Thursday, September 8, 2011
New Blog...Hair and Pain
well, life in general i guess. But I suffer from chronic pain issues and of course I am proud to be a "Curly Girl." Two blogs was silly. No reason I can't combine and use tags. :) Who knows what else I might decide to blog about.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Curly Girl Method INFO
You can buy the book HERE
I recommend anyone with curly hair get this book. And if you have hair you always thought was straight but is frizzy, has some wave after showering and is sometimes hard to style and manage...you probably have wavy hair. GET THIS BOOK.
Seriously. It will change your life. Well, at least you will have no more bad hair days. :)
CO Wash...CURLY GIRL METHOD
AUG 26th...I have thoroughly enjoyed my no-poo journey thus far. My hair is much better. I have had a couple of bumps along the road but overall a very good experience and I don't foresee ever going back to shampoo. But there are two issues I am having.
One, I miss the smell of "pretty" shampoo. I do. My husband insists my hair doesn't stink. But I can occasionally catch that stale muggy odor- though even then he insists it doesn't stink. It's possible I just don't like the 'natural' smell of hair. Vanity? Maybe, but it is an issue for ME so I have to find something to fix it. Second, i think my hair is conditioned well, it's soft and not fly away...but it looked dry and I figured out it was frizzy. Mostly on the ends but all over I have a frizz "halo" especially after using the bbb. I posted about my frizzy hair a while back- thought maybe it was too much baking soda...the bbb...so I tried a few things to help fix it with no success. Still had the thought that it might be too dry in the back of my head even though I knew it well oiled, and things I mentioned above contradicted that idea.
So, I started looking into cowashing. I figured that would help with the frizzies maybe and also add my "pretty" smell back. I started plopping to dry my hair. At some point in looking into the cowashing thing, it suddenly totally hit me, and I have no idea HOW I missed this before, but my hair is not straight as I have always thought...! My hair is naturally wavy! I started looking in to Curly Girl then, of course, obviously not a far cry from cowashing haha. I downloaded her book and read it through. I am now even more convinced that yes my hair is wavy...and possibly even...can it be true??!?....CURLY...?!? I have only recently begun the plopping and also not using any comb or brush on my hair...and I already have a few tendrils that actually corkscrew in to beautiful botticelli style curls and I cannot wait to do the full CG method and see what happens. (Have to buy conditioner and gel next time I go shopping now that I know how to decipher labels.)
I am not sure when this curly hair thing happened...and to look back in photos wouldn't help because I wouldn't know if my mom had curled my hair, or I'd had a perm, etc. And as a teen in the 80's and it's BIG HAIR well...who knows what it really was under that can of Aqua Net? ;) I won't bore anyone with details of why but I suspect my hair possibly changed after my twins were born 10 years ago. I don't know...all I know is that now my hair is naturally curly and I am so excited to travel this leg of the journey and see where it takes me. :)
SEPT 7th....I AM IN LOVE with my hair. When using shampoo I NEVER would have thought I could use conditioner on my scalp. But it's the best thing for my hair. AMAZING. I wash with conditioner...condition the lengths...leave in a teensy bit of watered-down conditioner...gel and let dry. I can let my hair go for a couple days. (and day two hair is even better than wash day hair!!) Day three or four I do a wo wash...condition ends...apply some leave in...gel and dry. I couldn't do wo when I was doing the bs/acv routine. It looked awful. Now, it buys me another couple days. I was even able to apply a little coconut oil to the ends and it didn't get greasy looking from it like it would before. I am so happy with my hair!! I no longer brush my hair- that is one of the worst things you can do to curly hair and why my hair would frizz after using the bbb. I do use a wide tooth comb while washing- after it is wet and full of conditioner. I am hoping that after it is fully conditioned and the ends are trimmed off I will not need to do that even. (I want a curly hair stylist and there is a salon in the town we travel to to visit family that has several DEVA trained stylists...so I will wait to get my hair cut next time we go.) This has been quite an adventure!! I started no poo July 1st...I had a nasty transition phase that lasted about a week...I tried several regimens...I had a horrible misadventure with a garlic treatment...and discovered I have naturally CURLY hair...lol. But I will NEVER go back to using shampoo...and my conditioners will forever be "nasty-stuff" free. I can't imagine having nasty, greasy, frizzy, unmanageable, hard to style hair ever again...which is what I had when hooked on shampoo.
SEPT 7th....I AM IN LOVE with my hair. When using shampoo I NEVER would have thought I could use conditioner on my scalp. But it's the best thing for my hair. AMAZING. I wash with conditioner...condition the lengths...leave in a teensy bit of watered-down conditioner...gel and let dry. I can let my hair go for a couple days. (and day two hair is even better than wash day hair!!) Day three or four I do a wo wash...condition ends...apply some leave in...gel and dry. I couldn't do wo when I was doing the bs/acv routine. It looked awful. Now, it buys me another couple days. I was even able to apply a little coconut oil to the ends and it didn't get greasy looking from it like it would before. I am so happy with my hair!! I no longer brush my hair- that is one of the worst things you can do to curly hair and why my hair would frizz after using the bbb. I do use a wide tooth comb while washing- after it is wet and full of conditioner. I am hoping that after it is fully conditioned and the ends are trimmed off I will not need to do that even. (I want a curly hair stylist and there is a salon in the town we travel to to visit family that has several DEVA trained stylists...so I will wait to get my hair cut next time we go.) This has been quite an adventure!! I started no poo July 1st...I had a nasty transition phase that lasted about a week...I tried several regimens...I had a horrible misadventure with a garlic treatment...and discovered I have naturally CURLY hair...lol. But I will NEVER go back to using shampoo...and my conditioners will forever be "nasty-stuff" free. I can't imagine having nasty, greasy, frizzy, unmanageable, hard to style hair ever again...which is what I had when hooked on shampoo.
Friday, August 19, 2011
update
I am very happy with the fact that my hair doesn't look nasty, greasy or dirty even after a few days of not washing (washing as in using the baking soda/bronner's mix). With shampoo I was greasy by the following day and it was a yucky dirty type greasy. I am happy with the waves/curls that are appearing (who knew??!?) Before, I thought my hair was straight and the last time I got a perm you couldn't even tell. I could get it to curl sometimes but it never lasted more than half a day. Now it is quite wavy and if I put it up in a scrunchie, for example, it is curly when I remove it and the curl lasts for a day or two.
That all said...I am struggling with occasional odor. It is a sweaty stale type odor. (I used to get it much worse with shampoo...I couldn't smell it in the air but I could get the smell on my fingers by rubbing my scalp. GROSS. Now, I just notice the odor every once in a while- I wonder if the shampoo scented my hair enough that I just didn't notice the scalp odor. Since going no 'poo...the odor has been really bad on two occasions but only on one of those occasions (today) has it been strong enough to transfer to my fingers like it used to. One of my sons gets it too, he is not no 'poo.) It is driving me insane. Last time it was bad I thought it might be something I ate. I can't relate it to anything like that this time though- nothing I can think of anyway. Hormones could be a culprit, though...this time and last. I have a really hard time getting the odor to go away especially when it's really strong like these two occasions. The length of my hair doesn't *stink* but it doesn't really smell like anything at all...and I miss the pretty smell on my hair from shampoo. Anyway, as I said I had a huge scalp odor issue today. I discovered that sulfur can help with the scalp odor- eggs are high in sulfur and I had read before many people do egg washes. So, I did an egg wash (recipe below). My hair is INCREDIBLY SOFT. The smell is gone from my scalp and the accompanying itchiness has decreased also. My hair smells decent- still not *pretty* but it does smell better than the "nothing" I have become used to. I really hope I can keep that scalp odor at bay. I realize that we each have our own natural scents and I am ok with that but this is just not pleasant. As for my hair...I think I will be trying a spritzer of an EO (essential oil) and water and just spritzing it on my hair. I just have to figure out what scent I would like. I would LOVE vanilla but that is one pricey EO...
I have also begun "plopping" and I am really enjoying how that is helping to bring out the natural waves as well.
EGG WASH
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
warm water- maybe 1/8 cup
Whisk the egg and honey well. After it whisked well, add the lemon juice and mix. Wet your hair, apply the wash. You can let it sit while you wash up. Rinse well. Rinse and Rinse and when you think you have it all out...rinse for another minute.
Notes: I wasn't paying attention and as an avid home chef and baker I am used to separating eggs to use the whites not the yolks...so in the end I ended up using two eggs instead of the one egg and one yolk the recipe called for because I put the second egg white right in my bowl lol. I also didn't measure the other ingredients- I rarely do...I just eyeball it. Whisking is important. It's key in the egg not 'clumping' when you mix in the lemon leaving bits in your hair. A wisk will likely remove that thick viscous white part that may also create bits in your hair.
You can find more egg wash info and suggestions here:
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=21760
http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14703&page=2
That all said...I am struggling with occasional odor. It is a sweaty stale type odor. (I used to get it much worse with shampoo...I couldn't smell it in the air but I could get the smell on my fingers by rubbing my scalp. GROSS. Now, I just notice the odor every once in a while- I wonder if the shampoo scented my hair enough that I just didn't notice the scalp odor. Since going no 'poo...the odor has been really bad on two occasions but only on one of those occasions (today) has it been strong enough to transfer to my fingers like it used to. One of my sons gets it too, he is not no 'poo.) It is driving me insane. Last time it was bad I thought it might be something I ate. I can't relate it to anything like that this time though- nothing I can think of anyway. Hormones could be a culprit, though...this time and last. I have a really hard time getting the odor to go away especially when it's really strong like these two occasions. The length of my hair doesn't *stink* but it doesn't really smell like anything at all...and I miss the pretty smell on my hair from shampoo. Anyway, as I said I had a huge scalp odor issue today. I discovered that sulfur can help with the scalp odor- eggs are high in sulfur and I had read before many people do egg washes. So, I did an egg wash (recipe below). My hair is INCREDIBLY SOFT. The smell is gone from my scalp and the accompanying itchiness has decreased also. My hair smells decent- still not *pretty* but it does smell better than the "nothing" I have become used to. I really hope I can keep that scalp odor at bay. I realize that we each have our own natural scents and I am ok with that but this is just not pleasant. As for my hair...I think I will be trying a spritzer of an EO (essential oil) and water and just spritzing it on my hair. I just have to figure out what scent I would like. I would LOVE vanilla but that is one pricey EO...
