Full & Healthy Crown & Edges Challenge 2012

[faithVA]

I need to make a new batch of oil this weekend. I applied a little oil to my crown this morning. I think right now the major focus is to not let my crown dry out. It has felt pretty good this week. I'm washing twice a week, so I am going to up my oil application to 2x a week and then also do it before my DC.

My twa is growing decently. I can wear it without having to band the front often. That is great for my edges. I can tell even wearing a loose band can be too much for it. Oh and bought a new band from Sally's that holds my hair back but isn't too tight. I need to get rid of some of my others.

 

[gvin89]

I'm still using Claudie's revitalizer on my edges...thinking about making a batch of the EO blend.

 

[jprayze]

I need to make a new batch of oil this weekend. I applied a little oil to my crown this morning. I think right now the major focus is to not let my crown dry out. It has felt pretty good this week. I'm washing twice a week, so I am going to up my oil application to 2x a week and then also do it before my DC.

My twa is growing decently. I can wear it without having to band the front often. That is great for my edges. I can tell even wearing a loose band can be too much for it. Oh and bought a new band from Sally's that holds my hair back but isn't too tight. I need to get rid of some of my others.

I'm almost out of my oil too. I might not have enough to last until the weekend.

 

[faithVA]

jprayze[/USER];17068219]I'm almost out of my oil too. I might not have enough to last until the weekend.

Didn't you just make the oil? My oil lasts at least 3 months if not longer.

 

[jprayze]

^^^I used this teeny tiny recipe. LOL I will be doubling...maybe tripling this time around.

Thyme essential oil---2 drops
Atlas cedarwood essential oil---2 drops
Lavender essential oil---3 drops
Rosemary essential oil---3 drops
Jojoba oil---1/2 teaspoon
Grapeseed oil---4 teaspoons

 

[faithVA]

^^^I used this teeny tiny recipe. LOL I will be doubling...maybe tripling this time around.

Thyme essential oil---2 drops
Atlas cedarwood essential oil---2 drops
Lavender essential oil---3 drops
Rosemary essential oil---3 drops
Jojoba oil---1/2 teaspoon
Grapeseed oil---4 teaspoons

Ok. I understand. I use about 4 oz and that lasts me for a while. I try to not make too much at one time, just in case I want to modify it.

 

[gvin89]

^^^ I usually triple that...I store in a 4oz bottle as well.

 

[msbettyboop]

I'm delighted to report that the bald spot on the left side of my head has filled in. I no longer see my scalp when I brush the hair back but it still has some growth to do.

However, on my right side, the bald spot really doesn't look like much has changed since I started the new regimen. Does this mean that the follicles are dead or something? Do I need to just keep on with my routine on that side as well and hope it fills in eventually?

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I've been using Mizani H20 Intensive Night-time Rx after my last Relaxer. I'll rotate this one for a little while.

Still massaging in various oils & creams and just nursing my po' area(s) along.

 

[faithVA]

I'm delighted to report that the bald spot on the left side of my head has filled in. I no longer see my scalp when I brush the hair back but it still has some growth to do.

However, on my right side, the bald spot really doesn't look like much has changed since I started the new regimen. Does this mean that the follicles are dead or something? Do I need to just keep on with my routine on that side as well and hope it fills in eventually?

Congratulations. Great progress. Stick with your routine for a few more months and reevaluate. It could need more time than the other side. Even though things don't look like they are moving along, things are working internally.

 

[daviine]

Hello ladies!

Thanks so much for your support. I'm not comfortable posting pics of my hair parted so I'm just going to post a pic of my thinning crown. @faithVA, I took your advice and took the picture as far back as I could with the flash off.

I will be back with my plan of action in a week or so. This pic makes me sad but I have to start somewhere right?

ETA: Most of my relaxed ends broke off in the front so I have natural "bangs". This leaves me with not enough hair to do a "combover" to cover the thinning area.

I always have trouble with resizing pictures so I'll be editing and re-editing this post, trying to figure it out.

 

[faithVA]

I made a new batch of oil today: 3 oz jbco, 1/2 oz sunflower oil, 1/2 oz grapeseed oil, 1/2 oz to 1 oz of olive oil and some vitamin E oil. Then I used 15 drops each of basil, sage, lavendar and rosemary. I may need to thin it out a bit more.

I use this before I DCd.

I haven't given castor oil much credit but I am started to wonder if it did thicken up my hair like others said it would. I big chopped in August and I was expecting my hair to be thinner than it was. What I ended up with is this mass of dense hair. It was not what I rememered from the first time I BCd.

Then last week I did a twist out and I looked at the back of my hair. I never look at the back of my hair because it's spacey and just ugly looking to me. I expected to see holes and parts and gaps. What I saw was a forest of hair with no gaps or spaces. I was surprised. The only thing I can contribute that to is the castor oil. It could be something different but I don't know what. Regardless I will stick with my oil regimen.

