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Are Chemical Texture Treatments Making You Sick?
April 26, 2023
Shamona Thomas
Latest reports from Consumer’s Notice are stating that chemical texture treatments are causing different types of cancer amongst users or past consumers. Many of those affected are among African American (AA) women who used the product on a frequent basis. Before I jump deep into this topic I want to put a disclaimer that all chemical treatments should be performed by a licensed cosmetologist. Conducting such acts at home with over the counter kits or by someone that has limited training and knowledge of how to use these products potentially puts the consumer at risk for adverse reactions. Chemical texture treatments are various services that licensed cosmetologists apply to hair that can alter the texture and curl pattern for straight, curly or loose curls patterns allowing the hair to be more manageable, less frizzy or straight. The largest demographic of people that are being affected are African American women that receive chemical relaxers because they are the most frequent consumed users. Where did relaxers come from, what chemicals are being used that are potentially harmful to the health and well being of the public consumers, and what is being done about it to prevent or lower the risk of being exposed to carcinogenic substances???
Just A Little History
The first type of chemical straightening solution was accidentally invented by Garrett A. Morgan. He was a famous inventor of the traffic signal and he upgraded the sewing machine. While trying to figure out how to prevent the needle from burning wool fabric due to friction, he added a type of lubrication that he made up. During his testing he noticed that the needle was straightening the fibers on the wool material. He took his discovery a step further by testing the lubricant on a patch of hair on his neighbor’s dog, and the fur was straight. Lastly he tried the straightening solution on himself and with positive hair straightening results he began to sell the product to African American people and eventually started his own hair line company in 1913 called G.A. Morgan Hair Refining Co.
Over time other texture altering systems were made with different processes, but with the same ingredient that was used from Morgan’s invented straightening solution called Thioglycolate (thio). This ingredient is a chemical agent that permanently breaks down one of the strongest bonds in hair called disulfide bonds (hence the word perm). In 1938 Arnold F. Willatt invented the cold wave perm that can permanently curl straight hair without the use to heat or electricity better known as the cold wave perm. 1954 the texturizer was invented by George E. Johnson which was designed to soften the curl of hair in which The Johnson Company was formed, but was later sold to L'oreal by his ex wife at the time who had 49.5% share in the company. Then in 1976 the Jheri Curl was invented by Jheri Redding that was more catered to the African American community by using toothpicks to form the curls, but again with the use of ammonium thioglycolate. Fast forward decades later to 1996 the Japanese Straightening system was created by Yuko Yamashita called the YUKO Hair Straightening, she bought the product that will permanently straighten hair with the use of a thio relaxer and the addition of heat with a flat iron tool to America in 1999. The Brazilian Keratin Treatment was invented sometime in the 2010 era by an unknown mortician in South America, Brazil. Information is very limited on the inventor. However the harmful chemical that is used in the preservation for human corpses called formaldehyde gained a lot of controversy because exposure to it causes nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia. All these chemical straightening systems involve either a thio or a formaldehyde chemical where if exposed to repeatedly over an extended period of time increases the risk of causing different types or cancer.
So what type of cancers could an individual be at risk of developing?
According to the National Health Institute (NHI) the thio chemical disrupts the way the endocrine system functions leading to cancers involving the reproductive system in women and breast cancer. Other endocrine disrupting agents such as parabens and phthalates cause cancer of the uterine. Endometriosis is another cancer caused by hormonal instability where cancerous tumors are developed inside, outside or around the uterus. The 2018 study by The Journal of Human Reproductive Services found that high levels of phthalates were found in women diagnosed with endometriosis. Northwestern Medicine’s data collected that uterine fibroids have been associated with high exposure to parabens, phthalates, and Di(2-Ethylhexyl)Phthalate (DEHP) in women who are at higher risk of forming symptomatic fibroids. It is also stated that DEHP can be passed from mother to baby in utero and exposure to the chemical indoors also puts a person at risk of uterine fibroids coming about.
Who are at risk of contracting these different types of cancers and why?
