrotestosterone. Androgens are important for normal male sexual development before birth and during puberty. Androgens also have other important functions in both males and females, such as regulating hair growth and sex drive.

Other causes of hair loss include:

  • Hair style: The style of hair can cause hair loss when hair is arranged in ways that pull on the roots, like tight ponytails, braids, or corn rows. This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia. If hair follicles are damaged, the loss can be permanent.
  • Over and Under Active Thyroid
  • Vitamin deficiency.
  • Dieting (rapid weight loss).
  • Restrictive diets.
  • Over processed scalp hair (breakage).

My dear beautiful lovelies! I hope I was able to answer some of the questions about your hair loss cause. Hair loss can be frustrated in men and women. However, for females, the psychological impact is even more dire, due to social expectations. I would love to hear about your experience with AGA and what did and did not work for you. Please respond in the comment section.

Please subscribe to this blog or follow me if you have a WordPress account.  Don’t forget to check out my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram @forevernij. Are you on Bloglovin? Also please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Let’s support each other. Please follow me and comment below with your information so that I can follow you back.

——————————–   Happy Reading ———————————-

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Thank you2

Follow my Instagram page on @forevernij

Follow my Facebook Page on @forevernij

Subscribe to my YouTube channels (two)

Follow my Twitter account @allaboutme3181

Buy From My Closet

Shop from my closet at Poshmark

Shop from my closet at Ebay

CAUSES CLOSE TO MY HEART

PLEASE DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH MY FUNDRAISING LINKS:

I consider myself fortunate to have good health, a full-time job, and a roof over my head. However, there are still so many people who are struggling to put food on their tables. Please join me to help those who are struggling. If you have good health, full-time jobs, and a roof over your head, please join me to help those who are struggling. Whether you donate $5 or $500, you will make a huge difference in someone’s life.

No Kid Hungry:

America’s kids need us. The coronavirus is closing schools nationwide, and millions of vulnerable children are losing the school meals they depend on. For some, it’s the only food they’ll receive on a given day. We have a plan to feed kids, but we need your help today to continue our work to ensure every kid gets three meals a day. You can click above to donate to my gofundme page donation going directly to the organization, or you can click on the direct link to the site.

Food Bank of Maryland:

PLEASE DONATE ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN AND SHARE THE POST WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

Manna Food Center, a nonprofit organization, strives to eliminate hunger in Montgomery County through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Millions of children go to bed hungry in America every year, sadly it’s worse now! Today, 14 million children regularly miss meals — three times more than during the Great Recession and five times more than before the pandemic.

Many parents have lost their job during the pandemic. Sadly, that shows no sign of stopping. Your donation can bring relief to the millions worried about where their next meal will come from. It’s even worse for Latino and Black families, whose rates of nutrition insecurity have spiked to 25% and 30%. In the world’s wealthiest country, this is unconscionable.

Even before the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 37 million people in America struggled with hunger and nutrition. The Centers for Disease Control reports 76% of people killed by COVID-19 had at least one underlying condition, most of which were diet-related. Diet-related diseases also fuel skyrocketing health care costs, which rose from 5% to 28% of the federal budget in the past 50 years.

Let’s make the world better, kinder, brighter. Every dollar you give will create real change. $1 will feed 5 hungry children here in the US, but $1,000 will feed 50,000 starving children overseas. Be the good in the lives of many by giving right now.

SUPPORT ME

Your generous support will help me continue to bring content to you.

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