I have also begun "plopping" and I am really enjoying how that is helping to bring out the natural waves as well.
EGG WASH
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
warm water- maybe 1/8 cup
Whisk the egg and honey well. After it whisked well, add the lemon juice and mix. Wet your hair, apply the wash. You can let it sit while you wash up. Rinse well. Rinse and Rinse and when you think you have it all out...rinse for another minute.
Notes: I wasn't paying attention and as an avid home chef and baker I am used to separating eggs to use the whites not the yolks...so in the end I ended up using two eggs instead of the one egg and one yolk the recipe called for because I put the second egg white right in my bowl lol. I also didn't measure the other ingredients- I rarely do...I just eyeball it. Whisking is important. It's key in the egg not 'clumping' when you mix in the lemon leaving bits in your hair. A wisk will likely remove that thick viscous white part that may also create bits in your hair.
You can find more egg wash info and suggestions here:
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=21760
http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14703&page=2
Friday, August 12, 2011
6 weeks...
I have been adjusting the amount of Bronner's and bs. I think the frizziness was from too much bs...and too much Bronner's, I feel, strips the oils too much and that is the whole point for my avoiding shampoo. So I have diluted the Bronner's even more (maybe a 1:4 ratio with water) and the bs I tried as low as about 1/2 tbsp but went back up to more like 3/4.
Before washing now I oil up my scalp and hair really well with coconut oil. That has helped a lot. (has also cleared up a patch of eczema I have had no relief from for FIVE YEARS ...I am not kidding you. I recently discovered it is related to my lactose intolerance. Limiting dairy/using lactaid when needed helped but it still was a noticeable patch of irritated skin. Until I started applying the oil. It was cleared up. Gone. Incredible.) ok back to the hair...I apply it and wrap with a warm washcloth and towel (can also use tinfoil or plastic wrap to help hold heat in) and let it sit for however long. It washes out fine with the bs/soap mix. My hair is so soft even at the ends (always a problem.)
I have a couple photos I took just today- it has been about a month I think since I cut my hair last and I think the ends need some trimming again but over all I am very happy with the current condition of my hair.
Last night I oiled then washed with my bs/Bronner's mix and skipped the ACV rinse.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Before washing now I oil up my scalp and hair really well with coconut oil. That has helped a lot. (has also cleared up a patch of eczema I have had no relief from for FIVE YEARS ...I am not kidding you. I recently discovered it is related to my lactose intolerance. Limiting dairy/using lactaid when needed helped but it still was a noticeable patch of irritated skin. Until I started applying the oil. It was cleared up. Gone. Incredible.) ok back to the hair...I apply it and wrap with a warm washcloth and towel (can also use tinfoil or plastic wrap to help hold heat in) and let it sit for however long. It washes out fine with the bs/soap mix. My hair is so soft even at the ends (always a problem.)
I have a couple photos I took just today- it has been about a month I think since I cut my hair last and I think the ends need some trimming again but over all I am very happy with the current condition of my hair.
Last night I oiled then washed with my bs/Bronner's mix and skipped the ACV rinse.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Loving this
I am still no 'poo. I am still tweaking things but I'm so happy with where my hair is right now.
I have decreased the amount of bs to help with the frizz. I was using 1tbsp and now I am using about half that. I am still using dr bronner's...I mixed the soap and water in a bottle (1:1) and use a squirt of it with the baking soda.
I have begun using ACV over my entire head without greasiness as a result- I use a tbsp or so of ACV mixed with a cup of water. I soak my ends for a minute, give or take. Then I pour over my head and rinse the front/top of my scalp almost right away trying to not rinse my length too much. I finish up in the shower and then rinse the length.
I have made one major change...I have added coconut oil to my regime. I rub oil into my dry scalp and length, cover with a hot damp washcloth and turban wrap all of it up. I keep it wrapped for a while- I don't time it- I just go about doing stuff and when I get around to it I wash it out. I do this on wash days only- it's way too much oil to do on any other day. My hair is loving this addition.
I still use the boars brush every night to distribute the oil from my scalp. I don't care for it- I feel it increases the frizz and the brush stinks and I am concerned it will transfer to my hair. (I don't think the brush is dirty...I think it's just the brush itself.) I plan to get a wood brush and comb but it just isn't a priority so I haven't looked for any locally or priced them at all online.
I am washing about every third day. (so i washed sunday then not again until wednesday.) My hair doesn't get greasy like it used to with shampoo. It is slightly oily by the end of day two but it's a healthy shine oil...it doesn't look dirty oily. I don't know if that makes sense. It looks good. With shampoo, i was dirty oily by the end of day one. It doesn't stink like it did on shampoo. And since adding the coconut oil the itchiness has decreased even more.
I am very pleased. I don't foresee ever using shampoo again. My hair us so much better than it was before.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I have decreased the amount of bs to help with the frizz. I was using 1tbsp and now I am using about half that. I am still using dr bronner's...I mixed the soap and water in a bottle (1:1) and use a squirt of it with the baking soda.
I have begun using ACV over my entire head without greasiness as a result- I use a tbsp or so of ACV mixed with a cup of water. I soak my ends for a minute, give or take. Then I pour over my head and rinse the front/top of my scalp almost right away trying to not rinse my length too much. I finish up in the shower and then rinse the length.
I have made one major change...I have added coconut oil to my regime. I rub oil into my dry scalp and length, cover with a hot damp washcloth and turban wrap all of it up. I keep it wrapped for a while- I don't time it- I just go about doing stuff and when I get around to it I wash it out. I do this on wash days only- it's way too much oil to do on any other day. My hair is loving this addition.
I still use the boars brush every night to distribute the oil from my scalp. I don't care for it- I feel it increases the frizz and the brush stinks and I am concerned it will transfer to my hair. (I don't think the brush is dirty...I think it's just the brush itself.) I plan to get a wood brush and comb but it just isn't a priority so I haven't looked for any locally or priced them at all online.
I am washing about every third day. (so i washed sunday then not again until wednesday.) My hair doesn't get greasy like it used to with shampoo. It is slightly oily by the end of day two but it's a healthy shine oil...it doesn't look dirty oily. I don't know if that makes sense. It looks good. With shampoo, i was dirty oily by the end of day one. It doesn't stink like it did on shampoo. And since adding the coconut oil the itchiness has decreased even more.
I am very pleased. I don't foresee ever using shampoo again. My hair us so much better than it was before.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
26 days in...going strong
Yesterday I had a dr's appt...you know the one *rolling eyes* and of course just needed my hair to look, feel and smell clean. If nothing else than for my own comfort. So, even though it was not a wash day and didn't really need to be washed, I mixed up some bs and dr bronner's. I forgot that I was going to use a tbsp AFTER diluting it. So I used a little much. *oops* So, in the end my hair was WAY too clean. I was SO worried that I had totally screwed up the headway I had made. I noticed the ends were dry as well. Today, I did a wo wash with an acv rinse. My hair, thankfully, looks and feels fine now. I didn't have time to let it dry before I had to leave so I dried it as well as I could and dusted with cornstarch...because it does look oily after a wo wash until it is completely and totally dry. I will definitely continue with the bs/bronner mix but used correctly- haha. I have to decide on the frequency though. My husband said my hair looks so much better. It has lightened a little so it isn't really the dull drab mousy brown anymore. It is still dark especially indoors but it has more texture and depth to it because of the "highlighting" now.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Diet related...?
I had another thought about the odor. Something I ate. I started wondering about this because I have had a horrible stomach ache yesterday and today as well- the likes of which I haven't had since before I discovered I lactose intolerant. So I thought about what I had eaten in the past couple of days that was out of the norm. Canned tuna. I googled this and in an admittedly brief search discovered that, according to several sites - some even reputable medical type ones lol- that canned tuna is notorious for causing gastrointestinal issues and body odor of various types. Maybe that was it? I don't know if I had a problem last time I ate it...it was a while ago and due to the undiagnosed at the time lactose issue I always had stomach issues back then.
At any rate...this morning I could still smell a hint of the stale scalp odor though it was not as strong a yesterday and I was just desperate. I did discover it was concentrated on the back/top of my head. On top of the tuna possibility I also thought a) maybe I wasn't washing that spot well or b) I was getting ACV rinse in that area and maybe that was causing an issue. I made a rinse of chamomile tea, lemon juice, cinnamon and vanilla extract. I saturated my hair in it. I used two bowls, one to pour over my head and one to catch the rinse so I could repeat the process. I also put some in an applicator bottle and concentrated it on the spot. I did this whole process several times then I soaked my hair in it for as long as I could sit bent over like that with my head in the bowl. I was in the tub. I decided to just pour the rinse in the tub at that point and I laid down to immerse my hair as much as I could (I have a large two person soaking/spa tub.) I followed this with a really good rinse with warm water then a cold water rinse.
The result...? My son said my scalp smells like peanut butter cookies...rofl!!! Hey, that is a HUGE improvement over dirty laundry- his reference of yesterday's odor. I'll take it and I'll consider it to mean 'you smell good'. :)
Ok. Hopefully that crisis is solved. I don't think i will be eating tuna again...just in case. But I do think I will be eating peanut butter cookies here pretty soon... Haha! ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
At any rate...this morning I could still smell a hint of the stale scalp odor though it was not as strong a yesterday and I was just desperate. I did discover it was concentrated on the back/top of my head. On top of the tuna possibility I also thought a) maybe I wasn't washing that spot well or b) I was getting ACV rinse in that area and maybe that was causing an issue. I made a rinse of chamomile tea, lemon juice, cinnamon and vanilla extract. I saturated my hair in it. I used two bowls, one to pour over my head and one to catch the rinse so I could repeat the process. I also put some in an applicator bottle and concentrated it on the spot. I did this whole process several times then I soaked my hair in it for as long as I could sit bent over like that with my head in the bowl. I was in the tub. I decided to just pour the rinse in the tub at that point and I laid down to immerse my hair as much as I could (I have a large two person soaking/spa tub.) I followed this with a really good rinse with warm water then a cold water rinse.
