PT 1: Dermatitis life-changing

 

So I think I’ve reached a turning point in regards to the treatment of my dermatitis, thanks to my amazing dermatologist who came up with a great treatment plan.

I’ve written about my experience before in the Fighting Scalp Issues post. I honestly thought I could handle this outbreak by myself in the beginning. It was a mix of me wanting to do it 100% natural, or pick up products from the drug store and also because I thought to myself, I’ve been through this before, I can’t fix this.

Wow, was I wrong, by June of this year the irritation had not subsided and I was actually starting to lose hair in the front and top area of my crown. In terms of styling, I was confined to head bands and beanie hats. The panic sat in. This was definitely bigger than me. I needed some professional HELP!

I went to see my doctor, very good friends with one of my “sisters” who also happens to be a great dermatologist. Not only is she black and knows about what we as black women put our hair through, but she also has succeeded in keeping her own dermatitis at bay. That was very reassuring for me. A feeling of relief came over me.

She prescribed clobex to me and it is wonderful – it’s the truth! It started to heal the area on my scalp and my hair started to bounce back. She told me that oiling my scalp was out of the question, but my mainstays, shea butter and coconut oil are fine to use on my hair. 

Even though things were looking good, she still wanted to test me scalp for follicle damage and to make sure her treatment was strong enough. The test show that I had minor scarring, that could spread if not addressed. Pretty scary stuff right! My doctor assured me that based on the fact that my hair was already growing in, she says my scarring is miniscule and treatable, as long as I continue a healthy regimen. HALLELUJAH, I’m one of the lucky ones!

This is part one of a mini-series I have planned. I really think these scalp and hair conditions are health issues that black women need to know about and take responsibility for.

Keep reading and checking in with me on Twitter @canadiancurlie for the upcoming posts or comment if this hits home for you or someone you know.

Blessings and Curls,

B-Curlie



















 

Curly Canadians - New Product Line

Recently I was in touch with Althea, from Curly Canadians^TM, you may also remember her from my post, when I featured her as a Curlie or maybe you are already one of Curly Canadian’s clients.

They started out as an online store that provided natural hair and skin beauty products to all Canadians. The site really reflects diversity in every sense of the word and still prides itself on this fact.

A week or so ago, I was on Twitter and chatted to Althea for a moment. She told me that they are in the process of creating their own product line and the tentative launch is early to mid-2013. They will be releasing the following:

·         shampoo bar

·         cleansing conditioner

·         bentonite clay mask

·         protein treatment

·         deep conditioner

·         styling wax

I’ve reviewed a couple of their products in the past and I love them, needless to say I’m super excited about Curly Canadian’s new line… I will keep you posted as soon as I have more news. Definitely something to look forward to in the New Year!

Blessings and Curls,

B-Curlie

Featured Big Chopper - Amanda Henry

Hometown: Ajax, ON

How long were you relaxed: 

I have been relaxed on and off for 20 years.

Do you remember your first perm and what was it like:

My first perm experience was back in 1992 when I was in grade 4. My mom was no longer able to style my hair for school due to her full-time job and decided that relaxing my hair would be the best option. She felt that I would now be able to manage my hair for myself on a daily basis. The first time I ran my hands through my hair I was in shock! I felt like I had the same flowing hair as the other girls in my class and that I finally fit in.

Amanda with relaxed hair.

What made you to decide to big chop:

I finally had enough of the relaxer life this past summer. I was tired of having to flat iron and curl my hair on a regular basis and had started to wear my hair slicked down. Also, I wanted the “wash and go” life for when I worked out at the gym and I resorted to putting my hair in Senegalese Twists to avoid having to deal with it. However, my scalp and hairline did not agree. It was after seeing some of my friends with natural hair that I felt that it was time to make the transition.

How do you feel now that you’ve taken the plunge:

I definitely think I made the right decision! I love how it is so easy to manage and have gained back a great deal of time when getting ready for events, to do other things.

What type of feedback did you get from your loved ones:

My close loved ones and friends have been nothing but supportive. I’ve received positive feedback from strangers and have been told that the cut really suits my overall look.

Amanda rocking her fresh and sassy big chop.

Although you are newly natural, do you have any favourite products or products you are looking forward to trying:

I’m still learning about what’s out there in the market, but I have invested in the Keracare line to start with. However, I am still looking for a product that meets my needs as a daily moisturizer.

The best part of being natural for me is:

The best part for me has to be the idea of knowing that I am 100% free of chemicals. Previously I had difficulty embracing my natural texture and now I have a greater appreciation.

