CONFESSIONS OF A WIG-A-HOLIC: Surviving a hair intervention after black hair dye leaves woman in hospital and nearly bald

UPDATE: February 9, 2015 –  Nearly all of my hair has fallen out. I’m down to about two inches in the longest parts and a quarter of an inch in others. Who would have thought blac hair dye would nearly kill me.

 Help moms like me tell our stories! Please donate to http://www.gofundme.com/JoseesVoice

IMPORTANT UPDATE! – January 22, 2015 – Bigen hair black hair dye left me with extensive chemical burns on my scalp, face, ears and neck. It got so bad that the Bigen black hair dye raction landed me in the hospital! While flying across the country I had to be transported through the airport by wheelchair! If the wind blew, my skin would hurt so bad I would cry. I developed hard knots on my head that felt like marbles. My face tripled in size and was lopsided. Painful puss covered my scalp and I could feel my heart beat from my head. When the swelling began to go down, my face was completely chapped. If I put lotion on my face would burn like I rubbed acid on my face. if I cried, my face and eyes would feel singed. My skin flaked in painful pieces as did my scalp. If I smiled, my lips and lip corners would crack open and bleed. I couldn’t lay down. I couldn’t sleep. My hair is now severely damaged and there is lasting damage. I have been forced to consult product liability and personal injury attorney. I also found out that Bigen black hair dye did the same to many other women and there were lawsuits including a class action. Why is Walmart selling the hair dye? I could have had fatal injuries if I left it in my hair any longer.

(www.TheSingleMomClub.com) – Recently, I was the subject of a Hair Intervention. I knew I had a problem and my wig was beyond drunk but I didn’t know what to do about it. It got so bad that a photographer at a friend’s wedding took a photo of the back of my head without me knowing but forgot to delete the pic. Maybe it was mean and meant to be embarrassing or maybe that was a gentle hair intervention but I guess I missed the cues.

Some of the best sex I ever had happened while I wore a wig. I swam in it. Slept in it. You name it, I did it. It was as much a part of me as my toe nails. Even after I jumped in the pool and my wig jumped off my head, I never gave up the wig. Thankfully, I was alone in the pool that day, at least I hope I was.  If he was watching the monitors, the hotel security guard might have had the laugh of his life, but I snatched up my wet ‘do, put it back on my head and went back to swimming (above water that is.”)

Six months later, a good friend recently reached her breaking point. She could no longer sit by and witness my wig misadventures so she took matters into her own hands. She purchased some hair, a cap and hair dye to match the hair. We set a time and she went to work. She was clearly overjoyed. Friends and family got wind of what was going down and text messages began rolling in. One relative even came by my house to witness the new do – and likely report back to everyone else. The hair intervention was one of the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, but unfortunately it didn’t last a full week before I fell off the wig wagon.

In my defense, I relapsed because of an allergic reaction. Within 12 hours of the weave being sewn into my hair, I began to have itchy eyes and swelling. I thought it was a cold coming on. Then the burning started. My scalp was on fire!

My friend is a very talented, very careful hair stylist so it was nothing she did. She is very skilled at sewing in hair weaves. She does amazing things to her own hair as well as her child. They always look great. In fact, my scalp issues date back to high school when my oldest sister went to cosmetic school and I became a live test subject. I would get third degree burns on my scalp and neck from chemical reaction. I mentioned this to my friend but since we weren’t using any chemicals or glue, we didn’t give it a second thought.

By 3am on the morning of Day Four, I was in bathroom with scissors. I was so grateful that my friend had shared with me how to take out the extensions as she was putting them in. She mentioned the care it took and how to preserve the hair and prevent hair damage. I cut on the string that was sowed into my hair as my friend instructed when she put in weave in. Taking her advice, I lost no hair and detected no hair damage.

My scalp was another issue. Several places on my scalp where I had scratched or rubbed too much had turned to sores with puss oozing out. The puss hardened and acted as a protector for the sores, which hurt if the wind would blow but will heal. Other than being very itchy, tender and instantly relieved, there was no lasting damage after removing my weave. Had I left the weave in much longer, who knows what might have happened. After the weave was out, I knew it was first and last experience with weave. But I also knew the hair intervention worked. I was instantly in love with my natural hair. I vow to take care of it.