The result...? My son said my scalp smells like peanut butter cookies...rofl!!! Hey, that is a HUGE improvement over dirty laundry- his reference of yesterday's odor. I'll take it and I'll consider it to mean 'you smell good'. :)
Ok. Hopefully that crisis is solved. I don't think i will be eating tuna again...just in case. But I do think I will be eating peanut butter cookies here pretty soon... Haha! ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Day 23...and Dr Bronner's...
After returning to the bs/acv wash yesterday, I woke up this morning and headed to town. About halfway there I could smell that stale dirty scalp odor. My son confirmed that my scalp smelled. *sigh* I applied some baking soda when I got to my moms house and that helped absorb the odor and bought me a few hours- enough to shop and return home. I decided to try Dr Bronner's soap. I have seen mixed reviews on it- I decided I just needed to try it. I bought the peppermint liquid one. When I got home I washed with it and followed with an ACV rinse. My scalp burns a bit- I am not sure why though I have put it through the wringer in the past two days. On the positive side- it smells better. My hair also has VOLUME. WOW. So, I am going to experiment with using the soap more. Hopefully the burning is not related- because other than that I am very pleased.
My plan for the next wash is:
about 1 tbsp diluted Bronner's Soap (I premix this with water in a 1:1 ratio)
about 1 tbsp baking soda
mix together in palm of hand to lather and apply to scalp
massage well
rinse thoroughly
My plan for the next rinse is:
about 1 tbsp ACV diluted with water
OR about 1 tbsp lemon diluted with water
OR chamomile tea diluted with water
I did see a 'recipe" for a cinnamon vanilla ACV rinse...fill a jar with ACV, add a vanilla bean (or some vanilla extract) and a couple cinnamon sticks. Use about 1 tbsp diluted in water for a rinse. I will try this after I go to the store next and get the cinnamon sticks.
I am feeling like this whole process is very complicated and it seems like more of a hassle than it's worth. But that's where it gets me...because it IS worth it. If I can have nice healthy hair for longer than a couple of hours (about how long my nice (but not healthy!!) hair lasted with shampoo) then yes it is worth it. And once I get the routine down that works well for me- it will be much easier. I might have to change it up a bit here and there- changes in weather, hormonal issues, etc...but for the most part I should be able to learn all of this and go with it. We do the same thing with shampoo- I had three different shampoos and two different conditioners I would use for different reasons/desired outcomes. And the results were VERY temporary. And not healthy at all.
My plan for the next wash is:
about 1 tbsp diluted Bronner's Soap (I premix this with water in a 1:1 ratio)
about 1 tbsp baking soda
mix together in palm of hand to lather and apply to scalp
massage well
rinse thoroughly
My plan for the next rinse is:
about 1 tbsp ACV diluted with water
OR about 1 tbsp lemon diluted with water
OR chamomile tea diluted with water
I did see a 'recipe" for a cinnamon vanilla ACV rinse...fill a jar with ACV, add a vanilla bean (or some vanilla extract) and a couple cinnamon sticks. Use about 1 tbsp diluted in water for a rinse. I will try this after I go to the store next and get the cinnamon sticks.
I am feeling like this whole process is very complicated and it seems like more of a hassle than it's worth. But that's where it gets me...because it IS worth it. If I can have nice healthy hair for longer than a couple of hours (about how long my nice (but not healthy!!) hair lasted with shampoo) then yes it is worth it. And once I get the routine down that works well for me- it will be much easier. I might have to change it up a bit here and there- changes in weather, hormonal issues, etc...but for the most part I should be able to learn all of this and go with it. We do the same thing with shampoo- I had three different shampoos and two different conditioners I would use for different reasons/desired outcomes. And the results were VERY temporary. And not healthy at all.
Friday, July 22, 2011
no no-poo balls!!
Well I posted earlier I had made up some no poo balls- baking soda, honey a tea tree oil. My hair has been an oily mess and I thought maybe it was the transition/detox period. Unfortunately it was getting a hint of that dirty-oil smell I got all the time with shampoo. Today I decided to give it a good scrub with straight up baking soda mixed with a small amount of water. (What I was doing originally.) It worked great!! I did use white vinegar instead of ACV...but I am going to return to ACV- I just like it better and I think it works better. I also noticed my hair is a bit frizzy at the scalp- not sure if I got overly aggressive with the baking soda today, or if it's the white vinegar not conditioning as well or what. But I am SO happy that my hair is not greasy after washing like it has been. YAY!
One thing I have learned- THIS TAKES TIME. It probably won't be a smooth, easy, quick fix. You may have to experiment. You can't give it 2 or 3 weeks and say 'it's not working.'
One thing I have learned- THIS TAKES TIME. It probably won't be a smooth, easy, quick fix. You may have to experiment. You can't give it 2 or 3 weeks and say 'it's not working.'
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Transition
I think I may have hit the 'transition phase' so many speak of. Where your confused hair realizes something has changed and is saying 'what is going on?!' and starts overproducing oil briefly. I did put a very small amount of castor oil on the ends so it's possible it's that but my hair seems more oily overall even on the day I washed. But...it still doesn't look or smell bad like it did with regular shampoo. So, at this point I can deal with it. Hopefully it won't last long!! I will be doing a honey/brown sugar scrub tomorrow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Day 16
WO wash today (ACV rinse), dusted with cornstarch. Not only went in public but attended a party. No worries or concerns that my hair looked or smelled dirty. When I used shampoo I wouldn't leave the house without washing my hair- felt and looked too nasty even if I had just shampooed it the day before. Today was the 2nd day since washing with bs. Plan to use bs every third day for a while before (hopefully) moving to every four...then every five...etc. I am so happy I found out about this. I was SO tired of greaseball hair even with shampooing every day. (which was horrible for my skin!)
On a side note, I have rough skin on my chin, neck and jawline. I used a brown sugar-olive oil scrub today (second time I have done this) and my skin is so smooth, looks so fresh and young. I find it funny that I would wash my face with oil but it really does work- actually better than any facial cleanser I have tried) and I love that I don't have to worry about any chemicals. Doesn't get much more natural than (real) brown sugar and olive oil...seriously.
On a side note, I have rough skin on my chin, neck and jawline. I used a brown sugar-olive oil scrub today (second time I have done this) and my skin is so smooth, looks so fresh and young. I find it funny that I would wash my face with oil but it really does work- actually better than any facial cleanser I have tried) and I love that I don't have to worry about any chemicals. Doesn't get much more natural than (real) brown sugar and olive oil...seriously.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
now i know it's working...
My husband just reached over and rubbed my hair...small gasp "oh wow..." he says "holy crap...I don't think I've done this since you started." He ran his fingers through a bit more and says "wow...it's like so silky smooth..."
*big huge smiles giggles and grins*
I can pretty much say without a doubt I will NEVER use shampoo again. Ever.
Priceless.
*big huge smiles giggles and grins*
I can pretty much say without a doubt I will NEVER use shampoo again. Ever.
Priceless.
Day 14
This morning my hair looked ok- not too dirty or oily. Felt worse than it looked though. This was day 3 since last bs/acv...I am hoping to get to doing that just once a week. I still think, for me, doing that gradually is the thing to do. So, today I did a BS/ACV routine. Hair looks and feels amazing. It is soft, moisturized, and I have so much body! Color is still a little on the mousy side but it does not look as drab - looks healthier and shinier. I have errands to run tomorrow and a party to attend on Saturday. I might do a honey/brown sugar scrub that day but I will see what my hair looks/feels like.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Day 13
My hair is AMAZING!! It seemed oily last night and this morning. Especially after using the boars bristle hairbrush on it. I did a wo wash (oh I did an acv rinse too) and after it was barely damp, I though 'no way is wo going to work for me.' It was oily, stiff-like, and YUCK. But, I wasn't going anywhere today, so I dusted with cornstarch and put my hair up. Checked later after it is completely dry...and WOW! It doesn't look oily or dirty at all. It just looks...normal. I could totally go out in public and no one would ever guess I hadn't washed it today let alone not used shampoo in almost two weeks. Normally...when I was using shampoo...there was no going in public if my hair wasn't washed. You could totally tell and it was gross. Right now it's early evening and my hair is not oily...it doesn't stink...and it looks fine. I am amazed and SO happy. I can't believe I can wash it less often yet have it stay cleaner longer.
Here are some photos...the funny kink in the back is from having it up in the clip while drying.
Here are some photos...the funny kink in the back is from having it up in the clip while drying.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Day 12...and a self-done haircut
I cut my own hair yesterday. Basically I trimmed, redid the layers all over and framed around my face. I found some great videos on youtube by notaditdot on cutting your own hair. I've done it before but she had a lot of info and shows techniques so you can SEE what to do. Allowed me to get a bit more courageous and creative with my own hair. :)
Here is a before photo of front and sides (just after bs/acv and day 11 of no 'poo):
And here are my results:
As far as my hair...It is smooth (i should have hit it with the boars bristle hairbrush before taking the 'after' side view), it is clean, it doesn't smell, it is soft and not dry. I am very happy with the results so far. And I noticed this morning that areas of it are a pretty brown with blonde highlights and even some red! The lights shines on it beautifully too. It is very pretty and I sure hope it continues throughout my hair so I can get rid of the nasty dull mousey brown/dirty blonde I normally have.
I noticed some very slight oiliness this morning mostly in the front on top of my head. But I did a ton of brushing, combing and manipulating while cutting it yesterday. With regular shampoo, it would have been a greasy mess today after all that handling. I just put some cornstarch on the oily spots and it's completely presentable. I also noticed I am having no problems with static. That was always a huge problem for me...year 'round. But it hasn't been an issue now since day one- one time I had a little fly away, but I applied a very small amount of oil to the ends (like I applied it to my hands and while they were still wet with oil I ran them lightly over my hair ends.) and that was the end of that. :) yay!
Here is a before photo of front and sides (just after bs/acv and day 11 of no 'poo):
And here are my results:
As far as my hair...It is smooth (i should have hit it with the boars bristle hairbrush before taking the 'after' side view), it is clean, it doesn't smell, it is soft and not dry. I am very happy with the results so far. And I noticed this morning that areas of it are a pretty brown with blonde highlights and even some red! The lights shines on it beautifully too. It is very pretty and I sure hope it continues throughout my hair so I can get rid of the nasty dull mousey brown/dirty blonde I normally have.
