Bald Edges - Really discouraged right now

[ajoke]

I have been struggling with my hairline for a very long time, in fact as I have posted elsewhere on this forum, that was one of the main driving forces of my decision to go natural.
I had my last relaxer in December 2008, prior to that I had not applied any chemical to my hairline in over a year. The only thing is I got weaves, braids and cornrows pretty regularly. I BC in February 2010, and during my transition and also since the BC I have had weaves and brfaids and cornrows, basically because I am style-challenged when it comes to my hair and also in order to PS. I made sure my edges were left out every time, and I got cornrows with bangs two weeks ago in order to ease the tension on my hairline.

I took the cornrows out yesterday 3 weeks earlier than I planned because ´my hairline kept itching badly and part of it started to feel alarmingly smooth. This is the first time I am taking pictures of my edges in several years and what I see makes me want to cry. My hair in the rest of my scalp is growing nicely and I can make a tiny bun, but it seems the hairline problem ís spreading, especially on the right side. Soon I won't even have a hairline left
I really am willing to stick to twists, but as you can see from the pictures, my twists look like scraggly little snakes. I didn't take a picture of my hair before I twisted, but it is very full type 4a. One wouldn't know how nice my texture is by looking at those pathetic twists. I have tried wigs, but they do more harm than good, Biotin caused my horrible breakouts that I am just recovering from. I honestly am at my teether's end and do ann't know what to do. I tried going to a dermatologist last year, but he wasn't very helpful. He prescribed me a cortisone shampoo, which I have to admit, did help with the itchies. Maybe I should just shave it all off - but I am not as pretty or self confident as Amber rose.......

Any ideas or tips for how I can wear my hair while attempting to grow out my hairline and tips for growing the hairline will be very appreciated.

 

[nychaelasymone]

1st ((((hugs))))
2nd the ladies here have a lot of good advice. I wish I something better to offer. Your choices seems limited since you can't wear wigs. I would sincerely shy away from wearing braids or anything that would cause tension in that area.

Be positive and think positive. You will get through this

 

[Vintageglam]

Hi Ajoke

as you know I have a similar issue with my edges.

One thing that I have found working for me recently was washing and DCing my hair with steam and then twisting up (as in your pictures).

Because I do not like any of the wig caps on the market, I made my own from silk (a bit like a mans satin skull cap_ without the elastic edges which create friction on the hair line. Instead the cap sits flat on my head and then I wear the wig on top so the cap functions as a buffer.

However I will warn you that this will only work for wigs with bangs so that you can pull the wig forward a bit. Anyway I hope this makes sense.

Anyway I hope this helps.

My problem is also getting me down hence why I am now researching surgery.

Anyway here are some pics:

ETA : THESE ARE NOT MY PICS - THESE ARE FROM A SURGEONS WEBSITE
​

BEFORE

AFTER

​

 

[Nonie]

Any ideas or tips for how I can wear my hair while attempting to grow out my hairline and tips for growing the hairline will be very appreciated.

You can twist the hair and then create side swept bangs that cover the area. If you parted the twists as if to create a bob kinda like I have here:

And then positioned them swept to the side like I have here:

And then tied a scarf to make them kinda hold that shape (even bobby pins can help keep them in place), you would create what may look like a flat-twist do, or tidy do that almost looks like this do:

...only with twists.

I used to love to smooth my twists against my head and wear them flat against my head not let them move and I used to find it very neat. You can see a bit of what I mean in the middle row below:

I'd suggest you use the concoction I used to grow my bald patches back and to baggy every night. Make sure you wear the cap all the way past your hairline on your forehead so you don't cause friction on the hairline with the elastic. Better yet, use a plastic bag and tie it low on your forehead. When you apply the concoction, make sure you massage by moving the skin, not just sliding fingers over the skin.

 

[Vintageglam]

^^^ Nonie I have been using that oil/ essential oil concoction for over 5 years now and while I have had some progress I really do believe that my follicles are dead hence why I am now researching.