The true test of how spacey my hair is when come when my hair is long enough to do twists. My hair looked horrendous in twists before. I don't think it will be much better, but if it is a little better and a little fuller this will all have been worth it.

 

[jprayze]

Making my oil mix today and doubling the recipe this time. So it should last 6 wks this time or until the end of the year.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Massaging in: "Its Perfectly Naturals" Tea-Lightful Shine Pomade =

Botanically infused oil, Horsetail Butter, Avocado Butter, Nettle, Sage, Saw Palmetto, Hibiscus, Castor Oil

 

[NappyNelle]

Massaged JBCO into my hairline. I will probably borrow another bottle from my mom.

My edges look great when I wear twists, so why do they look so sparse when all of my hair is loose? So weird. *shrug*

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Purchased a Tube of M/N from the grocery today. Will add that back into rotation along with something else.

 

[jprayze]

Just Checkin in to share a pic of my left temple...the left is from September 19 and the right is from October 23 so just about a month. Nothing substantial, but at least it doesn't look worse. I'm keeping the area moisturized, oiled and I also started taking viviscal.

Won't try to take any more pics until the end of the year and I will update all of my challenges.

 

[faithVA]

^^I have been looking at a lot of temples online and offline. And that section on the right and left temple seem to be a common natural hairline for a good portion of the population, regardless of age.

I have been working with this section for a while, but I am starting to think that that section isn't damaged, It really is my natural hairline. I am still oiling it and massaging it. But not sure there is much I can do there. We shall see. I will keep working on it in 2013, after that I'm done.

Other topic: I twisted my hair up last night and looked at the back which I never do. My front and back look much fuller than 2 years ago. I can still see in the center section where I have work to do. It looks better but around 3 twists it is scalpier and less dense than the rest. I have at least another 4 months before I can even consider wearing twists. So I will give it full effort November - April to see if I can get some major improvement in this area.

My new plan of attack
1. Putting mudwash on this area before washing to detox this area
2. Keep going with my green power, multivitamins, supplements and green smoothies
3. Make sure I do a scalp massage each wash/cowash day and each time I twist my hair
4. Keep taking biotin, msm and consider adding silica
5. Apply my scalp oil on my DC day and let sit, and apply it at least 2x a week
6. Maybe add an AVG/oil scalp massage 1x a week.

 

[jprayze]

faithVA A lot of ppl tell me that my hairline is ok, but it is not what is used to be...

Your plan of attack sounds very good!

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA A lot of ppl tell me that my hairline is ok, but it is not what is used to be...

Your plan of attack sounds very good!

I understand. You have to be happy with it.

I tried to look at some old pictures to see if I could see the difference but I couldn't tell because of the way I wore my hair.

 

[faithVA]

I oiled my scalp last night after I colored my hair and massaged it in. Today before I DCd I oiled my crown again and massaged it in. I let it sit for a few hours.

I was looking at my edges and when I pull them back with a band they look ok. I think when they start to look crazy is when I try to wear twists. What I have is hair at my edges and then empty spaces on the left and right and then hair again. Trying to style around that is crazy I don't really know what its supposed to look like. Not going to do anything special. Just keep oiling, massaging and hydrating.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Will massage in some: It's Perfectly Natural's Tea-Lightful Pomade on problem areas.

 

[jprayze]

Massaged in my EO blend, M&S'd, took all my vits. What's left? Oh time to drink some more water!

 

[NappyNelle]

Last night I massged JBCO into my hairline. One of my students said she wished she had hair like mine. I thought it was cute; in actuality, I would love to have her full hairline and thickness.

 

[jprayze]

It's coming back!!! 6 weeks ago, the high bun was not an option. Let alone edges, I was missing the most of that section above my ear :-/

My therapy is aggressive. Offensive measures to encourage regrowth-- Every day (morning), MN massage with peppermint oil, WGHO, and apricot oil. Evenings I use my EO mix.

Defensive measures to decrease shedding-- tea/herbal rinses and my AE garlic mask.

Increased my vits including viviscal got on a schedule! Also trying to make myself drink more water.



ETA: been working on this since June, but I'm using more arsenal

 

[faithVA]

Applied my castor oil blend to my crown before my DC. I really need to give myself more time to put it on my entire scalp. This was an impromptu washing though. After I twisted it up, I put more oil on that thin section. Checked it out in the mirror and its looking better.

I will take pictures again at the end of December. I am hoping my pictures show more progress. 60 days to go. Feeling positive.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Now rotating: Claudie's Temple Balm & Hairline Revitalizer and Claudie's Iman Butter on problem area(s).

Will rotate these for a while.

 

[NappyNelle]

Oiled and massaged.

 

[jprayze]

I'm going to buy the 3 month pack of viviscal and I have 2 months, so after 5 months I will determine if I should continue. I want to give it adequate time to work and to make an accurate assessment.

 

[gvin89]

Oiled and massaged.

Ditto!