I noticed some very slight oiliness this morning mostly in the front on top of my head. But I did a ton of brushing, combing and manipulating while cutting it yesterday. With regular shampoo, it would have been a greasy mess today after all that handling. I just put some cornstarch on the oily spots and it's completely presentable. I also noticed I am having no problems with static. That was always a huge problem for me...year 'round. But it hasn't been an issue now since day one- one time I had a little fly away, but I applied a very small amount of oil to the ends (like I applied it to my hands and while they were still wet with oil I ran them lightly over my hair ends.) and that was the end of that. :) yay!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Day 11
BS/ACV. Today is Day 11 in the process and day three since last wash with bs. My hair was presentable but did feel dirty. Last time I did a bs wash though I had reduced the amount of bs and I think that was a bad idea. Today I used one of the no 'poo balls I made yesterday. (on that link look for post #71.) I am guessing it was probably a Tbsp of baking soda. I use an empty honey squeeze bottle...place the ball in that and added a little water to make it about the consistency of shampoo. Applied it, rubbed it in, added more water to the bottle and shook it to rinse out the residue. Applied that over rubbed in bs. Let it sit for a minute and rinsed well. The ACV wash is not measured...I pour a tbsp or so into a cup and add water. Soak ends for maybe a minute then apply to hair. Rinse very well...I let the water run over my face- when I can no longer taste the vinegar...it's rinsed well enough. ;) Follow up with a cool water rinse. Hair is still wet but I plan to update later today with a report on hair condition and photos. I also cut my hair a bit. I might cut more later as well after it dries...I might want more framing around my face.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 10...interesting update
I had posted my hair looked damp. Now it just looks normal. Very odd. I was planning on doing a brown sugar honey scrub tomorrow. Considering waiting. Still have to figure out routine.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 10 afternoon
I am not sure if I can describe this. My hair was oily this morning, as I posted in my previous post from today. I did a wo wash. It has dried and it is slightly oily but simply looks more damp- like it simply isn't dry yet. It looks clean, doesn't smell (hubby confirmed)...I think anyone in public would just think it hadn't dried yet from shampooing it earlier in the day (giggle).
I am going to come up with a routine I think. And I am going to make no 'poo balls (in a way I hate these terms but I also think it makes people take a double take and pay attention...).
Anyway- info on these little gems:
From here:
Quote:
"A No Poo Recipe
I just wanted to share this since its working great for me.
I make no-poo balls, its a lot easier than mixing everything together in the shower.
I just mix together BS, water, honey, and EO's roll it into about 1/2"- 1" balls and let them dry for a few days. I keep a dish of them on my bathroom counter and just bring one into the shower, cup it in my hand, let some water mist over it and work it into my hair."
As far as measurements, from a source I can't find now, she recommended about 1 cup of baking soda, a large squeeze of honey, and a few drops of tea tree oil. Then enough water to make it into a thick paste.
I am going to come up with a routine I think. And I am going to make no 'poo balls (in a way I hate these terms but I also think it makes people take a double take and pay attention...).
Anyway- info on these little gems:
From here:
Quote:
"A No Poo Recipe
I just wanted to share this since its working great for me.
I make no-poo balls, its a lot easier than mixing everything together in the shower.
I just mix together BS, water, honey, and EO's roll it into about 1/2"- 1" balls and let them dry for a few days. I keep a dish of them on my bathroom counter and just bring one into the shower, cup it in my hand, let some water mist over it and work it into my hair."
As far as measurements, from a source I can't find now, she recommended about 1 cup of baking soda, a large squeeze of honey, and a few drops of tea tree oil. Then enough water to make it into a thick paste.
Day 10- Time to recap...
This is a recap of my process thus far, more for my own sanity to keep good track of what I did than anything. :)
Day 1: no wash, no rinse
Day 2: bs paste wash/acv rinse
Day 3: no wash, no rinse
Day 4: bs wash/acv rinse
Day 5: brown sugar honey wash
Day 6: bs wash/acv rinse
Day 7: no wash/no rinse...though I did a honey lightening treatment and rinsed with water so...
Day 8: bs wash/acv rinse
Day 9: no wash/no rinse
Day 10: wo wash
I can't believe it's been 10 days since I have used shampoo and my hair is better than ever. i can see I was doing the bs wash every other day...I am cutting that back to every third day. It makes sense to me that one might sort of "wean" ones hair of being washed so much to help it adjust better...? idk. I wonder if I could do a baking soda wash once a week and do the brown sugar honey scrub in between along with wo washes. My hair really liked the brown sugar/honey scrub. hmm. Experimentation, experimentation, experimentation...lol.
This morning my hair was noticeable oily. Did not stink though. Normally with shampoo it would have been this oily yesterday and would have certainly stunk by today. It is still damp right now but it feels and looks cleaner than before I did the wo rinse in the shower. Hard to tell for sure until it dries though.
If nothing else to add for today...I have determined I am in desperate need of a haircut. :)
While I have found many blogs like this one and gleaned good info, encouragement, etc from them...my favorite go-to resource at this point is the no 'poo method forum.
Day 1: no wash, no rinse
Day 2: bs paste wash/acv rinse
Day 3: no wash, no rinse
Day 4: bs wash/acv rinse
Day 5: brown sugar honey wash
Day 6: bs wash/acv rinse
Day 7: no wash/no rinse...though I did a honey lightening treatment and rinsed with water so...
Day 8: bs wash/acv rinse
Day 9: no wash/no rinse
Day 10: wo wash
I can't believe it's been 10 days since I have used shampoo and my hair is better than ever. i can see I was doing the bs wash every other day...I am cutting that back to every third day. It makes sense to me that one might sort of "wean" ones hair of being washed so much to help it adjust better...? idk. I wonder if I could do a baking soda wash once a week and do the brown sugar honey scrub in between along with wo washes. My hair really liked the brown sugar/honey scrub. hmm. Experimentation, experimentation, experimentation...lol.
This morning my hair was noticeable oily. Did not stink though. Normally with shampoo it would have been this oily yesterday and would have certainly stunk by today. It is still damp right now but it feels and looks cleaner than before I did the wo rinse in the shower. Hard to tell for sure until it dries though.
If nothing else to add for today...I have determined I am in desperate need of a haircut. :)
While I have found many blogs like this one and gleaned good info, encouragement, etc from them...my favorite go-to resource at this point is the no 'poo method forum.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Day 9
A little oily today. But I had to really study it to determine if it was indeed oily or just shiny. I have been using the brush probably more than I should have been. I also could be going in to the transition period? I did use less bs in the wash yesterday...maybe I cut back a little too much and that is why hair is oily today? All things to consider...
One thing I have already learned in this process is that everyone responds differently and experimentation is necessary to find what works best for your hair. I plan to just do a wo wash tomorrow. Will use cornstarch if necessary. And when I do the next bs/acv wash i will up the bs again a bit. I actually liked using the paste- i just need to be sure to rinse very well with that. I may go back to that again.
This is still a HUGE improvement over washing with shampoo. Had I used shampoo yesterday, It would have been oily like this last night. And, today, it would be even greasier and it would stink. Blech. Huge improvement.
One thing I have already learned in this process is that everyone responds differently and experimentation is necessary to find what works best for your hair. I plan to just do a wo wash tomorrow. Will use cornstarch if necessary. And when I do the next bs/acv wash i will up the bs again a bit. I actually liked using the paste- i just need to be sure to rinse very well with that. I may go back to that again.
This is still a HUGE improvement over washing with shampoo. Had I used shampoo yesterday, It would have been oily like this last night. And, today, it would be even greasier and it would stink. Blech. Huge improvement.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Boars Hair
100% Boar Hair hairbrush that is. I am not comparing my hair to a boar's hair. :)
I have read several recommendations to use a 100% natural boars hair brush- the bristles grab onto to dirt and also spread the natural oils from your scalp all along the shaft of your hair.
I used it as soon as I got home. Normally my hair would have been full of static after that. But not today- it was beautiful. Shiny. Sleek (and not from greasiness lol). Soft. Gorgeous. I kept saying aloud 'I can't believe this, my hair is amazing.'
My husband said my hair looks better. He said it looks so clean, and bright and that it looks 'evened out' or something. (he's a guy, and not a girly guy, so give him a break here...suffice it to say he notices a difference.)
I am so happy with my hair right now. I have to assume this is going to continue. I am keeping in mind that I could have a transition period still. But as of right now I don't foresee ever going back to shampoo and the grease ball hair.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I have read several recommendations to use a 100% natural boars hair brush- the bristles grab onto to dirt and also spread the natural oils from your scalp all along the shaft of your hair.
I used it as soon as I got home. Normally my hair would have been full of static after that. But not today- it was beautiful. Shiny. Sleek (and not from greasiness lol). Soft. Gorgeous. I kept saying aloud 'I can't believe this, my hair is amazing.'
My husband said my hair looks better. He said it looks so clean, and bright and that it looks 'evened out' or something. (he's a guy, and not a girly guy, so give him a break here...suffice it to say he notices a difference.)
I am so happy with my hair right now. I have to assume this is going to continue. I am keeping in mind that I could have a transition period still. But as of right now I don't foresee ever going back to shampoo and the grease ball hair.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 8
I did a bs/acv wash this morning. I have had a rough couple of days and just wanted to help myself feel better with a good hot shower and what-not. Normally I would have easily just let it go. It was not oily, didn't really feel dirty, looked just fine...
I am really pleased with this so far. It is not getting as oily or dirty as it did when I was using shampoo...it stays cleaner longer...and when it does get to where it needs a washing, it is not stinky like it was before! That's totally worth it.
Have a good day. :)
I am really pleased with this so far. It is not getting as oily or dirty as it did when I was using shampoo...it stays cleaner longer...and when it does get to where it needs a washing, it is not stinky like it was before! That's totally worth it.
Have a good day. :)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Honey Lightening UPDATE
Well, I mixed it up, applied it and left it on for an hour. The roots are a little "brighter"...it is all over actually. But definitely not as much of a change as I expected and still too..."dull". I guess I will have to do it again another day and maybe leave it on longer. I did read some people leave it on for a couple/few hours and also do repeated lightening sessions to obtain the results they want. It could have been my honey as well. The darker ones are more effective I guess. And I mixed the honey and water then added the cinnamon. I probably should have mixed the honey and cinnamon and then added the water.
