Please help me!!! pics

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

I don't know what to do anymore. I barely leave my house if its not to work or school and not even that :nono:

I spend all my time on this site or taking pictures of my head with my phone. I'm bald I have lost soooo much of my hair.I used to have such beautiful long hair when I was little. I started relaxin first my aunt did it then, my mom, then salons. Then I did Sew-ins and braids. I just had no idea the damage it could do

Wow!!!

I have literally been obsessing and praying to God to please help me. I think people can see it and talk about me I have def notice it at work. people standing behind me IDK maybe 'm just paranoid. I'm in class right know and I'm about to start crying :cry:

God what am I going to do?????
I can't live like this! when I'm outside I feel like the light from the sun beams like a stage light on my bald spots. I try to cover them but the i take a pic with my phone and there it is!!!!

I have seen a derm and he gave me 2 steroid shots, a cream, shampoo and rogaine 5%. I really dont want to wear weave because I just want to be free. I thought my KCCC which i love could help but it makes it stand out more

I have an internship this summer and i don't know what to do about this> I will be living with a friend who has great hair and we will be sharing a room. I dont want her to see

I will go see the derm on 5/26/10 again for a follow up.

Please give me some advice I really need it... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

My Friend · Apr 29, 2010

Hello and

I don't have any answers on how to fix it but others will chime in soon.

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

Thank you My friend

Triniwegian · Apr 29, 2010

I am sorry that you are going through this.
You might go to another doctor and get a biopsy to see what the problem really is, if it's stress related or if it actually is alopecia.
If it's stress, you hair will most likely come back. If it's anything else, you need to get to the root (no pun) of the problem so you can treat it accordingly.

I wish you the best.

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

You are right Theo I will start looking for another derm for another opinion. This is already the second derm I see about this problem. The first one told me I had seborrheic dermatitis, its hard finding a good derm

mscocoface · Apr 29, 2010

Okay I can't see your whole head but what I can see I would not be looking at your calling you bald, I would and right now am saying that is a cute cut I love her curlies.

I think as you said....maybe 'm just paranoid, it may be true. I know when you are losing hair and balding it can have a devestating effect on your psyche, so I don't want to negate your feelings, but I honestly believe what I have seen your hair looks nice.

As the others stated, if you are not getting results with the derm you have then keep looking, don't give up. Is there a derm in your medical plan that is specifically knowledgeable about the scalps of people of color?

Keep searching, what area are you in maybe some of the ladies who have had these issues can tell you of a Derm in the area. Just mention the cities you are around.

Do NOT lose your mind over this please. Hugs, hugs and more hugs.

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

Thank you Mscocoface

I'm near Providence RI. Its funny because the derm i'm seeing is not covered so I had to pay $150.00 to see him.

jshor09 · Apr 29, 2010

Hugs. ITA with other poster with getting another dermatologist. Also try to stop stressing. Stress is one of the worse things for hair. I know its easier said then done. Also I love your curlies as well.

Good luck with your hair journey as well.

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

thanks Jkelly

My Friend · Apr 29, 2010

If I may ......just to clarify you think this is due to relaxers? Braids? Sew in's?

How long ago did this start?

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

Probably since i was like 11. What happen was that everyone in my family has really nice hair so I was always criticize. I remember my cousins fighting when I was little about having to do my hair it was awful. My mom had no Idea how to take care of it and i remember when I would wash my hair and soo much would fall out I would freak out and my mom said it was normal. I never believed her but i was 11-14. Then I went to salons I remember the ladies burning my scalp then i would try to stop but I did not know how to care for my hair. I did not know many people with my hair type plus I did not speak english when I first came to this country. then after high school I spent about 4 years with sewins again not knowing and I would just take them out condition and do it again then one day. I notice its like people who gain like 300 lbs and then wake up one day and don't know what happened. thanks to this site I'm learning how to care for my hair. but.... i dont even know what else to say

LilMissRed · Apr 29, 2010

Im sorry ur going thru this.. I can kinda relate.. I went thru the exact same paranoia.. anyways.. my end diagnosis was Seborrheic-Dermatitis I wont even try to guess what the cause of ur loss is aside from what u mentioned.. Im wondering tho... are there any sores?? tender spots??

nicey · Apr 29, 2010

Hi there. Like the other ladies said, try not to beat yourself up. It will be alright.