I think Ajoke you need to seek professional advice to find out what is going on first. There could be a whole multitude of reasons for the hair loss esp as you say it is spreading.

 

[Nonie]

^^^ Nonie I have been using that oil/ essential oil concoction for over 5 years now and while I have had some progress I really do believe that my follicles are dead hence why I am now researching.

I think Ajoke you need to seek professional advice to find out what is going on first. There could be a whole multitude of reasons for the hair loss esp as you say it is spreading.

Interesting. Can you share what exactly you do? I ask not because I think you're doing anything wrong, but I know when I used it, I had a lot of other plans B, C, D, etc in the bag in case that didn't work and I share them all in that thread I posted my progress. I also know that I changed my diet a lot. I figured that everything unhealthy I consumed took the place of something healthy that could have been helping my edges. Also I had a food sensitivity test after which, when I changed my diet, the patches stopped itching pronto. So I didn't just rely on that, but I was careful not to go crazy using 18937921873 products at the same time.

So what has been your regimen? What changes did you make? How did you get to where you are?

 

[ajoke]

Thank you for the suggestions.@nychaelasymone, thanks. I will try to avoid braids as much as possible. @Nonie I will try to find the recipe for your e/o mix, or could you please post a link if you have the time. I think I need to clip the scab hair(or heat damage?) on the ends of my hair especially in the front, then maybe the twists will look better. My hair is about chin length and neck length, so its really short right now.

@ PositivelyRadiant, how often do you steam and DC? I am going to make a dermatologists appointment tomorrow. Maybe I should come see someone in London, as they don't have that much experience with black people/hair issues here in Germany.

 

[ajoke]

One other thing, I wonder if my poor sleeping habits are contributing to it. I sleep max 5 hours, some nights like last night, I didn't sleep at all -my daughter still wakes up every 2 hours and shes 15 months today!

 

[kbragg]

Oh my gosh I just posted almost the same thing. Subscribing and hoping we both ger answers

 

[ajoke]

Do you cowash daily before you baggy Nonie?

 

[lizzyb168]

Basically, your gonna need to stop putting any tension on your hair. No weaves, no braids. Twists might be okay but make sure they are not tight. I would just invest in some hats which you can throw on. It looks like you have traction alopecia and the hairs which have remained there are very weak. This would be supported by the fact that you have itching in that area. Alopecia does that too you nearly every day.
BUT DO GO AND SEE A DERMOTOLOGIST! You need to be offically diagnosed.

If there is a chance that it can grow back, it will take a long time so just be prepared for that. There is no quick fix.

 

[Bublin]

One other thing, I wonder if my poor sleeping habits are contributing to it. I sleep max 5 hours, some nights like last night, I didn't sleep at all -my daughter still wakes up every 2 hours and shes 15 months today!

Yes, stress can be a factor.

My hair grew like weeds and i had no real issues with my hairline whilst i was preg. My daughter is now 13 months and i have a 7 year old whom is hyperactive. Baby still stirs every 2 hours and i also go to bed too late. I also don't have much time for my hair so now i have issues with my hairline. I just try to keep it extra moisturised and massage whenever i can. Your hairline is more damaged than mine and you have had concerns for longer so perhaps it is time to see a GP and get some tests.

When i was natural first time round i found that the smaller i made the twists the more tangles and breakage i got. Perhaps make them fatter and keep them juiced up with moisturisers.

Good luck.

 

[jennboo]

How do you twist your hair? Do you twist on air-dried hair, blow-dried hair?

If you twist on sopping wet hair, your twists will look fuller.

 

[ajoke]

Thanks jenboo.Your twists are my twist grail. The twists I have in the pictures were done on partially airdried hair. I did soak them with water afterwards in anattempt to get them to plump up, but it still looked so bad that I had to half-wig it today.

 

[Ishtar]

*Sigh* You are not the only one. On my right side I am having issues. I think it may be the satin cap that's putting pressure on it. Or it could be a scar I have had for a while. The only thing wrong with the latter explanation is that I have just now noticed.

Also women in my family have a history of balding and thinning of hair. Even if it is thick like mine.