Regardless, I tried to get a photo but I can't get the new lightness/brightness to show well so it isn't really rendering a whole lot differently from the 'before' picture. It was overcast outside though too so not as much natural light- maybe that was causing part of the problem as well. idk. Maybe if I had done a shot of just the top of my head before and after. Hmm. Well, I will probably do this again so I will post updates and photos when possible.
As for my hair...this is the evening of day 7. I didn't do the bs/acv wash today, but of course I did the honey application and wo rinse both before and after that. My hair is not oily at all, my scalp doesn't itch. I would be perfectly comfortable going out in public. I plan to do the bs/avc wash tomorrow again.
Regardless, I tried to get a photo but I can't get the new lightness/brightness to show well so it isn't really rendering a whole lot differently from the 'before' picture. It was overcast outside though too so not as much natural light- maybe that was causing part of the problem as well. idk. Maybe if I had done a shot of just the top of my head before and after. Hmm. Well, I will probably do this again so I will post updates and photos when possible.
As for my hair...this is the evening of day 7. I didn't do the bs/acv wash today, but of course I did the honey application and wo rinse both before and after that. My hair is not oily at all, my scalp doesn't itch. I would be perfectly comfortable going out in public. I plan to do the bs/avc wash tomorrow again.
Day 7 & a Honey Lightening Treatment
This morning my hair was very slightly oily...and I had to look close and study it to determine if it was just my dark, drab graying roots or if it was in fact oily. In two spots, almost like a couple of patchy areas, it was slightly oily. The first spot was up toward the front just behind my hairline and the other area was on the very top but back of my head- like where a Jewish Yarmulke would sit. I dusted it with cornstarch just to see if it would help again, pulled my hair up in a scrunchie and...all better! No one would know I didn't wash it today. The goal is to get to at least four days between bs/acv routines with wo washes in between.
I did read one post where she mentioned she was washing her hair too much at first with the bs and simply prolonged the onset of her "transition period." But I have also read people say that if you don't want to do this "cold turkey" you can gradually reduce the amount of shampoo by diluting it over several washings until you are using none. I think, for me, I am going to just let my hair tell me- if it feels dirty or oily, I am going to do the bs wash. I figure since I am not stripping natural oils, just cleaning off the excess, it will not disrupt the process. And at this point it seems I should be able to go a few days without using the bs and that is acceptable to me. BS can be harsh if used too much but every few days should be fine i think.
Now about the Honey Lightening I mentioned. I want to brighten up those dark, drab, graying roots. There is a henna coloring option. But I think I'd like to just go lighter. And I have the ingredients for that. Honey, water and cinnamon (there are variations and the type of water matters...more info here.
Will post pics later! :)
I did read one post where she mentioned she was washing her hair too much at first with the bs and simply prolonged the onset of her "transition period." But I have also read people say that if you don't want to do this "cold turkey" you can gradually reduce the amount of shampoo by diluting it over several washings until you are using none. I think, for me, I am going to just let my hair tell me- if it feels dirty or oily, I am going to do the bs wash. I figure since I am not stripping natural oils, just cleaning off the excess, it will not disrupt the process. And at this point it seems I should be able to go a few days without using the bs and that is acceptable to me. BS can be harsh if used too much but every few days should be fine i think.
Now about the Honey Lightening I mentioned. I want to brighten up those dark, drab, graying roots. There is a henna coloring option. But I think I'd like to just go lighter. And I have the ingredients for that. Honey, water and cinnamon (there are variations and the type of water matters...more info here.
Will post pics later! :)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Day 6...Evening update
My hair is so clean and not at all oily. It is still soft, though not quite as much as right after washing it this morning. Very slightly itchy. Even when using shampoo, my scalp would be itchy almost all the time. It could be either related to a medical condition I have - itchiness in general is an issue - or the shampoo and now the baking soda irritates my scalp. I do not notice an odor in my hair or on my scalp and that was confirmed by my resident sniffer (hubby lol).
Sometimes, people complain of the ACV being smelly even after drying. Or if the hair gets wet later. I do not notice a smell at all. I was in the pool today and I did not notice the vinegar smell on the right side, however I did notice it very slightly on the left. I am really thinking it is all in the thoroughness of rinsing.
See ya tomorrow!
Sometimes, people complain of the ACV being smelly even after drying. Or if the hair gets wet later. I do not notice a smell at all. I was in the pool today and I did not notice the vinegar smell on the right side, however I did notice it very slightly on the left. I am really thinking it is all in the thoroughness of rinsing.
See ya tomorrow!
In the beginning...
I have not shampooed my hair in 6 days. I did not say I haven't washed it...I said I haven't shampooed it.
There are many different ways to wash your hair when you don't want to use conventional 'shampoo. Every hair type requires a different approach as you go along you will find what works best for your hair. Here is a very good online community with info on doing this. http://no-poo.livejournal.com/profile . (Click on their user id to go to the discussions after you read their little 'do this first.") They classify hair types by letter and number in the forum so if you would like to find other users with your hair type, you can. The classifying list is here 9and will probably look complicated at first...) http://homepage.mac.com/annsofie.henriksson/hairtyping/Personal27.html
My hair is: 1bFii (straight with slight body, Fine, normal)
Common Abbreviations: BS-->baking soda, ACV-->apple cider vinegar, WO-->water only
DAY ONE: (June 1st) I did not wash my hair this day.
DAY TWO: (June 2nd) I opted to make a paste with the bs. There is mixed feelings on this. I should have chosen to NOT do this. *sigh* Anyway, it is what I chose so I mixed a tablespoon of baking soda with water and made a paste. I applied the paste to my scalp, worked it in, rinsed (probably not well enough) and then did the ACV wash. To do this I added a couple of tbsp of ACV to a cup of water, soaked my ends in it for a minute then poured the rest over the ends (I know now to apply it over my entire head...no need to do just the ends with this like what I was used to having to do with conventional conditioner.) I was shocked when I combed through it- normally I would have a ton of tangles, snarls and hair falling out. This time, it combed right through and only a few strands fell out. Air dried like always. It felt a little oily by the end of the day but not as bad as with shampoo. and it didn't LOOK oily, it only felt oily. Plus, it didn't stink.
DAY THREE: I did not wash my hair this day. By the end of the day it was "dirty" feeling...like I had used hairspray the day before. It still didn't look greasy, a small amount of oil was barely noticeable. Still it did not stink. (and I had my hubby confirm this for me...lol) Normally on this evening of day two, with conventional shampoo, I would have been noticeably greasy and stinky.
DAY FOUR: I did another BS wash with ACV rinse. At least this time I put the bs in a full cup of water so it was more diluted...HOWEVER this also is incorrect haha. You shouldn't use the entire cupful. (I didn't read the "read this first" part of the website like I have directed you to do so above...) By the end of the day it looked pretty good but it was ITCHY. I realized I had messed up (using too much baking soda) and contemplated using shampoo to start over. Instead I read about a brown sugar honey scrub to help with itching and since I had used a similar brown sugar scrub on my face (AMAZING!!) a few days prior, I thought I would try that.
DAY FIVE: I mixed brown sugar and honey to make a paste. I added a little olive oil (DO NOT DO THIS!!) Scrubbed my hair and this time did a lime rinse. It felt great after, combed through beautifully, and all seemed well. Until I figured out why you don't use olive oil. It looked greasy. *sigh* So, I grabbed a puffy makeup bristle brush, some cornstarch, and dusted my hair. PERFECT! I wore it up to help hide any remaining greasiness that might show through as the day went on.
Another note- my hair is thicker at this point and staying up better than ever. Before there were many days my hair was thin and would not hold the clip in place very well. My favorite two styles are to just put it up in a scrunchie or to wear it in a mock french twist held in place by a medium butterfly clip. (which is what I did this day.) I was even confident enough to go out in public like this. My husband said it looked fine, didn't look greasy, and didn't smell.
By the end of the day, it still looked GREAT and smelled fine. I did feel 'hairspray dirty' at that point but I assume it was due to me using the olive oil (did i mention DO NOT DO THIS??!?) and cornstarch.
TODAY- DAY 6: I did a bs wash and acv rinse today. a proper one this time. ;) My hair feels clean...as clean as if i had used conventional 'poo if not even more so...and WAY softer than had I used conditioner. It even has a little body and waviness- which normally it doesn't unless I put it up in a scrunchie to dry (or use tousling shampoo with mousse and work it while blowing it dry...) It doesn't itch, stink, anything. It is amazing. It is only mid-day right now though so I will post later what it islike come night time.
This is me right now...day 6 of no 'poo. I desperately need some layers and my roots are showing lol but I think it shows well the cleanliness and softness.
There are many different ways to wash your hair when you don't want to use conventional 'shampoo. Every hair type requires a different approach as you go along you will find what works best for your hair. Here is a very good online community with info on doing this. http://no-poo.livejournal.com/profile . (Click on their user id to go to the discussions after you read their little 'do this first.") They classify hair types by letter and number in the forum so if you would like to find other users with your hair type, you can. The classifying list is here 9and will probably look complicated at first...) http://homepage.mac.com/annsofie.henriksson/hairtyping/Personal27.html
My hair is: 1bFii (straight with slight body, Fine, normal)
Common Abbreviations: BS-->baking soda, ACV-->apple cider vinegar, WO-->water only
DAY ONE: (June 1st) I did not wash my hair this day.
DAY TWO: (June 2nd) I opted to make a paste with the bs. There is mixed feelings on this. I should have chosen to NOT do this. *sigh* Anyway, it is what I chose so I mixed a tablespoon of baking soda with water and made a paste. I applied the paste to my scalp, worked it in, rinsed (probably not well enough) and then did the ACV wash. To do this I added a couple of tbsp of ACV to a cup of water, soaked my ends in it for a minute then poured the rest over the ends (I know now to apply it over my entire head...no need to do just the ends with this like what I was used to having to do with conventional conditioner.) I was shocked when I combed through it- normally I would have a ton of tangles, snarls and hair falling out. This time, it combed right through and only a few strands fell out. Air dried like always. It felt a little oily by the end of the day but not as bad as with shampoo. and it didn't LOOK oily, it only felt oily. Plus, it didn't stink.