Studies are showing that African American women are at the most risk and have thus far been the highest demographic that have developed one of the listed cancers and are linked with exposure to thio, parabens, and phthalates. The ways in which these women were exposed were through chemical relaxer straightening systems. Statistics point to the fact that women exposed to these chemicals more than four times in 12 months are at more than “DOUBLE THE RISK.” AA women were using these products at least every 4-6 weeks, mostly starting from the age of three years old all through late adulthood and beyond. That is at least 8-12 chemical sessions in a one year period. This high exposure gives a 30% more chance of developing breast cancer by transmission of dermal scalp abrasions that can be caused by chemical burns from the relaxer treatment. During a study by NHI women that affirmed using chemical straightening systems had a higher rate of being diagnosed with uterine cancer, this study was collected from 33,947 women aged 35-74. 60% of these women were African American.
Women in this specific demographic used these products for various reasons. What I personally hear from users is more manageability as a number one answer and having a more attractive desirable look. By whose standards? Are these reasons true? Is it their opinion or the opinion of others? According to JSTOR Daily’s article How Natural Black Hair at Work Became A Civil Rights Issue says that in the early 1900s African Americans chose to straighten their hair by chemical straighteners or hot combs in order to avoid racial discrimination and to be socially accepted in the workplace. In 1964 when the Civil Rights Acts was signed into legislature in hopes to end segregation in public places, schools, and employment discrimination. As part of The Civil Rights, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was formed in order to regulate workplace discrimination. While people of color could not be legally discriminated against because of the color of their skin, they could face scrutiny for the natural hair that grows out of their head.
In this latest study by Our 2023 Workplace Research Study revealed that:
Black women’s hair is 2.5x more likely to be perceived as unprofessional.
Approximately 2/3 of Black women (66%) change their hair for a job interview. Among them, 41% changed their hair from curly to straight.
Black women are 54% more likely (or over 1.5x more likely) to feel like they have to wear their hair straight to a job interview to be successful.
Black women with coily/textured hair are 2x as likely to experience microaggressions in the workplace than Black women with straighter hair.
Over 20% of Black women 25-34 have been sent home from work because of their hair.
Nearly half (44%) of Black women under age 34 feel pressured to have a headshot with straight hair.
25% of Black women believe they have been denied a job interview because of their hair, which is even higher for women under 34 (1/3).
Today we wait on the next Act to be signed in legislation called The CROWN Act, C.R.O.W.N stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” this law will prohibit race-based hair discrimination, such as denial of employment, discrimination in the workplace and in educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots. If you would like to support The Crown Act, subscribe to the website and sign the petition at https://www.thecrownact.com/research-studies
Where do we go from here?
I became aware of the information that hair relaxers were causing cancer about three years ago by a client who had been diagnosed with fibroids. She knew that I had obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology and that I would understand whatever research was out there at the time and she asked me to look into it. I did, and unfortunately I cannot find the data now that I did find at the time I was briefed about it, but I do remember what the conclusion of the experiment was. The bottom line was that chemicals that are used in relaxer straightening systems were exposed to lab rats over a certain period of time, and at some point in the research the specimens developed some form of cancer, but it was also at more concentrated levels that are not in professional or over the counter kits. I think that counts for something.
If you have been diagnosed with uterine cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids you may be eligible to file a claim for a chemical hair straightener lawsuit if you have been exposed to any chemical straightening system. Consult with a lawyer with any proof or medical records to determine your eligibility. Companies that are involved in the lawsuit are Strength of Nature Global LLC, Soft & Beautiful, Motions, TCB Naturals, Just for Me, Namaste, Olive Oil Girls, L’Oreal, Dark and Lovely, and Optimum. According to Consumer’s Report these specific companies are being sued because “The presence of EDCs in Defendants’ Toxic Hair Straightener was not disclosed in the product’s label, and is in violation of state and federal law.” Lawsuits state chemical straighteners and relaxers increase the risk of uterine cancer, and that manufacturers failed to warn the public.” Treatment plans can be discussed with your doctor.