I'm going to switch to a scarf. If my bald spot doesn't fill out in a couple of months reluctantly I will have to go see a doctor. I can't offer any advice for being in the same boat as you are but I will lend you some support. Good luck.

 

[Vintageglam]

Interesting. Can you share what exactly you do?

Hey Nonie

I realised recently that I have always had "fine" but not completely torn out edges like I do now. What prompted me to realise this was the fact my baby newphew also has fine edges (he is 2.5) and that made me pull out my baby pics and low and behold I had wispy wavy (not coily) hair at my edges. These edges stayed until my teenage years when I strated gettign micros and single braids as opposed to my usual threading (Nigerian traditional style) and corn-rows. I was a teenager and wanted to look fly.

Anyway micros were also interchanged with weaves for the next 10 - 15 years until I hit about 30. By this point my edges were completely torn up.

Anyway I found the boards about 5 yrs ago and lurked initially (I did not know you could subcribe ). Since then I have given up the miros and I no longer wear weaves (I was briefly in the weave it up challenge but left after a few weeks as I didn't think it wise).

I also found the Scottish study and made up my oil mixture which I have used on and off. Recently however I have been using this mixture consistently since I became a fully paid member last summer. In that time I have seen baby hair sprout but not really progress.

I now have a 4 inch TWA which I wash, DC and twist up every 2 weeks. I also wash midweek and DC in these twists. I do not put anything else on my scalp except my oil concoction and maintain the pH balance of my scalp edges with Aloe Vera Gel. I do not comb or brush my edges and do not sleep with a satin scarf. I also do not wear wig caps or wear wigs on my edges.

I do not roller-set also to protect my edges and try to use quality shampoos without sulfates and try and use salon quality or natural based products.

I wash 1x week and DC 2x week. Apart from that I mist my hair daily with my home made juice and moisturize as needed (every other day usually).

So basically you see I keep it pretty simple.

I ask not because I think you're doing anything wrong, but I know when I used it, I had a lot of other plans B, C, D, etc in the bag in case that didn't work and I share them all in that thread I posted my progress. I also know that I changed my diet a lot.

I recently completed a candida cleanse as you know.

I do not eat much red meat and I pretty much survive on organic fish and chicken and eat A LOT of veggies. I have now re-introduced fruit slowly back into my diet and weaned myself off my sugar cravings. I am not a junk food eater at all I drink water only and do not indulge in fizzy drinks.

For supplements I take:

Hair Multi
Floradix Liquid Iron (I am can sometimes be anemic but chlorella has really helped with that)
Chlorella
Carlsons Fish oil
I also take 1000 ug of Vitamin D 3x week

I figured that everything unhealthy I consumed took the place of something healthy that could have been helping my edges. Also I had a food sensitivity test after which, when I changed my diet, the patches stopped itching pronto.

I previously had an allergy test and nada showed up
I do not really get itching on my scalp so can't comment on that.
I have definite bald patches though which are as smooth as a baby;s bottom. They have been that way for years.

So I didn't just rely on that, but I was careful not to go crazy using 18937921873 products at the same time.

So what has been your regimen? What changes did you make? How did you get to where you are?

As you previously saw that is not the case with me.

I do not believe in miracle products now. I am a reformed PJ and I believe in persistence.

I also think that I am fed up of feeling self conscious about my edges which directly impacts my femininity as a woman.

I think until someone has suffered from traction alopecia, they don't really get how debilitating it can be. As women our hair is our crowning glory, hence why we are all here. We desire to feel beautiful and feminine and that is so inextricably tied up in our hair.

When your follicles are gone - they are gone. I am learning this truth the hard way.

 

[Nonie]

^^Thanks for that thorough answer. I'm glad you've seen some progress, but I wonder, since you say that's just how your edges have been (wispy), then maybe that's just how you are. I know as we grow older, the likelihood of having less hair is greater, and if our hair has always been fine, then it may appear finer when it really is just normal.