DAY THREE: I did not wash my hair this day. By the end of the day it was "dirty" feeling...like I had used hairspray the day before. It still didn't look greasy, a small amount of oil was barely noticeable. Still it did not stink. (and I had my hubby confirm this for me...lol) Normally on this evening of day two, with conventional shampoo, I would have been noticeably greasy and stinky.
DAY FOUR: I did another BS wash with ACV rinse. At least this time I put the bs in a full cup of water so it was more diluted...HOWEVER this also is incorrect haha. You shouldn't use the entire cupful. (I didn't read the "read this first" part of the website like I have directed you to do so above...) By the end of the day it looked pretty good but it was ITCHY. I realized I had messed up (using too much baking soda) and contemplated using shampoo to start over. Instead I read about a brown sugar honey scrub to help with itching and since I had used a similar brown sugar scrub on my face (AMAZING!!) a few days prior, I thought I would try that.
DAY FIVE: I mixed brown sugar and honey to make a paste. I added a little olive oil (DO NOT DO THIS!!) Scrubbed my hair and this time did a lime rinse. It felt great after, combed through beautifully, and all seemed well. Until I figured out why you don't use olive oil. It looked greasy. *sigh* So, I grabbed a puffy makeup bristle brush, some cornstarch, and dusted my hair. PERFECT! I wore it up to help hide any remaining greasiness that might show through as the day went on.
Another note- my hair is thicker at this point and staying up better than ever. Before there were many days my hair was thin and would not hold the clip in place very well. My favorite two styles are to just put it up in a scrunchie or to wear it in a mock french twist held in place by a medium butterfly clip. (which is what I did this day.) I was even confident enough to go out in public like this. My husband said it looked fine, didn't look greasy, and didn't smell.
By the end of the day, it still looked GREAT and smelled fine. I did feel 'hairspray dirty' at that point but I assume it was due to me using the olive oil (did i mention DO NOT DO THIS??!?) and cornstarch.
TODAY- DAY 6: I did a bs wash and acv rinse today. a proper one this time. ;) My hair feels clean...as clean as if i had used conventional 'poo if not even more so...and WAY softer than had I used conditioner. It even has a little body and waviness- which normally it doesn't unless I put it up in a scrunchie to dry (or use tousling shampoo with mousse and work it while blowing it dry...) It doesn't itch, stink, anything. It is amazing. It is only mid-day right now though so I will post later what it islike come night time.
This is me right now...day 6 of no 'poo. I desperately need some layers and my roots are showing lol but I think it shows well the cleanliness and softness.
Intro...
Going no 'poo.
HUH?? What is that. I mean I know what 'poo' is but...what the heck are you talking about? I am talking about washing your hair without shampoo...NO 'POO.
What?? No shampoo? No lather? No...no clean...??? right...no shampoo and no lather. But clean? A week into it and my hair is cleaner today than any day I washed with shampoo...except maybe for the 5 hours or so right after when all oils were stripped off and it "seemed' clean. Little did I know that my scalp was working overtime to produce more and more oil to make up for what I was stripping off.
There is all sorts of info around the internet about why to go no 'poo...google it. (seriously...google "no poo method".) I am only going to go into MY reason for doing it. While I am all for saving the environment and saving myself from plastics, chemicals, yada yada...I am WAY more interested in saving myself from the nasty, slick, stinky, gross, GREASE BALL I had to accept as my hair. I would wash my hair in the morning (with shampoo) and by evening it would be oily and have a slight odor. By morning, the oil was noticeable to me but probably not anyone else. I could disguise it easy enough (putting hair up and "fluffing" it a little.) By that evening though it would be noticeably oily and smelly close up. By the following morning, we are talking greasy hair, noticeably stinky and impossible to disguise at this point. And itchy. (I always had itchiness to a degree, mostly in the area above my ears, but this would be horrible and intolerable.)
Now, you may wonder why on earth I would let it go to two days especially when, by the end of day one, it was oily already. Well, a couple of years ago I started reading up on oily hair and heard about letting it go in between washes to give your scalp time to neutralize itself, to use only natural shampoos, etc etc. And I had tried some of that - I spent more days greasy from trying to allow my hair to fix itself than I spent clean for a good year if not longer. GROSS. My hair never did improve and I finally figured it had been more than long enough and I was just going to have to resign myself to shampooing daily even though I was sure that was not good for my hair either. Even though I am a work at home mom and have some leeway in the personal hygiene arena, HAHA, but of course I prefer to be clean and presentable and certainly my husband prefers that over the alternative lol. So...daily shampooing it is.
I would shampoo in the morning using a clarifying shampoo. I would condition only the ends (because they were dry but getting conditioner near my scalp would cut my 5 hours of decent hair to about 3...). Styling? forget about it. It would never hold a style. By evening it was oily. Sleep, rise, repeat. ugh.
One day I was looking for facial cleansing stuff because my jawline and neck get extremely rough. (btw, have you ever heard of cleaning your face with oil? Seriously! It's amazing. But that's another story.) In searching for info on that I suddenly came across the no 'poo method. How I managed to miss this when doing all my searching before I have no idea as many posts seem to be from that time frame. But thankfully I have found it now. And I decided after about half a day of reading about it that I had nothing to lose and was going to try it. Several ladies (and even at least one guy!!) have blogged about their progress and the ones who post pics of their results after doing this long term have GORGEOUS hair that I can only dream of at this point and never would have thought it was possible for me to have. I decided to document my own progress and I hope it works for me (so far so good) and I hope that someday it will be me posting pics of my gorgeous hair. :)
Hope you will join me on this journey.
Before going no 'poo... I selected this photo not because it's a great picture (um cuz it's NOT) but precisely because it's not a great picture. It shows my hair oily, it shows the dry ends and it shows the odd curls it would have after being put up all day in a hair scrunchie thing. lol
HUH?? What is that. I mean I know what 'poo' is but...what the heck are you talking about? I am talking about washing your hair without shampoo...NO 'POO.
What?? No shampoo? No lather? No...no clean...??? right...no shampoo and no lather. But clean? A week into it and my hair is cleaner today than any day I washed with shampoo...except maybe for the 5 hours or so right after when all oils were stripped off and it "seemed' clean. Little did I know that my scalp was working overtime to produce more and more oil to make up for what I was stripping off.
There is all sorts of info around the internet about why to go no 'poo...google it. (seriously...google "no poo method".) I am only going to go into MY reason for doing it. While I am all for saving the environment and saving myself from plastics, chemicals, yada yada...I am WAY more interested in saving myself from the nasty, slick, stinky, gross, GREASE BALL I had to accept as my hair. I would wash my hair in the morning (with shampoo) and by evening it would be oily and have a slight odor. By morning, the oil was noticeable to me but probably not anyone else. I could disguise it easy enough (putting hair up and "fluffing" it a little.) By that evening though it would be noticeably oily and smelly close up. By the following morning, we are talking greasy hair, noticeably stinky and impossible to disguise at this point. And itchy. (I always had itchiness to a degree, mostly in the area above my ears, but this would be horrible and intolerable.)
Now, you may wonder why on earth I would let it go to two days especially when, by the end of day one, it was oily already. Well, a couple of years ago I started reading up on oily hair and heard about letting it go in between washes to give your scalp time to neutralize itself, to use only natural shampoos, etc etc. And I had tried some of that - I spent more days greasy from trying to allow my hair to fix itself than I spent clean for a good year if not longer. GROSS. My hair never did improve and I finally figured it had been more than long enough and I was just going to have to resign myself to shampooing daily even though I was sure that was not good for my hair either. Even though I am a work at home mom and have some leeway in the personal hygiene arena, HAHA, but of course I prefer to be clean and presentable and certainly my husband prefers that over the alternative lol. So...daily shampooing it is.
I would shampoo in the morning using a clarifying shampoo. I would condition only the ends (because they were dry but getting conditioner near my scalp would cut my 5 hours of decent hair to about 3...). Styling? forget about it. It would never hold a style. By evening it was oily. Sleep, rise, repeat. ugh.
One day I was looking for facial cleansing stuff because my jawline and neck get extremely rough. (btw, have you ever heard of cleaning your face with oil? Seriously! It's amazing. But that's another story.) In searching for info on that I suddenly came across the no 'poo method. How I managed to miss this when doing all my searching before I have no idea as many posts seem to be from that time frame. But thankfully I have found it now. And I decided after about half a day of reading about it that I had nothing to lose and was going to try it. Several ladies (and even at least one guy!!) have blogged about their progress and the ones who post pics of their results after doing this long term have GORGEOUS hair that I can only dream of at this point and never would have thought it was possible for me to have. I decided to document my own progress and I hope it works for me (so far so good) and I hope that someday it will be me posting pics of my gorgeous hair. :)
Hope you will join me on this journey.
Before going no 'poo... I selected this photo not because it's a great picture (um cuz it's NOT) but precisely because it's not a great picture. It shows my hair oily, it shows the dry ends and it shows the odd curls it would have after being put up all day in a hair scrunchie thing. lol
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Overdid it today
I am becoming painfully aware that this is going to require a complete and total lifestyle change on my part. I have good days where I feel pretty good, have energy, and am mentally with it. So...I get stuff done while I can. And promptly find myself in bed for a day or two. Today I vacuumed part of one small bedroom, one small bathroom and a short hallway. I did grocery shopping and a trip to Michael's Craft Store- about 1 1/2 hours tops and that includes the 20 minutes drive time to and from the stores. Other than that I sat and did a little crafting. By the time I got back home to make dinner I had a headache and severe pain in my upper back/neck area. I made a quick and easy dinner and come 7 pm I was lying in bed in severe pain from the waist down, a headache, tingling hands...and exhausted. *sigh* I have got to pace myself. Even if I feel good, I have to take breaks, I have to rest. It is so difficult to get used to. Especially because if you look at my day today...I didn't really DO anything. I mean, how hard is it to push the Dyson around, oh, maybe 25 square feet and do a fairly short shopping trip?? And, since I took an hour long nap at 7pm, now I am wide awake- of course. I am hoping beyond hope I at least have energy to do a few things around here tomorrow and am not flat on my back down and out for the duration.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
"Monster List" of fibro symptoms...
