***Waving*** Hey Y'all!!!
Okay...this post is going "keep it real"! By real, I mean as honest as I can be. Do you mind if I get on my soapbox for a second? I get tired of people posting about their hair journeys/issues/roadblocks, but they never really show the struggle! Do you know what I mean? They talk a lot about problems they encountered, but where's the proof? Many show us the beautiful "after" pictures. The pictures where they have followed some strict regime and they obtained the length or thickness or whatever they were aiming for, but where are the BUSTED pictures? *Smile* I know that no one really wants to be put themselves out badly on the world wide web, but I think if more did, it would add some validity to their claims.
Alright, on to my post....as some of you may have gathered, my husband and I recently had a beautiful bouncing baby boy in July of this year. I love my little Ty and he's such a blessing to my family! Now, Ty isn't my first baby. I also have a 3-year old so pregnancy and dealing with postpartum issues were not strangers to me. This time around, however, I experienced something I didn't with my first child. I had to deal with SHEDDING! Now, many moms in the postpartum phase deal with a much more noticeable amount of shedding after having a baby because while pregnant, hair stays in the growing phase and it doesn't shed. So basically, in the postpartum period, you start to shed all that hair that you more than likely would have shed if you hadn't been pregnant.
Now let me be clear, I have never had edges that almost touch my eyebrows or really thick edges. By genetics, my edges have always been the finest part of my hair and that's fine with me! I know what I can and cannot do with my hair and I work with my hair instead of trying to make it do things that would stress it out. As long as my hair is healthy, I'm just fine with what God has given me to work with! (Self-love starts with acceptance!)
Well, after I had Ty, I expected that I would have some shedding, but I never would have imagined that the shedding would take place mainly in the front of my hair, near my hairline! Imagine my utter dismay, when I was washing my hair and it kept shedding...in the front! I was like, "Come on God! You know I have a big forehead! Can I get some shedding in the back please! That's much easier to disguise." By mid-September, I was almost on the verge of a major freak out! Instead of having a break down, I started to ask questions and do some research. After consulting with a few people and surfing Google, I developed a plan of action. My regime and products were fine so I stuck with what I was doing, but I decided to incorporate Castor oil and supplements (MSM and Biotin) into my routine.
****DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor nor am I in the medical field. I chose to use things that I felt would work for me. I am not advising that anyone do what I did without consulting his/her physician. If you choose to do so, you do so at your own discretion and risk.****
Now, many people raved about Castor oil, MSM, and Biotin, but I didn't see too many believable pictures/videos that showed if they actually worked. So I decided to really document the process, like I did when I was transitioning to natural hair. For most folks, seeing is believing! This is an ongoing thing, but I'm posting these pictures because I really want to help somebody. I know that for many, hair issues can be discouraging, but with consistency, diligence and most importantly, patience, I believe many hair problems can be fixed with positive results.
This picture was taken on September 22, 2011 at 7:17 PM CST. (I have time and date stamps on my pictures.)
This picture was taken a little over two months later on November 30, 2011 at 3:31 AM CST. (Yes, I took the picture this morning!)
Now as you can see from the pictures above, there is definitely a difference in my edges! They are not 100% back to how they were pre-pregnancy, but they are definitely getting there! If you also look closely, you should be able to see a difference in my eyebrows. I use the Castor oil on my eyebrows and eyelashes and I can also notice a difference in them. With the right mascara, it looks like I'm wearing some falsies. (As a matter of fact, my husband thought I had on some lashes last weekend so y'all know there has to be some difference if a man notices!) I'm very happy with the results so far and I'll do another update in a few months.
This post is getting long so if you guys want to know exactly how I used the Castor oil and supplements (amounts and frequency), leave me some comments! If I get enough feedback, I'll give you the play by play of how I use the items in conjunction with my normal hair routine.
My challenge for today is to start taking proactive steps to handle whatever situation you might be going through in your life. Instead of crying about it, get up and do something about it! If your significant other isn't acting right or your job isn't fulfilling or your prayer life is not where it should be, take the steps to make things better. Counseling, filling out job applications, making time to communicate with God---whatever it takes, do it! We have to stop talking about things at some point and start doing something to see the change! God bless!