Although the weave was not for me, what my friend did for me will certainly change my life. I am not sure why I let my hair go – it had been nearly a year that I had on the same wig.  I know I will never let it happen again. For the first time in forever, I am happy to be nappy.

ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO YOUR WEAVE? Here is how to tell:
1) Scalp feels like it’s on fire
2) Random bumps pop up on face or neck
3) The hair touching your skin makes you itch or irritates you
4) You scratch so much you make sores in your scalp
5) Sleeping is interrupted

READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE: http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2014/07/want-braids-allergic-synthetic-hair-solutions-hair-alternatives/

NATURAL HAIR PRODUCTS

If you’re going to survive a hair intervention and rejoin the world, there are a few things you’ll need. Here are some products that gave my scalp relief after the allergic reaction:

1) 100% pure Shea Butter

2)  Pantene Sheer Volume Conditioner (As soon as it hit my scalp, my eyes would roll in delight.)

3) Rat hair comb for scratching

4) Leave-in conditioner in a spray bottle

5) Scissors to cut that damn thing out if your hair

UPDATE: About two hours after I posted, my allergic reaction turned to potential medical emergency. The left side of my head and ear began to swell and a half dollar sized soft knot appeared. I raced to the pharmacy, spoke to a clearly grossed out pharmacist who said I needed to see a doctor because the infection could spread to my brain and be harmful. He recommended Scalpicin for my itchy scalp and Benedryl for the allegeric reaction. What’s worse, the exact same wig that led to my hair intervention is back on my head. I plan to get the wig off for good as soon as I see a doctor and determine that I will be ok.

My friend the home hair stylist pointed out that I could have had a reaction to the Black hair dye that I used immediately before the weave was sewn in. She is such a good person and very talented so I know I will let her style my hair again, but I have track down what caused my reaction. Keep checking the blog so that I can fill you in on what I find out.

READ TINA LITTLEJOHN’S STORY ABOUT HER ALLELRGIC REACTION TO CLARIOL’s BLACK HAIR DYE by clicking the photo below.

Tina had an allergic reaction to Black hair dye and wound up in the hospital

 

A waitress has told how she feared for her life after hair dye triggered a horrific allergic reaction which left her unable to see for five days. Our stories are nearly identical!

Tina Littlewood, 41, had been coloring her hair for 20 years without any problems when she bought a kit ahead of a trip to visit her son on his Army base.

But hours after applying the Clairol Nice ’N Easy dye, her face had swelled up like a ‘rugby ball’ and became covered in weeping blisters, which doctors later compared to a fire victim’s burns.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED: 5 mom bloggers tapped take the “Kiddie Hair Challenge”

(www.TheSingleMomClub.com) – When it comes to multicultural or Black hair, every single mom could use a heping hand, especially in the morning. In an effort to teach young kids about self care and how to value their hair, The Single Mom Magazine teamed up with the publisher of a new book, “Curiously Coiled.” To put our newest magazine writers to the test, we had the publisher send each mom blogger the book for a real world review.Each mom will be sent a copy of the book this week. Their reviews willl appear on thir blogs in October.

Stay tuned to The Single Mom Club.comfor exciting results.

HAIRFINITY: What you should know about taking Hairfinity and other vitamins

TheSingleMomClub.com – Taraji P. Henson takes hair vitamins. Should you?

Originally Published August 11, 2014
on TheSingleMomClub.com
Updated January 2015

(www.TheSingleMomClub.com) – With budgets getting tighter by the day, single moms don’t always have the money to hit up the hair salon every week but that doesn’t mean haircare isn’t important to us.

Enter single mommy and award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, whose hairstyles on the hot new show, “Empire” has people going crazy. Taraji’s character, Cookie, is causing fashion freaks flip over her Diana Ross, 70s-inspired wardrobe and of course, that hair.

In true single mom fashion, Taraji has found juggling single motherhood and raising a son was one of her biggest challenges. Marcel, her now 19-year-old spokesmodel son, sometimes had to go on auditions with his mother when a baby sitter wasn’t available.

“You have to pay attention to what they’re doing, reading and watching because this world is a very different world than when I grew up,” said Taraji. “They have all this information [on social media] at their fingertips, and you have to pay attention — with eyes wide open.”

Henson is quick to acknowledge, however, that her son is of an age where a simple “no” will no longer do. “I don’t just say, ‘Do what I said’; I give him a reason for it,” she explains.