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/whatisfibromyalgia/a/fibrosymptoms.htm
WOW! A couple of these I have had for a while and I never would have made the connection they were part of this. Who knew...
WOW! A couple of these I have had for a while and I never would have made the connection they were part of this. Who knew...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Third type of Pain
Again...taken from article at: http://www.fmcfsme.com/article_theseventypesoffmpain.php
"Paresthesia & Fibromyalgia
Paresthesias are odd nerve sensations that can feel like crawling, tingling, burning, itching or numbness. Sometimes, these sensations can be painful. Paresthsias are also associated with peripheral neuropathy, chemotherapy drugs, multiple sclerosis and migraine."
>>>>>>>>>>>
I experience crawling, tingling, burning and/or itching all on a regular basis. Various locations. Generally the itching, when scratched, results in pain. I don't know that I necessarily have numbness- I do experience neuropathy in my hands and feet. I just don't know that I go past the tingling to numbness.
That one was quick and to the point- lol.
My lower back has been extremely painful the past few days. Painful when up and especially when walking. Not so bad when sitting. Lying down is iffy. *sigh* My hands ache something terrible right now. Hands and feet are tingly. I am exhausted. Had one nap already today.
My IBS seems to be acting up a little. Was bad the other day though I had forgotten to take my lactaid (I take one every morning and it helps.) Had my latte and I think it was related to that. I know caffeine is a big no-no. I will not be giving up my lattes though. Just will not do it. I have cut down from two sometimes three a day to one sometimes two. I have also given up soda (again) and am drinking LaCroix sparkling water. I like the lime the best. I also like the grapefruit but I prefer it when mixed with cranberry juice.
My husband is so understanding and supportive of me and what I am going through. I appreciate that so much- I am lucky to have that.
"Paresthesia & Fibromyalgia
Paresthesias are odd nerve sensations that can feel like crawling, tingling, burning, itching or numbness. Sometimes, these sensations can be painful. Paresthsias are also associated with peripheral neuropathy, chemotherapy drugs, multiple sclerosis and migraine."
>>>>>>>>>>>
I experience crawling, tingling, burning and/or itching all on a regular basis. Various locations. Generally the itching, when scratched, results in pain. I don't know that I necessarily have numbness- I do experience neuropathy in my hands and feet. I just don't know that I go past the tingling to numbness.
That one was quick and to the point- lol.
My lower back has been extremely painful the past few days. Painful when up and especially when walking. Not so bad when sitting. Lying down is iffy. *sigh* My hands ache something terrible right now. Hands and feet are tingly. I am exhausted. Had one nap already today.
My IBS seems to be acting up a little. Was bad the other day though I had forgotten to take my lactaid (I take one every morning and it helps.) Had my latte and I think it was related to that. I know caffeine is a big no-no. I will not be giving up my lattes though. Just will not do it. I have cut down from two sometimes three a day to one sometimes two. I have also given up soda (again) and am drinking LaCroix sparkling water. I like the lime the best. I also like the grapefruit but I prefer it when mixed with cranberry juice.
My husband is so understanding and supportive of me and what I am going through. I appreciate that so much- I am lucky to have that.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The first Two types of pain
(Taken from article posted at: FM/CFS/ME Recources Website )
"You hear a lot about "fibromyalgia pain," but really those of us with fibromyalgia (FM) experience several kinds of chronic pain.
Medically speaking, only a few of the fibromyalgia-pain types I talk about here have actual names and definitions. But just as Eskimos have several words for snow, I feel like we need to have several ways to name, define and categorize our pain. I've created some of my own categories, based on my own experience and on conversations I've had with other fibromites. My hope is that understanding the medical terms will help us communicate better with doctors and other healthcare providers, while my categories will help you understand your illness and let you know you're not alone in feeling these things.
Types of Fibromyalgia Pain
The first 3 types of fibromyalgia pain are medically defined:
Hyperalgesia
Allodynia
Paresthesia
The next 4 types are my own creation, which will be obvious by their names. I don't recommend using these terms in a doctor's office (unless you want to be seen as crazy), but these labels may help you get to know your body's quirks, triggers, patterns, etc.:
Knife in the Voodoo Doll
Randomly Roving Pain
Sparkler Burns
Rattled Nerves
Hyperalgesia & Fibromyalgia
"Hyper" means excess and "algesia" means pain. Hyperalgesia is the medical term for pain amplification in FM. Our brains appear to take normal pain signals and "turn up the volume," making them more severe than they would normally be.
Most of the drugs used for managing FM pain are aimed, at least in part, at reducing hyperalgesia.
Allodynia & Fibromyalgia
A symptom that perplexes a lot of us, especially when it's new, is allodynia. That's what it's called when your skin hurts to the touch, and when mild pressure from clothing or gentle massage causes pain. A lot people describe allodynia as similar to a bad sunburn.
Allodynia is a fairly rare type of pain - other than FM, it's only associated with a handful of conditions, including neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia (shingles) and migraine. Allodynia is believed to be a hypersensitive reaction that may result from the central sensitization associated with FM. The pain signals originate with specialized nerves, called nociceptors, that sense information about things like temperature and painful stimuli right from the skin.
Allodynia comes in 3 forms:
Tactile, which is pain from touch or gentle pressure
Mechanical, which is from something moving across your skin
Thermal, which is pain from heat or cold that's not severe enough to damage tissues
(...)
If you have allodynia, massage therapy may make it worse. If you feel other aspects of your health would benefit from massage, be sure to discuss allodynia with your doctor and massage therapist and keep track of how treatments impact this symptom."
>>>>>>>>>
I am going to try to give a picture of how this affects me. I want to document what I go through- a journal of sorts. So this is what comes to mind. :)
Tactile Allodynia: For years I have had a couple of issues that I never understood. This type of pain explains it. The first is my shins. My husband learned to NEVER touch my shins. I used to describe it as "being so ticklish it's painful." In all actuality- it is just painful. Period. The other thing is that for as long as I can recall now, I hate it when someone attempts to massage my shoulders when I am stressed. My husband had a hard time understand why I didn't like. Why it was painful. "What do you mean it hurts? I wasn't even doing it that hard."
Mechanical: Occasionally I will have a painful tingling sensation in response to clothing, like a skirt for example, moving across my skin. But, thankfully, it is infrequent.
Thermal: I do not have a problem with HEAT. The hotter the better. In fact my dad insisted I didn't like my water at a temp that burns many people...so I put the water on to the temp at which I shower and it feels so good. I used my beverage thermometer. 116 degrees. yikes! No, heat is not an issue. (Not talking about hot weather...don't do well in hot weather of 90 or higher.) But...cold...? An ice cube "burns" my skin. Being cold makes my hands ache something terrible. I can't handle mixing up meatloaf if the beef is fresh out of the fridge.
That's it for now as far as types of pain. Trying to keep this in bite sized pieces. :)
"You hear a lot about "fibromyalgia pain," but really those of us with fibromyalgia (FM) experience several kinds of chronic pain.
Medically speaking, only a few of the fibromyalgia-pain types I talk about here have actual names and definitions. But just as Eskimos have several words for snow, I feel like we need to have several ways to name, define and categorize our pain. I've created some of my own categories, based on my own experience and on conversations I've had with other fibromites. My hope is that understanding the medical terms will help us communicate better with doctors and other healthcare providers, while my categories will help you understand your illness and let you know you're not alone in feeling these things.
Types of Fibromyalgia Pain
The first 3 types of fibromyalgia pain are medically defined:
Hyperalgesia
Allodynia
Paresthesia
The next 4 types are my own creation, which will be obvious by their names. I don't recommend using these terms in a doctor's office (unless you want to be seen as crazy), but these labels may help you get to know your body's quirks, triggers, patterns, etc.:
Knife in the Voodoo Doll
Randomly Roving Pain
Sparkler Burns
Rattled Nerves
Hyperalgesia & Fibromyalgia
"Hyper" means excess and "algesia" means pain. Hyperalgesia is the medical term for pain amplification in FM. Our brains appear to take normal pain signals and "turn up the volume," making them more severe than they would normally be.
Most of the drugs used for managing FM pain are aimed, at least in part, at reducing hyperalgesia.
Allodynia & Fibromyalgia
A symptom that perplexes a lot of us, especially when it's new, is allodynia. That's what it's called when your skin hurts to the touch, and when mild pressure from clothing or gentle massage causes pain. A lot people describe allodynia as similar to a bad sunburn.
Allodynia is a fairly rare type of pain - other than FM, it's only associated with a handful of conditions, including neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia (shingles) and migraine. Allodynia is believed to be a hypersensitive reaction that may result from the central sensitization associated with FM. The pain signals originate with specialized nerves, called nociceptors, that sense information about things like temperature and painful stimuli right from the skin.
Allodynia comes in 3 forms:
Tactile, which is pain from touch or gentle pressure
Mechanical, which is from something moving across your skin
Thermal, which is pain from heat or cold that's not severe enough to damage tissues
(...)
If you have allodynia, massage therapy may make it worse. If you feel other aspects of your health would benefit from massage, be sure to discuss allodynia with your doctor and massage therapist and keep track of how treatments impact this symptom."
>>>>>>>>>
I am going to try to give a picture of how this affects me. I want to document what I go through- a journal of sorts. So this is what comes to mind. :)
Tactile Allodynia: For years I have had a couple of issues that I never understood. This type of pain explains it. The first is my shins. My husband learned to NEVER touch my shins. I used to describe it as "being so ticklish it's painful." In all actuality- it is just painful. Period. The other thing is that for as long as I can recall now, I hate it when someone attempts to massage my shoulders when I am stressed. My husband had a hard time understand why I didn't like. Why it was painful. "What do you mean it hurts? I wasn't even doing it that hard."
Mechanical: Occasionally I will have a painful tingling sensation in response to clothing, like a skirt for example, moving across my skin. But, thankfully, it is infrequent.
Thermal: I do not have a problem with HEAT. The hotter the better. In fact my dad insisted I didn't like my water at a temp that burns many people...so I put the water on to the temp at which I shower and it feels so good. I used my beverage thermometer. 116 degrees. yikes! No, heat is not an issue. (Not talking about hot weather...don't do well in hot weather of 90 or higher.) But...cold...? An ice cube "burns" my skin. Being cold makes my hands ache something terrible. I can't handle mixing up meatloaf if the beef is fresh out of the fridge.