I love how simple your regimen is. And I also love how efficiently you researched your problem. Yes when follicles are gone, they are gone. But also if we forgot what was normal to us, we may be a little harder on ourselves than we ought to be. Case in point, I have very sparse eyebrows, especially on the outer edges. I thought that this problem started when as kids, my friend and I shaved them off to draw them in, trying to emulate my older cousins. But I came to realize from looking at old photos of mine and those of my sister, that we just have never really had full eyebrows on the outer edges. And then of course with age, comes less and less, so as much as I try different remedies, I am realistic and do know that the best I can ever get is what I used to have--unless someone discovers a natural remedy that causes follicles to multiply and be reborn. I even found a baby photo of myself and my eyebrows were the same. LOL

So yes, finding old photos does help you stop hoping hopelessly and to be more realistic.

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie I will try to find the recipe for your e/o mix, or could you please post a link if you have the time.

Here's the thread where I shared it: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=39645

Do you cowash daily before you baggy Nonie?

No I do not. I wash my hair twice a week and then apply nothing at all but baggy nightly.

When I was treating bald spots, I would baggy (in lieu of wrapping my head with a warm towel) and even then I didn't shampoo in the morning but would just go about the day and then apply and massage some more of the product at night. I only washed my hair on wash day which happened twice a week as it does now.

 

[kblc06]

One other thing, I wonder if my poor sleeping habits are contributing to it. I sleep max 5 hours, some nights like last night, I didn't sleep at all -my daughter still wakes up every 2 hours and shes 15 months today!

Hmmm.... did you notice this thinning before you became pregnant with your daughter? Also, did you breastfeed for an extended period of time? If yes, I'm willing to bet that your hair loss is the result of postpartum shedding and you may not have noticed until recently due to wearing braids, etc.

 

[locabouthair]

((HUGS)) to you OP. My temples start thinning out a little bit and I know how you feel. Like someone else said no tension, weaves, braids or anything tight. Besides that and possibly massages I dont know what else can grow back the hair. I started doing massages so its kinda early to tell. I really hope your spots grow back. Keep us updated.

 

[Curly Lee]

Hi Ajoke

as you know I have a similar issue with my edges.

One thing that I have found working for me recently was washing and DCing my hair with steam and then twisting up (as in your pictures).

Because I do not like any of the wig caps on the market, I made my own from silk (a bit like a mans satin skull cap_ without the elastic edges which create friction on the hair line. Instead the cap sits flat on my head and then I wear the wig on top so the cap functions as a buffer.

However I will warn you that this will only work for wigs with bangs so that you can pull the wig forward a bit. Anyway I hope this makes sense.

Anyway I hope this helps.

My problem is also getting me down hence why I am now researching surgery.

Anyway here are some pics:

ETA : THESE ARE NOT MY PICS - THESE ARE FROM A SURGEONS WEBSITE
​

BEFORE

AFTER

​

Pleas tell me where you got these before and afters from!?? I have bald edges too and I'm considering surgery

 

[ajoke]

Thanks everyone for all the comments. The problems were there before I got pregnant, but definitely not on this scale. I had a pretty tough pregnancy, throwing up from the beginning right until the labour room, I kid you not. I had to go about 4 or five times during labour. So, I didn't experience any pregnancy hair growth, I lost a lot of hair because I couldn't keep either food or my vitamins down, and I was also anaemic. I think my system is jacked up basically. I recently started taking multivites specifically geared towards hair, skin and nails, and DE. I bought some MSM, but haven't taken it because I am still nursing and some of the side effects I have read about are scary. I might apply it topically though.......I eat well and don't eat junk food or drink fizzy drinks. I could up my fruit and veg intake a bit though. I tried taking spirulina, its so messy and tastes really weird, so its just sitting in my cupboard....

I do realise there is no magical cure, but I think I need to fix stuff from inside out and then hope that I can still salvage something.....
I have a dermatologist apointment for the 18th of June, so I am keeping my fingers crossed

 

[Vintageglam]

^^^ Ajoke Spirulina is NASTEEE

You should try Chlorella instead which is also good for hormone balance and perfectly safe to take for Nursing mothers.