Relaxers have caused other adverse reactions for consumers such as permanent hair loss, scalp conditions, side effects with medications being ingested. Then the natural hair era came back with a bang and women that were receiving straightening treatments either stop the services cold turkey or transition to a point of no longer having chemicals on their hair. Right now it seems that companies are not switching up ingredients, if possible to stop or lower exposure to these harmful chemicals. My best suggestion as a hairstylist of 23 years is to discontinue usage if you are concerned about the exposure compromising your health. Opt in for flat ironing services on an regular basis and eventually your hair will become trained with heat and stay straight between appointments…or you can explore and enjoy a natural journey!
References
Biography. (2014, April 2). Garrett Morgan - Inventor of the Traffic Light & Gas Mask. bio. Biography.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://www.biography.com/inventors/garrett-morgan
Chemical Texture Services. (2016). In Milady Standard Cosmetology (2016th ed., pp. 618-619). Cengage Learning.
Coogan, P. F., Rosenburg, L., Palmer, J. R., Coizer, Y. C., Lenzy, Y. M., & Bertrand, K. A. (2021, May 20). Hair product use and breast cancer incidence in the Black Women's Health Study. NCBI. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8496025/
The Crown Act. (n.d.). About — The Official CROWN Act. CROWN Act. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://www.thecrownact.com/about
Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Johnson, George E. 1927–. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/johnson-george-e-1927
Griffin, C. (2022, July 29). JSTOR Daily. How Natural Black Hair at Work Became a Civil Rights Issue. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://daily.jstor.org/how-natural-black-hair-at-work-became-a-civil-rights-issue/
Harris, K. (2022, March 22). Chasing Curls: A Look At The History Of The Permanent Wave. History Daily. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://historydaily.org/permanent-wave-facts-stories-trivia/2
The Japanese Hair Straightening Guide. (2015, June 1). The Beginning of YUKO Hair Straightening. Japanese Hair Straightening Guide. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https://japanesehairstraighteningguide.com/2015/06/01/the-beginning-of-yuko-hair-straightening/
Llamas, M. (2023, February 25). Chemical Hair Straighteners and Cancer | Risks for Women. Consumer Notice. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://www.consumernotice.org/products/chemical-hair-straighteners/cancer/
Llamas, M., & Edel, A. (2023, January 27). Chemical Hair Straighteners | Safety Information & Side Effects. Consumer Notice. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://www.consumernotice.org/products/chemical-hair-straighteners/
Llamas, M., & Edel, A. (2023, April 18). Hair Straightener Lawsuits: Lawsuit Updates & Cancer Claims. Consumer Notice. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://www.consumernotice.org/legal/chemical-hair-straightener-lawsuit/
Organize For. (n.d.). Help Us End Hair Discrimination in the Workplace, Schools, and Pools. OrganizeFor. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from http://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/help-make-hair-discrimination-illegal
What is a Keratin Smoothing Treatment About?
January 10,2022
Shamona Thomas
You are sitting in your stylist chair getting your hair done, and you ask “what can I do to keep my fizzy hair under control?” Your hairdresser suggest a keratin treatment, however you have no earthly idea what that is or how it works. So down the rabbit hole of questions and answers, but you still are not sure if this is the right service for you. So let us dive into it.
A keratin treatment is a smoothing treatment that will reduce frizzy hair by 95% depending on the strength of the formula. Some ask is it a chemical, and the answer is yes but not a harmful one. The key ingredient is keratin which is a breakdown of protein. Hair, skin, and nails are made up of keratin and sometimes those areas could be lacking a certain level of proteins for a list of reasons causing deficiencies.
Smoothing treatments are for anyone that has hair, it does not matter your hair type, race, age or gender. The best results are aesthetically pleasing on patrons with unruly curly or wavy hair. Hair has cuticles laying on the shaft much like shingles on a roof. And when the shingles are not laying down the hair is shaft is left vulnerable to all environmental elements causing hair to be unmanageable.