I'd say stay away from the relaxers(if you have been using them) and let your hair grow out naturally. Use no weaves or even braids. Have you researched "the other side" meaning, the natural products, i.e. essential oils, castor oil, or coconut oil. . I know that grapeseed oil is a good skin antioxidant and good for skin repair, it's natural and I know it would be great for the hair too.

You can also use 100% natural Shea butter. I'm no dermatologist, but I think the oils and the Shea butter would be good for the hair and scalp. You can switch up or use both. Just do not use synthetic "grease" products. Do some washes with natural shampoos or natural conditioners. Do all you can to keep with the Au Naturale regime and see how your hair will thrive. One can never go wrong with 100% natural or organic products.

missiongirl · Apr 29, 2010

As everyone's said, don't stress. Up your B-12 vitamins to help offset the stress, and give yourself daily scalp massages to pamper yourself and to help stimulate those follicles and your natural sebum. Frequent scalp massages with jamaican black castor oil was fabulous for growing in my daughter's edges (traction alopecia).

Your curls are really cute! Can't wait for update on your progress. I'm convinced you'll be an inspiration to others! :yep:

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

Lilmissred, the first derm I saw said that I had the same thing and yes my crown was very sore almost a burning felling but after the shot it went away

thats was a plus. the derm said that my follicles where inflamed and that thats why it was hurting so much. why was your scalp sore too?

Nicey, yes I have been natural for about 1 month and a week or so. I have been trying to use all natural products coconut oil, which i love. JBCO and vitamins, I just pray for my hair to get back to normal and specially now that I can get help form all you wonderful ladies

Missiongirl, I have been doing that every night with my JBCO

Thank you soooooo much guys

LilMissRed · Apr 29, 2010

barbie87 said:
Lilmissred, the first derm I saw said that I had the same thing and yes my crown was very sore almost a burning felling but after the shot it went away thats was a plus. the derm said that my follicles where inflamed and that thats why it was hurting so much. why was your scalp sore too?

my soreness came from the actual sore.. I think... but I also experienced what I call trauma to the shaft because my hair would literally hurt at the roots... I still get 'sores' (noticed earlier this week, a small one ) so I washed w/J/A/S/O/N/S Tea Tree shampoo & my scalp feels so much better.

I say stick w/the natural oils.. theyre healthier for ur scalp in general(unless ur allergic to one) and 'BABY' ur hair-continue to massage often and.. it WILL get better.. I never EVA thought I'd feel good about my hair again after all that mess, but right now... I've embraced 'my' hair and its a cool thing LOL I'm not paranoid anymore

barbie87 · Apr 29, 2010

wow thank you, I will baby my hair and try to have hope

but what caused the sores?

LilMissRed · Apr 30, 2010

^^ the Seborrheic-Dermatitis condition caused the sores... its like eczema on the scalp pretty much.

Hey I didnt think about this until after I logged off last nite, but yanno.. my moms scalp looked like urs and she used to get Cortisone shots from her derm in her scalp.. I forget how many times she had to go but I know eventually her hair did start to regrow... except it was white (gray).. I dont recall what her condition was diagnoised as I'll have to ask her, but she did pretty much the same thing u did.. relaxers.. weaves back to back... anyways she no longer gets the shots and I've convinced her to let the weave-age go.. now she wears a wig when she goes out and Ive got her into the oils and the pampering of her hair.. shes having some progress.. as with all things.. its a process so it takes time

curlyninjagirl · Apr 30, 2010

Hey, there. (I'm not an expert or anything, but I do think hours and hours of obsesssive research on the science of hair and months of lurking on this site award me some street cred.) Anywho, from your photos it looks like you have fine density natural hair (like me), which shows the scalp more the shorter the hair length is. Plus defining your curls with product tends to make this more pronounced. As your hair grows, it will hide the scalp more.