Also if you are worried about taking vits - take a Prenatal while you are Nursing. You are advised to take them while pregnant and whilst Nursing anyway.

HTH's

 

[Vintageglam]

Pleas tell me where you got these before and afters from!?? I have bald edges too and I'm considering surgery

Just to let you know that I am merely researching surgeons and came across his site.

His name is Dr Dorin and he is based in NY.

I have attached his web details below:

http://www.truedorin.com/

If you do go for a consultation please update us in this thread as to how it went. I would be particularly grateful of this as I am UK based so it would be great to hear first hand from someone who has actually met some of the surgeons I am researching.

My advice is to google "hair transplant - afro hair".

Also make sure the surgeons are accredited and check their reputations on forums and patient testimonials.

 

[Vintageglam]

Bumping this one for OP and all the other ladies (like me) with thinning edges....

 

[mzsophisticated26]

awww I can definitely related. I have thinning issues with my hairline, temple area and crown. I have been suffering through this for a while, I started taking care of my hair in 2008 which my temples grew back some from MTG but not full enough, I did neosporin/cond, castor oil, megatek, beemine etc. I tried scalp massages and lacewigs for about 8mths so I have no tension... fastforward a few weeks ago I finally made an appt with a black dermatologist last week because my problem still existed but not as bad as before. He diagnosed me with central centrifugal alopecia and sent me for bloodwork. He told me no braids, weaves, wigs, no relaxing, no color dyes or tension etc until he tells me too. So it would be your best bet to find someone that specializes in AA hair or knows more about it

 

[Br*nzeb*mbsh~ll]

I share my testimony in the Survivor's and Waistlength Cocktail threads. I can totally relate to what you are going through, Ajoke. I went to the derm today to get injections in my hairline and temple area. My doc did bloodwork to check for iron and anything that could be a trigger. I will keep you posted on my results.

My severe hairloss began months after the birth of my last child, and as a result of severe stress. The hairs were literally 'popping' out of my head whenever I touched them. I remember the day vividly when I received some bad news and when I touched my head, a handful of hair just came out. I am not exaggerating. I loss half of my eyebrows and most of my eyelashes.

Cocktailing and going natural have helped me in a tremendous way, However, wetbunning did a number on my hair which was recuperating really well.

((BIG HUG)) to you and I pray you find an answer.

 

[ajoke]

awww I can definitely related. I have thinning issues with my hairline, temple area and crown. I have been suffering through this for a while, I started taking care of my hair in 2008 which my temples grew back some from MTG but not full enough, I did neosporin/cond, castor oil, megatek, beemine etc. I tried scalp massages and lacewigs for about 8mths so I have no tension... fastforward a few weeks ago I finally made an appt with a black dermatologist last week because my problem still existed but not as bad as before. He diagnosed me with central centrifugal alopecia and sent me for bloodwork. He told me no braids, weaves, wigs, no relaxing, no color dyes or tension etc until he tells me too. So it would be your best bet to find someone that specializes in AA hair or knows more about it

Wow! Could you please share the details of your dermatologist`?

 

[mzsophisticated26]

Wow! Could you please share the details of your dermatologist`?

I live in florida and I went to Dr. Thomas Taylor, I love the fact that he was one of those straight up honest Dr's. He was talking to me about relaxing, tight braids, weaves, tension from wig caps/wigs, tight rollersetting,greasing scalp and not washing frequently can make the problem worse. I will update you of my treatment plan that he will discuss on my next visit in 2wks. My edges still look like my starting growth pic
http://www.flskin.com/

also this site http://www.brownskin.net/hair_loss.html has alot of helpful info

 

[Krymsonkween]

I have very thin edges do to braid and wigs. I do not wear my hair up or back at all. I wanted to go natural but that nbetween stage when the hair is short it just does not work for me. If I could get past that I would go natural. I feel like ppl are staring at my edges.

Good luck I find alot of AA women have this problem and feel if they keep wearing wigs and weave it will get better or they try to hid it.