A key question that is always asked about this service is “will it damage my hair?” The answer is NO, this treatment is just what it is A TREATMENT! It will smooth the hair shaft, lay those hair cuticles down, add shine, reduce at home and in salon blow drying and styling time and of course the biggest perk reduce fizziness. If the hair is already damaged, this treatment will help repair stressed hair.
When I am explaining to someone how this systems works, it is most often thought that this is a permanent relaxer. It is not, the results are semi-permanent versus a relaxer is permanent, depending on the type of smoothing treatment being conducted the more or less it will last. It will rinse off with shampoo sessions, this service can last 6 weeks up to 5 months depending on how well the hair is maintained between services and the corresponding shampoo and conditioner are used. Your curls will still be present when wet and before blowout and pressing, and what is so cool is that if you want to wear your hair curly…you can! AND the curls will be tamed, defined, no fizzy mess!
Do you already have color or highlights on your hair, maybe you are transitioning out of a relaxer, perm, or some other chemical treatments? The keratin smoothing treatment can be used in conjunction with other chemical services. Matter of fact you can do a color service the same day as the smoothing treatment, the color would have to be done first then the keratin treatment. Let me give you a warning, some smoothing treatments done over color somehow changes how the color look. My theory is that the hair is coated and the transparency of the keratin solution can change the appearance of the color or the hair. There is are 2 brands that I have seen this with Chi Enviro smoothing treatment and Brazilian Blowout, and for that I will never use these products again.
This service helps with those clients that are transitioning. You know, some people want to be natural to just not have chemicals on their hair, but still desire to wear their hair straight. The keratin smoothing treatment is a great option to transition out of a permanent relaxer. If you are not feeling how the smoothing treatment is going you can always go back to getting a relaxer.
As I bring this blog to a close I wanted to go over what the aftercare looks like. For most keratin treatments there is a little bit of down time that is required. Some of it may sound silly, but the little things will help the treatment last in the best way possible. Let me give you the run down, no getting your hair wet for at least the next 72 hours after the service. No headbands, sunglasses, hair ties etc. Use the at home hair care products that your stylist recommends to get the best lasting results of your new treatment. If you are always in doubt about this service book a consultation with your stylist so you can make the best informed decisions about your hair needs.
5 Reasons you should Book a Hair Consultation before a Hair Appointment
September 26,2021
Shamona Thomas
You are ready to see a new stylist for whatever reason. However you are apprehensive on letting a stranger in your head, but you are desperate…right? You get online do some research and you see an attractive hair picture. You click on the picture and it leads an ONLINE booking site. You look through the service menu and it is all overwhelming, yet you see the first option on the list is to book a consultation. It is not mandatory, but doing so might make you feel more confident about this potential stylist. Wait…but now you know what you want, and you look at your hair and think how I get to that goal. Ok, you check out the reviews and they are 4 stars out of 5, which can be a good thing. Anyway you are not ready to cut your losses so you just book a consultation. Now you have a rush of emotions, and you don’t know what to expect but a consultation may just show you what you can expect…read on to find out what those expectations are.
1.See what the salon looks like, and check out the surroundings in the area.
Believe it or not I had clients that were in the business of looking for a new stylist plan their trip to the salon. With the salon address, they take a trip at least a day before the appointment just to see accurately how far away from their home or place of work I am located. Most clients want to make sure you are not located in a home and if you are, is there a separate salon set up from your home and not actually in areas where the stylist dwells. Just in case you didn’t know legally a stylist that is offering a beauty service for a trade of barter or money must conduct business in a licensed salon. Now that licensed salon can be their home, but there has to be a door that separates where they do business and where they are doing home stuff, and certain types of equipment must be present in that working area. Do what you will with that information. Some clients are concerned with the surrounding areas. Does it appear safe? Is it in a well-lit area? Are there some restaurants around to grab a bite to eat before, after and maybe even during the appointment. They just want to know what they can expect when they pull up to the salon, so a drive by is in order.
2.You get to do a meet and greet with the beauty professional, you can do a convoy of how the potential stylist conducts booking, and see if they follow through with booking procedures.