Has your derm mentioned anything about traction alopecia? This is a common occurrance with black hair stying in general, but especially extension styles. I recently read about a scientific study that stated that 70% of black subjects suffered from this type of hair loss regardless of age. From your photos, that's what it looks like to me.

As a redeemed micro braids abuser, I am now restoring my damage hair line back to health with tension-free hairstyles, low-manipulation and deep conditioning. :grin:

Have no fear, it grows back! HTH and good luck.

naturalhigh · Apr 30, 2010

Hi! I really feel for you and understand how this can make you feel. Since 2005 I started experience hair thinness/loss/pain in the front area (not sure if it's the crown but that U shaped are where you see a lot of men go bald). I was gowing through things in my life and just ignored it. Around 2008 I got my last relaxer (I would only get them once a year) but was also coloring my hair, blonde! But what was unusual was the periodic pain I would feel on my scalp, like from the root, just awful. I never went to a derm, not sure why?

Finally in 2009 I decided to "pay attention" to my hair (I've never had any probs with growth etc.).

I cut my hair and went to a good hairstylist but the thinness and pain continued. I had been lurking on LHCF and decided to use the ayurvedic methods, oils mainly. My hair def grew but I still had the thinness and pain. In 2010 I included Ultra Hair vitamins w/sulfur, cocunut oil, amla oil, henna into my regimen and recently MegaTek. The oils made my painful areas feel much better but what I have found is the pain literally goes away if I don't blow dry or flat iron my hair. I am currently in the Jheri Juice challenge and the CFCG has been wonderful. My head hasn't felt this good in a while! Btw, I stopped the Ultra Hair vits w/sulfur and went their product w/o sulfur, I was gaining weight, but I now use a hair oil that has sulfur in it. End results, I have new growth all over the front thinning area, I can feel the thickness coming back and no more pain.

Sorry so long! But all of this together is working....

NIN4eva · Apr 30, 2010

Hi Barbie87 and Welcome! I have been dealing with Seborrheic Dermatitis for a long time, not to mention other types of eczema. It's been almost 10 years since I've had to deal with scalp irritation though. Although topical agents and over the counter pills (claritin, benedryl) have helped with discomfort, for me personally I can often connect my flair ups directly to what I've been eating. Consuming a lot of Milk (of any kind), eggs or peanuts will totally set my skin off. These have been more of an issue for me.

Other recent suspected culprits:
Relaxers - Just started relaxing again after 2 years and am having irritation on my back/arms...Looks like I'm transitioning.
Perfumed body spray - Tried a new one AND relaxed in the same week about a week and a half ago. This is when the trouble started.

Perfumed soap.
Cheap fabric softener/laundry detergent.
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - Yes, It's true. I was only putting it on my hair but it Broke my face OUT!
Jojoba oil - Also broke my face out.

I just had to go out a get a bunch of sensitive skin stuff so I can start all over and not look like the Elephant Man this summer. What really helped me in the beginning was looking for people who wrote blogs about their personal experiences and what has helped them. This was YEARS ago. There should be a ton more by now. My former derm kept giving me steroids (in pill form). Aside from the fact that it creeped me out, it was just getting too expensive. I don't see a derm unless I have to. I've never met a trustworthy one.

NIN4eva · Apr 30, 2010

nicey said:
Hi there. Like the other ladies said, try not to beat yourself up. It will be alright.

I'd say stay away from the relaxers(if you have been using them) and let your hair grow out naturally. Use no weaves or even braids. Have you researched "the other side" meaning, the natural products, i.e. essential oils, castor oil, or coconut oil. . I know that grapeseed oil is a good skin antioxidant and good for skin repair, it's natural and I know it would be great for the hair too.

You can also use 100% natural Shea butter. I'm no dermatologist, but I think the oils and the Shea butter would be good for the hair and scalp. You can switch up or use both. Just do not use synthetic "grease" products. Do some washes with natural shampoos or natural conditioners. Do all you can to keep with the Au Naturale regime and see how your hair will thrive. One can never go wrong with 100% natural or organic products.

in my experience the bolded is not true :nono:

... if you have a certain Eczema or Dermatitis, natural products can still cause flair ups or make them worse. It depends on the individual.

Please help me!!! pics

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