 

So, how do YOU get amazing hair like Taraji and juggle single mommy life without sporting “Mom Hair”? It’s a question that we’re all waiting to find the answer to so it’s a good thing you’re a member of TheSingleMomClub.com so that you can find out!

With many options like Hairfinity, Vivisical, Miss Jessie’s and others threatening to snatch $40 and more a bottle, single moms are right to ask: “Is it really worth it?” With celebrities like Taraji P. Henson, Khloe Kardashian and others earning big checks to promote products – despite never really having issues with their hair – it is time to find out what real moms think about these products.

TheSingleMomClub.com is going to try out 30 hair care products, review each one and create our Top 10 list, beginning this week beginning with Hairfinity. Until then, here’s a haircare video that we found interesting.

Hairfinity is a nutritional supplement formulated with essential nutrients for healthy hair. This hair specific formula contains Vitamins A, C, and D, a B-Vitamin Complex, Biotin, MSM, and more.

Hairfinity is clinically proven to increase the hair growth rate by 155% while decreasing shedding. Just two capsules are taken per day, and each bottle contains a one-month supply. Ever wonder how Kim Kardashian keeps her long, thick hair looking gorgeous? She uses Hairfinity as well as Khloe, Taraji P Henson and more!

Hairfinity Hair Vitamins are formulated with hair specific nutrients to nourish your hair from the INSIDE OUT and promote faster growing, longer, thicker, stronger hair, and more vibrant hair. As you are probably already know, my hair has a very fine and is thin. A new development has me very concerned: a receding hair line by my part. I need to do something about this and quick so I am going to try Hairfinity vitamins to promote growth and strength for my pathetic hair!

Biotin Biotin promotes healthy hair growth and protects against dryness. Increases the elasticity of the hair’s cortex, thus preventing breakage. Helps produce keratin that prevents hair loss.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) Niacin promotes scalp circulation Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) – prevents hair loss.

Vitamin A Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps produce healthy sebum in the scalp.

Vitamin C Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps maintain hair and skin health.

Vitamin D Vitamin D helps prevent hair shedding which is critical to a voluminous fuller head of hair.

Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is essential to the formation of healthy red blood cells and helps transport oxygen to the scalp and follicles, which is required to sustain hair growth.

Vitamin B Complex Vitamin B Complex nourishes and supports a healthy scalp environment and healthy hair growth. Deficiencies in these vitamins can lead to hair thinning, hair loss, graying, and weakening of the hair structure.

Silica Due to its ability to maintain collagen, Silica helps maintain the hair’s elasticity and helps keep the hair lustrous.

MSM The sulfur provided by MSM is required for healthy collagen and keratin, which are essential to healthy hair growth.

EXCLUSIVE CAPILSANA™ COMPLEX delivers a unique blend of Hydrolyzed Collagen, MSM, and Silica provides 18 Amino Acids, which are the building blocks of the protein that gives hair it’s strength. The exclusive complex also provides sulfur required for healthy collagen and keratin, which are essential to healthy hair growth.

Hairfinity Hair Vitamins contain the basic nutrients for overall health. A healthy body is the ideal environment for healthy hair to thrive. This means that a good metabolism, and immune system are also key factors for growing healthy hair fast. They also contain specific nutrients that are essential for faster hair growth. These ingredients promote a healthy scalp, increased hair elasticity, increased hair strength, and more!

Check out these before and afters with REAL customers!

 

Please do NOT touch my hair: Teaching your child self-esteem

(www.TheSingleMomClub.com) – School is in but that does NOT mean that kids should lose their personal space. Parents of multiracial children are often shocked when strangers touch or ask to touch their kids’ hair. Heck, even Black parents have to have the “Do not touch my hair” conversation with their kids. So how do you handle the situation?

Some parents do not mind, so go ballistic and others are stunned into silence when it happens to their child. Some feel that it’s rude, disrespectful or comes off like their child is being petted like a dog. Check out some of these comments on the topic.

 

Consider that the hair touching may not bother your child. In fact, a parent bringing it up or parental reactions to the hair touching could make the child feel uncomfortable. It may be a good opportunity to ask your child how they feel when others touch their hair – whether or not they are asked prior.

Here are a collection of articles and videos that TheSingleMomClub.com gathered to help you figure out how you want to approach the matter.