Meeting a beauty professional before an actual hair appointment will tell you A LOT about that person and how they conduct business. For starters…did your consultation start on time or at least with a 15 minute grace period. Now don’t get me wrong, everybody is late at some point, but you will NEVER catch me waiting hours for someone to get to me especially if they are not even in the building. And if they are behind, were you notified of the tardiness and an expected wait time as well as a thank you for your patience apology. Did they follow their own booking procedures? Stylist will create all these rules for the client, but do not have any for themselves. Have you seen some of the rules and FAQs pages? Talk about harsh, however I do understand the frustration on both sides, it is hard setting boundaries in a business where you have to play nice all the time. But boundaries are good and must be set on both sides to give both parties an understanding how their business operation will flow.
3.During consultation you can experience how the hairstylist interacts with you.
Now that you are in the chair to not talk about hair but, YOUR hair. How was your greeting, were you allowed to express your concerns about your hair, were follow up questions asked, did the stylist take any notes??? Now you will have an opportunity to see how a stylist will handle you, not all stylist are people person. And as much as you think we should be, some us just aren’t, well because we are people too and we have our own weird shit about us! But never the less you should be handled with professionalism and respect, whatever that means to you. If that stylist spirit does vibe with you they may not be the person for you, even if their work is the BOMB!
4.Will the stylist provide a regimen for your hair needs, and offer tips, tricks, products, and tool advice for at home care.
The stylist should always ask these key questions. What are you hair goals? What is your life style? How do you wear your hair? How would you like to wear your hair? What products do you use? What is your at home regimen, if any? After all these questions, that stylist should ask to examine your hair. He/she will be looking for the porosity and elasticity of your hair. Is your hair chemically treated? If so what type, how long have you been doing these treatments, brands of these treatments? ARE YOU DOING THESE THINGS YOURSELF??? No matter what the questions and answers are there is no reason to be ashamed about what is going on with your hair. It is like a doctor, this is your opportunity to be up front so you can reach your desired goals for your hair. If you lie…trust me, we know, some of us will call you out on it, and some of will let you find out the hard way if you don’t listen. I recommend that you do a respect and receive when a stylist tells you that your hair or you may not be ready for certain things when it comes to your hair.
5.Lastly, see what the checkout process is like.
Were all the booking procedures followed by the stylist, did things change up on you at the last minute, Yes!…move around, if things remained consistent with, go ahead think about things if needed and move forward with starting a client/beauty professional relationship.
Remember, not every stylist is for every client and every client is not for every stylist. That is okay, there are plenty of beauty professionals and clients to go around for everyone and find that perfect person. After you have done your online research and consultation, you will have a pretty good idea if that person is going to be your person. It is okay to ask what methods are used, products, and tools. Some of these may be different from what you are used to, but you looked at the stylist’s portfolio and you loved it, all those things is how they arrived at the end result that you see. Be open minded about that, we know you know your hair better than we do, but we know hair from all walks of light, and a well-trained educated stylist will know how to handle your hair. I want to close on this note because I think it is important, not all stylist prefer to do all the specialties of hair. For example if you don’t see braids on a stylist profile, they do not prefer to do them. Maybe that stylist just does color, color hair care, and styling. This does not make them less of a stylist, they just have niche, and it works mentally and financially for them. I have clients that have different stylist for different things, and I am okay with that as long as this other stylist will not compromise the hair. Before you book your next hair appointment with a new stylist be sure book a consultation first just so you have a peace of mind about your hair experience with your possible new hair person.
Got Dandruff? DYI Dandruff Remedy
August 8, 2021
Shamona Thomas
Well…we are about to head into the fall season which means dryer weather. Most times in a sudden change of climate or an environment that has less moisture a dry scalp is coming with it. You know it is coming yet you don’t know what to do about it, so let me kick a lil scalp game to you and get this dandruff under control. For starters we gotta know what dandruff is, what the different types of dandruff are, the causes of dandruff, and lastly what the remedy and prevention measures you should take. NOW, if your scalp issue is chronic, I recommend to see a dermatologist that can help give a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
So let us just define what dandruff is…according tohttps://www.medicinenet.com/dandruff/definition.htm dandruff is defined as a scalp condition that produces white flakes that may be shed and fall from the hair. You may have seen it, all those nasty white flakes sitting on your shoulder waving at everybody, embarrassing you and what not. So what do you do? You…
Step 1.
