I was taking Li'l Bit's hair out of braids today. (They have only been in for 4 or 5 days, and I didnt THINK they were all that tight) and was faced with the HORRIBLE realization that my baby is getting a bald spot. I admit it, I am still learning about her type 4 curlees, and I have always thought that the tighter the curl, the more sensitive the hair is to breakage and splitting. But Li'l Bit wears her hair out in between braid styles, and I have never found any bumps or redness on her scalp (and trust me, I look.) So regardless of contant moisturizing, very tender touches and as many protective hairstlyes as possible, there is was. At the crown of her head. Thinning hair. :( Now I am researching this, scouring the internet for natural products to put on her scalp, tips on what to do/what not to do to stop this from happening, and to help her hair grow back. I am pretty much devastated. I mean, as parents we do all we can to make our children as healthy and well rounded as possible. And I just know it is something I am doing that is causing my baby's hair loss. :(
So I decided that she needs another protective hairstyle, and I need to lay off of braids for awhile. So I did my first ever flat twists on this beautiful head. I have attempted them before, but they always frizz up and unravel before the day is up. So I tried these 2 strand flat twists (not sure if that is what these are called?) I made them VERY loose, and they are frizzy, but her hai has frzzy tendencies anyway. I wanted to protect her sensitive hairline, so instead of pulling her hair back, I decided to try twisty bangs, kindof like what I saw
here at Charlotte's Avenue. (Love that little baby's adorable face!) Anyway, here is how it came out.
In the last picture, you can see the bald spot on the top of her head :(
So please, if anyone has ANY ideas on products to use, hairstyles to try, or any other advice on how to hep this situation, I am all ears.
Her hair doesnt look bad. I have heard of some people who swear by castor oil to help promote haot growth and thicken hair. Yoi.can also try a few essential oils and massaging the area. Also, def keep her hair in protective styles for now.
ReplyDeleteCastor oil? I am looking for some right now! Thank you. And thankfully, I caught it before it got too bad. But this looks HORRIBLE to me. Probably because I know what her head is supposed to look like. Thanks for the advice!
ReplyDeleteAw, it doesn't look too bad to me to be honest. When I was born I had almost a full head of hair - the thinnest spot was right at the top of my head! And my hair is still the thinnest there. It doesn't look like your past styles were tight either. There is a brand new line that I've just begun reviewing called It's Perfectly Natural. Her products are designed mainly for those with alopecia and other scalp conditions. Perhaps one of her products can help that spot out. They are children friendly, so maybe you can check her out! I would start protective styling too, to keep from having to manipulate her hair too much! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteI doesn't look too bad, good thing you caught it early, definitely use natural products, essential oils can be really good, we use them all the time for a number of things... here is a post on essential oils for hair care http://www.untrainedhairmom.com/2011/04/essential-oils-for-hair-care.html
ReplyDeleteyou can also try products from It's Perfectly Natural, we have just starting trying them, the founder of the products created them because she too was experiencing bald spots...here is a guest post she did for us http://www.untrainedhairmom.com/2011/09/each-one-teach-one-guest-post.html her products are all natural with herbs and essential oils. Best of luck! Keep us posted
Hey Elizabeth!!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, braids...whether loose or cornrowed can be too intense for some hair... So, twists, twists and more twists would be my suggestion. Castor oil is cool for moisture, there is also a product called Baby Don't Be Bald that I used to use back in the day that helps with moisture as well. With Choca, I swear by Tea Trea Leave in to keep her hair moisturized and Proclaim or African Pride grease to get it nice and sealed... Works over here... Everyone's hair is different though. I would also suggest some Aloe Vera Gel... I haven't used it yet, but I know it works well. There really is no miracle growth serum that is out there... One of the reason I keep Choca's hair in twists is because she LOVES to mess with her hair and if it was in ANY Other style, she is likely to pull and pull and pull until it's gone... ALSO... Twists are good because if you do them a bit smaller, they will last for a week or two and you won't have to over manipulate it... You can girly them up with hair accessories (beads, barrettes, flowers, hairbands, etc)..
If you have any other questions, PLEASE let me know... I will help as much as I can, Queen!!
And... Thank you for the shout out!! <3
Char~
Thank you all so much for the advice! I am absolutely going to have to try the tea tree oil, I have heard so many goodthings about it, but havent tried it because of its price. And Char...Im working on my twists, cuz Li'l Bit is going to be stuck in them for awhile! Precious and untrainedhairmom...thanks for the links and recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI have familial mediterranean fever, a genetic disease that causes hair loss amongst other things. It didnt dawn on me until after I wrote this post that it may not be something I did, but an early symptom of the disease that could be causing her hair loss. We have set up appointments for testing. Trust me, I am hoping it is something I did.
I don't see where the bald spot is?? I swear both my girls have thinning hairlines and balding spots on the sides of their head, but everyone else says they don't see it. I feel so bad because I know I over manipulate their hair, by keeping it in ponytials and redoing them up to two or three times a day. I want to try some jamaican castor oil, but haven't been able to find it yet, plus I've read it's really thick and it might be too heavy for my girls.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I know exactly what you mean. I think its like losing weight, you notice it before anyone else does. I have heard good things about the jamaican castor oil as well, and I plan on trying it soon. I have 4 different hair types in my house, so its bound to work on someone. :)
ReplyDeleteVery cute style and super protective & gentle. Good job!!
ReplyDelete