 

Blessings and Curls,

B-Curlie

 

Featured Curlie - Brooke

In early summer, I was fortunate enough to connect with a young Curlie, who is an up and coming, actress, model, entertainment correspondant and aspiring ROCK STAR … her name is Brooke of http://www.itsbrookesworld.blogspot.ca . She is very wise in her nine years and really a joy to meet and talk to. So it was my great pleasure to interview her and meet her parents. She is definitely on her way to stardom and a great inspiration to other young Curlies out there. Keep up the great work Brooke and Thanks for being a part of Canadian Curlies. See our interview below:

 

Let's keep our girls strong and self-aware of their beauty! What young curlies inspire you?

Blessing and Curls,

B-Curlie

Hair Support

I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is natural and she mentioned that she almost broke down a got a relaxer the other day.

PHOTO: www.kewlgraphics.com

I was in shock and tried to encourage her not to. The thing is, after thinking about it, I do not think it is right to judge others and try to tell people what to do. It’s never been my nature so why start now? Another thing I would like to mention is that I know I will probably be natural for the rest of my life, now that I’m here and have fallen head over heels in love with my curls.

Don’t get me wrong there are days when feel like shaving it off into a buzz cut or pressing the hell out of it, but there are also days when my curls reflect my personality the way nothing else can.

The bottom line is, yes I would love for my friend to stay natural and for us to continue our CURLY journey together, but I know this life is not for everyone, so I have to respect that.

This brings me to another point that those of us of African descent need to embrace each other whether we are straight, wavy, curly or reppin’ dreads in our hair.

Yes, some styles are healthier than others, but at the end of the day it’s a personal decision and we should not let how people wear their hair change the way we treat them and we should also respect their decision.  The truth is we should not even have to consider these thoughts and just be who we want to be and what feels right.

Blessings and Curls,  

B-Curlie 

Review - Lulu Life Body Butter

So it has been a while since my last post, but I would like to tell you, that my hair was still receiving love during that time. More specifically from Lulu Life Body Butter, that is available at Curly Canadians.

Lulu Life Body Butter is made and produced by the Lulu Life Trust in Sudan. This organization helps families in Sudan who are trying to bounce back from the tragedies of civil war. So with every purchase of Lulu Life products you can guarantee that your dollar is going to help Sudanese families, which is cool.

PHOTO: Curly Canadians

Many of you know about my love affair with shea butter, well I can tell you that Lulu Life Body Butter, did not disappoint.

Although it says it is a body butter, I used it on my hair as a styler and sealer. I did my usual twist out on freshly washed hair and even to do a semi-dry twist out from time-to-time. Unlike other shea butters, that need friction to melt into a creamy texture, Lulu melts into a lovely consistency upon contact. The Lulu Life Butter, left my hair feeling super soft and healthy. The only thing I did not like about butter is that it’s virtually scent-free. I like my products to have a little sweet smell, probably because I’m too girly. On the other hand this would be the perfect product for those who have scent allergies or those who do not like strong smelling products.

So the question is, would I use and recommend this product? ABSOLUTELY! Not only are you helping those in need in Sudan, but you are also getting an amazing natural product that is good for you hair and skin. You can’t go wrong!

 

Blessings and Curls,

B-Curlie

Swimming ... ah natural

It’s been awhile and my life has been crazy busy over the last couple months. So apologize for not posting on a regular basis.

I have decided to take swimming lessons again. Yes I said again, because I’ve taken lessons numerous times before and made great progress but never got to the place where I feel 100% comfortable jumping into a pool, ocean, or lake. In retrospect, there are a couple of the reasons why I didn’t learn as a child was, first of all neither of my parents swam and I also believe that dealing with a little girl’s chlorine-filled hair once or twice a week was not something my mother was interested in dealing with. I can understand that, I had a lot of hair back then and it was super thick. 

At any rate, I’m here in my 30s, I’m taking swimming lessons for the first time with natural hair. I’ve done a little research and found a great video from Naptural85 (one of my favourite youtubers) on how to protect your tress while swimming.  The key seems to be filling your hair with water and conditioner to keep it moisturized, but also if your strands are already full of goodness, the chlorine will have a harder time penetrating them. I plan to try Napturals85 steps and hopefully my hair will survive my swimming adventures. :-) I’ll keep you all posted.

 

Do you have swimming with natural hair tips? I’d love to hear them.

Blessings and Curls,

B-Curlie