Visit your stylist
You should visit your stylist first before you attempt to treat your scalp condition because he or she can do a proper scalp analysis and determine what type of dandruff you have. Yes there are several forms of dandruff. Keep reading to find out what those are and how they can be identified.
Step 2.
Visit a dermatologist anyway because a stylist can only identify what they see from the naked eye and a cosmetologist cannot prescribe medication if needed.
Step 3.
Understand that different types of dandruff call for different actions, so let us jump into those different types of dandruff.
•Dry skin dandruff is the number one type of dandruff in the cooler months of the year. It is like not having a good lotion on your skin, it has nothing to do with the shampoo that you always use. Hot water will dry skin out in general so turn that water down to luke warm. Do your normal shampoo session, but once your hair is dry, apply an easily absorbed oil to your scalp like jojoba or coconut oil with a few drops of tea tree essential oil (EO) in the mixture. The EO will sooth any tightness and itching. I like that the oil absorbs easy because the hair won’t become oily. Ensure to apply your mixture with nose tip bottle and place directly on the scalp. You can also pre-treat the scalp a few days before your shampoo day.
•Oily scalp dandruff is a less common form of dandruff, but it looks like greasy yellow flakes. The good thing about this type of dandruff is that it does not flake off, it just sits on your scalp until you scrap it off. It is cause by your scalp having an over production of sebum to your scalp and your hair may be very thick at the roots that the oil will stay moist or it will flake up on the exterior side and stay moist on the inside. LISTEN…this type of dandruff gives me the most satisfaction when remedying it, because after the shampoo the client has a whole new scalp, think of it as a snake shedding its old skin and having beautiful new skin. It is all shiny, I got stars in my eyes just thinking about it. What I do first is scrap the scalp first with a fine tooth comb throughout the entire head or the affected areas. The shampoo I use to cleanse the scalp with is Straight Request Black Carbon Shampoo. Black Carbon shampoo has black carbon to rid the hair and scalp of any impurities, apple cider vinegar that will unclog the sebaceous glands of the scalp, and tea tree that will sooth the scalp because it may be sensitive from the scrap session. Allow the shampoo to sit on the scalp for at least 2- 5 minutes. During the lather up portion use a scrub brush my favorite is the tangle tamer. This brush will help cleanse your scalp without scratching it and prevent your hair from becoming tangled in the process. After rinsing off the shampoo, apply straight request happy scalp treatment to the scalp using a nose tip bottle and gently massage in. If you have a steamer, steam hair on the lowest setting with the treatment on the scalp, if not just wrap hair in a plastic cap and a wet warm towel for 15 minutes. Rinse out treatment and continue with your normal hair regimen.
•Fungal or yeast dandruff is a type of dandruff also called Malassezia that is contagious. It is hard to identify because it looks like some form of dandruff, the flakes are a bit larger yet white. The flakes are an effect of a microscopic fungi on the scalp. Malassezia does cause chronic itching. If your scalp is still chronically itching after a good shampoo session, it may be time to visit a doctor to be diagnosed. A fungal infection of the scalp is caused by chemical imbalance on the scalp surface and within the body. Hair that is wet for an extended amount of time, a high production of sebum, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), abstaining from emollients and sunscreens, antibiotic usage, immunosuppression including topical and oral steroid use and HIV can cause this type of infection. Have you ever washed your hair a felt like it smelled like mildew…that is a fungal infection. It is very important that your hair gets dry within 24 hours to avoid an over growth of fungus. If it is too late and need a remedy use a shampoo with zinc pyrithione and allow it to sit on the scalp for 2-5 minutes. Over the counter shampoos that I have used on my clients and that I like are T-Gel by Neutrogena and Nizoral. Once the dandruff clears up you can discontinue use. Please do not use only the dandruff shampoo during your wash session, it will dry your hair out. Follow up with a good moisturizing shampoo like Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo.
•Product buildup dandruffhappens when there has been an excessive usage of products are applied to the scalp like gel, edge tamer, spritz hair spray, pomade, grease etc. Most often these are used for “protective styling” now how “protective” does that sound. Anyway this is why protective styling is only good for 2 weeks because all of that product build up that sits on the hair and scalp for an extended period of time can cause some form of dandruff. No special steps here just shampoo your scalp and hair. Use a clarifying shampoo prior to your normal shampoo to remove any excess product buildup. I get clients all the time that come in after taking down a protective style complaining about really itchy scalp and they now have dandruff. My simple explanation is let us go to the shampoo bowl.
•Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammation of natural skin cells which can also be caused by a scalp fungus or yeast infection. It is chronic and itchy, has huge yellow flakes which is also a pleasure to scrap of the scalp. I have had a client come in with this issue, I sent her to see a dermatologist and she got steroid injections, and a prescription of the zinc pyrithione shampoo. If you are scared of needles the doctor can issue a topical cream, but it can leave the hair and scalp feeling greasy with a weird smell.
•Psoriasis of the scalp is a chronic form of dandruff where the immune system attacks the skin cells. This can happen on other areas of the body. Stress can also allow for an outbreak to happen. Psoriasis is white and scaly looking in appearance like the scales on a fish. They can get inflamed if patches are tampered with and can also crack and bleed. There is no cure for psoriasis, but there are medicines, steroids and topical ointments to manage the skin cells over growth.
I hope all this information and the photos was helpful if you are experiencing dandruff. You can control your dandruff in 9 easy steps with a few tips.
1.See a licensed professional stylist to do a proper scalp consultation. Your stylist maybe able to determine the type of dandruff you have, but he/she should always refer you to a dermatologist for proper diagnosis. Both the doctor and the stylist can help prescribe a remedy and a hair regimen.
2.Understand the different types of dandruff to help you understand the type of dandruff you may have.
3.Use a dry itchy scalp shampoo, do NOT bother with the conditioner, it will dry your hair out! Instead follow up with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.
4.Request a scalp treatment from your stylist, I am sure it will be a nice relaxing spa day for your hair.
5.Keep your scalp moisturized with an oil.
TIPS:
Use the finger pads of your fingers or a shampoo brush instead of nails. Nails can scratch and irritate the scalp as well as cause abrasions to the scalp introducing bacteria to the scalp.
Avoid very hot water when shampooing, always use luke warm water. Hot water can dry the hair and scalp out.
Add some ZINC, Vitamin B, water and fats into your diet
Avoid chemical treatments such as color, perms, and relaxers, the chemicals dry out the scalp as well. If you must a chemical, be sure to oil the scalp at least every three days.
Use room temperature water when rinsing out conditioner, this will close the cuticle of the hair and pores of the scalp locking in moisture.
Love, Peace, & Hair
Shamona
Our Latest Blog Entry
Summer Time Hair Care
July 14, 2021
Shamona Thomas
So things are heating up this summer! We are outside more in the elements, enjoying pool activities, and traveling the world. We tend to skip our regular hair appointments, and lean more towards protective styles. All these summer time fun events can cause stress and damage on hair. The good news is that there are ways to prevent any damage from occurring,
Let us start by being out in the elements, and when I say elements I mean air and water. Depending on where you live, there is a range of dry air to moist air. Be clear that hair HATES dry air, "why?" you ask. Because the hair is made up of two molecules... protein and water. When the air is dry it sucks any of the water reserve out of the hair leaving the strands dry, and when hair is dry the proteins in the hair become brittle causing hair to become what? DRY! When hair is dry it is more prone to breakage. Now this moisture, it is everything! If you live in a place where the moisture is high, consider yourself lucky, because moisture is one of the key ingredients that hair needs. The double edge sword to moisture in the air is that hair is more prone to becoming frizzy. There are also ways around that to a certain extent.
People love nothing more than to be around a beautiful pool with water trickling in the background, because water relaxes the body and the mind, and on a molecular level it releases endorphins and makes you feel like you are on a happy high. If you are around some natural spring water, your hair will love you for putting it in such a steamy environment. On the other hand if you are in salt or chlorinated water your hair could be doomed. Salt is a natural dehydrator, and will not vibe well if your hair is chemically treated with color, lighteners, relaxers, and perms. Much like salt, chlorine will do the same causing hair, nail, and skin destruction. Again there are ways to minimize the salt and chlorine intake.
Every summer we spend money, time and effort into preparing for a trip. One of those expenses is our hair. All the options range from a haircut, color, sew in extensions, and braids. A lot of times we want to be cute and not have to worry about our hair. The big question always is, "is this style going to be good for me to get in the water?", and to be quite honest with with you...NO! So a new color as stated before with salt or chlorine are not friends, it will cause a total desert for your hair, wait until you get back for a new color. Sew In Extensions or extensions of any type is not a bad idea, but it is very difficult to properly shampoo the hair that is all hemmed up in braids, thread, and extra hair. The same rings true for braids or crochet braids, wet tightly braided hair can weigh down hair causing tension on roots and strangle strands. There is never anything wrong with getting a new haircut or maybe a fresh trim for your trip, so carry on with that.
Biggest problem with the summer time and hair is that because or kiddos are out of school and we have trips and other obligations, we neglect or hair. we skip appointments for the summer, we get protective styles and wear it the whole summer without proper removal and conditioning. It must be made the new normal that visits to the salon don't stop at summer time. Don't get me wrong, it gets busy, but we all make time for what we want. So keep your regular beauty sessions, if you get a protective style have it properly installed, and removed. once the protective style is removed, a conditioning treatment and a trim is required. Your stylist will be able to tell you what type of treatment you may need. Protective styles like braids should only be worn for at least 4-6 weeks. Hair grows at least half an inch every 4-5 weeks, and when hair has been kept up longer than this period, it can lead to hair dreading and extreme tangling when the install is removed.
Preventative measures that we take to protect our hair are super minut and can make a huge difference. For one if you will be spending time outside using a ultraviolet hair product on your tresses that will protect your hair from sun damage, it works much like sunscreen for your skin. My favorite products are CHI Rose Hip Oil UV Protecting Spray, Redken UV Rescue Recovery Treatment, Moroccanoil Protect & Prevent Spray, Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil, and COOLA Scalp & Hair Mist Organic Sunscreen SPH 30. Secondly If you are going to be in a chlorinated or salt pool, and really anywhere you are going to get your hair wet. Don't just jump in the pool bone dry. Your hair and skin are like sponge, if a sponge is dry it will take on everything in the water, but if you wet the sponge first it won't take as much harmful properties. So before you hop in that water wet your hair and body first with regular water, and apply a conditioner, leave in conditioner or one of those UV protective products in your hair. After you are done with water play rinse off your hair and body again with regular water. HINT: This is why you see outdoor showers or bathhouse showers located near a pool or beachside. Third, keep your regular hair appointments where it permits. before your protective style see your hairstylist to prep your hair, and go after so he/she can condition and trim your hair. If you have someone else install your braids, go back to that same person to have it removed. it is their work and they know how properly take it out with minimal damage. Bear in mind that there will be extreme shedding, but this is because hair sheds 150-200 hair strands per day. When hair has been "protected" for an extended period time, it has no where to go, and when the hair is detangled and combed during the removal process a lot of the hair the shed will be coming out. The shedding will subside after the shampoo session.
Enjoy your summer festivities, wear your protective styles, but be safe in what you do with your hair. I hope these tips will help in how to love on your hair during the summer season.
Learn more about taking care of your hair by subscribing to my online school, Love On Your Hair University. Click on the link https://mona-d-coiffeur-hair-coach.teachable.com/admin-app/site/domains#:~:text=mona-d-coiffeur-hair-coach.teachable.com