That's it for now as far as types of pain. Trying to keep this in bite sized pieces. :)
Nausea Anyone...?
Had a pretty good day yesterday. Felt good in the morning then my mom came out in the afternoon for a few hours. Had a headache but either felt good otherwise or was too distracted to notice anything mild.
Had to take a nap in the late evening though. Woke up feeling severely nauseated. Lower back was 'catchy'. Neck felt strained. This morning- same thing...severe nausea, headache. Can't wait to go back to bed. :(
My intent is to take the pain article I posted and post it section by section to get a good picture of what it looks for me overall. :)
Have a blessed day. Xoxo
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Had to take a nap in the late evening though. Woke up feeling severely nauseated. Lower back was 'catchy'. Neck felt strained. This morning- same thing...severe nausea, headache. Can't wait to go back to bed. :(
My intent is to take the pain article I posted and post it section by section to get a good picture of what it looks for me overall. :)
Have a blessed day. Xoxo
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, January 24, 2011
Day in bed yesterday
Spent the day in bed. Ached from my neck to my toes with deep sharp pain in the back of my upper legs. Started the day off with a pain pill. Don't usually need that. I think this flare was hormonal related.
Today I had some pain in my leg still but mostly the usual ache in my legs and arms. I took a bath this morning- we have a spa tub with the smaller type jets. While in there i recalled the reason we went with those type over the usual jets...i have never liked the full sized ones...cuz I find the painful. (long before fibromyalgia was even on my radar...) interesting. Anyway, I was able to get out of the house for a while. I didn't have to drive so that was nice- my hands cramp and hurt when I have to hold the steering wheel.
Very tired right now regardless of oversleeping this morning and taking a nap...ugh. Hands really hurt too. Have had legs under heated blanket and they feel a little better.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today I had some pain in my leg still but mostly the usual ache in my legs and arms. I took a bath this morning- we have a spa tub with the smaller type jets. While in there i recalled the reason we went with those type over the usual jets...i have never liked the full sized ones...cuz I find the painful. (long before fibromyalgia was even on my radar...) interesting. Anyway, I was able to get out of the house for a while. I didn't have to drive so that was nice- my hands cramp and hurt when I have to hold the steering wheel.
Very tired right now regardless of oversleeping this morning and taking a nap...ugh. Hands really hurt too. Have had legs under heated blanket and they feel a little better.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, January 21, 2011
And...
In the time it took me to write and post the last short post, I started having pain in the of my upper arms and the back of my upper legs mostly just above the knees. *sobs*
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wow
A ton of pain this afternoon. Forearms and hands stiff and painful. Thighs have deep pain. Ankles tingly. Ugh!
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Good start but then...
Physically speaking I had a pretty good start to the day. A bit of very painful stiffness in my hands but it disappeared quickly.
Needed a nap, as usual, and woke up to headache, stiffness, and severe nausea. Made myself get up- it's all gotten worse but well see how it goes- going to try to keep moving.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Needed a nap, as usual, and woke up to headache, stiffness, and severe nausea. Made myself get up- it's all gotten worse but well see how it goes- going to try to keep moving.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Long Day!!!
Two naps today. Pain off and on mostly in my hands today. After second nap I woke up feeling SO heavy. Like I am paralyzed. I have to assume that is the 'stiffness' referred to. Sometimes I have mild stiffness mostly in my elbows...other times, like today, I am so stiff all over I can't move for a while.
On the up side- I dreamt I went to Hawaii. Lol
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On the up side- I dreamt I went to Hawaii. Lol
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Bad bad day
I spent much of the day sleeping. Felt ok around dinner time for a couple of hours but was so tired.
My son fell and split his lip open while playing outside. Poor little guy. :(
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My son fell and split his lip open while playing outside. Poor little guy. :(
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Bad day today. Felt nauseated earlier...realized I hadn't eaten anything yet. Made a delicious omelet stuffed with tomato, spinach, onion, mushrooms and cheese. SO good!! Helped with the nausea but I still have a headache, muscle pain and twitching in my legs, pain in my back and deep-seated pain in my upper left arm. So tired to. My goal today is to get the dishes done. I did get a little business work done earlier. :)
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Ugh....
OK...extremely nauseous this morning... :(. I am not sure why I didn't have that for a while but it sure was nice!
Abdominal cramping, pain from lower back down legs. :(
Found the link to the really good 'types of fibro pain' article. Posted in the previous post.
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Abdominal cramping, pain from lower back down legs. :(
Found the link to the really good 'types of fibro pain' article. Posted in the previous post.
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Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Types of FMS Pain
http://www.fmcfsme.com/article_theseventypesoffmpain.php
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today...well yesterday ;)
Since it is past midnight, I guess I am talking about yesterday now. :)
Had a stomach ache this morning after being up for a little while, and also pain in my tailbone that went down my left thigh. Went back to bed and slept for a couple hours until about 11. Woke up with nausea- which has been common in the past but I was blissfully without that issue for several days I think.
Had to fill out a couple very short forms- holding the pen for even a short time causes severe cramping pain in my hands...I have found that even holding the steering wheel while driving does the same thing. *sigh*
I did go grocery shopping and ran a couple of other errands. Was nice to get out of the house.
Right now my hands just ache...and my legs ache...feet are tingly. I found a post by someone about the different types of fibro pain she experiences..it was so accurate to my experience. I am going to try to find it and Share it here.
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Had a stomach ache this morning after being up for a little while, and also pain in my tailbone that went down my left thigh. Went back to bed and slept for a couple hours until about 11. Woke up with nausea- which has been common in the past but I was blissfully without that issue for several days I think.
Had to fill out a couple very short forms- holding the pen for even a short time causes severe cramping pain in my hands...I have found that even holding the steering wheel while driving does the same thing. *sigh*
I did go grocery shopping and ran a couple of other errands. Was nice to get out of the house.
Right now my hands just ache...and my legs ache...feet are tingly. I found a post by someone about the different types of fibro pain she experiences..it was so accurate to my experience. I am going to try to find it and Share it here.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Good Morning!
This morning has started off a little rough. Pain in lower back, headache, aching hands. The usual. I feel exhausted. Two naps yesterday and I was still tired! I have to go into town today and get grocery shopping and dentist appt's done- yay.
I did forget to mention I was diagnosed with fibrocystic breast disease/condition last fall as well. That pain had become almost constant over the past couple of months and new large lumps were appearing. I was reading online and found some sites that claimed going bra-less could lessen the pain and discomfort from that, decrease the size and number of lumps and also reduces your risk of breast cancer. I was skeptical an had no idea as to the validity of the claims, but I decided to give it a try. I figured it was free to try and I had nothing to lose. I was pain free within 24 hours, and on the second night I woke up on my stomach- something I have not been able to do in ages. I had a lump the size of a river rock that has decreased a little in size already- though they do change with the monthly hormonal cycle so I need to give it a couple months. I call it success so far!! =) Nice to have one less pain to deal with.
My husband gives me a hard time with finding stuff on the Internet but what does he think dr's do when they are stumped? They pull out their books, medical journals and, yes, google. You have to be smart- you can't have every disease and you likely don't have a rare condition. But you never know and even dr's say "hmmm...the symptoms fit, let's check it out and run some tests." Before we found out about his spinal compression we thought he might have MS. All his symptoms fit perfectly. When he finally got in to the neurologist, guess what, she agreed it fit the symptoms and was worth checking out. The MRI showed no lesions (signs of MS) but revealed the spinal compression. It's the way it works- symptoms point to this, let's check it out. I saw that alot when working as a nurse too. ;)
Have a good day!!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I did forget to mention I was diagnosed with fibrocystic breast disease/condition last fall as well. That pain had become almost constant over the past couple of months and new large lumps were appearing. I was reading online and found some sites that claimed going bra-less could lessen the pain and discomfort from that, decrease the size and number of lumps and also reduces your risk of breast cancer. I was skeptical an had no idea as to the validity of the claims, but I decided to give it a try. I figured it was free to try and I had nothing to lose. I was pain free within 24 hours, and on the second night I woke up on my stomach- something I have not been able to do in ages. I had a lump the size of a river rock that has decreased a little in size already- though they do change with the monthly hormonal cycle so I need to give it a couple months. I call it success so far!! =) Nice to have one less pain to deal with.
My husband gives me a hard time with finding stuff on the Internet but what does he think dr's do when they are stumped? They pull out their books, medical journals and, yes, google. You have to be smart- you can't have every disease and you likely don't have a rare condition. But you never know and even dr's say "hmmm...the symptoms fit, let's check it out and run some tests." Before we found out about his spinal compression we thought he might have MS. All his symptoms fit perfectly. When he finally got in to the neurologist, guess what, she agreed it fit the symptoms and was worth checking out. The MRI showed no lesions (signs of MS) but revealed the spinal compression. It's the way it works- symptoms point to this, let's check it out. I saw that alot when working as a nurse too. ;)
Have a good day!!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, January 17, 2011
Greetings!!
Well, I am trying to find the best way to chronicle my journey through chronic pain. I believe I suffer from fibromyalgia but with no health insurance a professional diagnosis will have to wait. I figured this would help me track symptoms, timeframes and keep a record of things. I enjoy writing and I know reading about others going through similar things can be beneficial, too, so maybe by doing this I can help myself and someone else. :)
In 2001 I was diagnosed with PMDD. I was treated with Prozac. It helped tremendously. Eventually I went off the Prozac for a few years and did well until late summer of 2010 when I asked my doctor to put me back on it. I asked her if it would help with the physical issues I was having that seemed to be cyclical. They were not typically listed as PMDD symptoms but they did seem to come and go with my menstrual cycles. She said it should because they were probably a psychosomatic response to the mental/emotional symptoms. Stop the mental/emotional and you will stop the physical as well. And this worked...for some of them. But, I was still having the 'strange' physical symptoms. I didn't understand why and started to briefly entertain the idea of fibromyalgia as a possibility.
It was shortly after this I found myself at the chiropractor (due to the nature of our business we were able to barter services with them.) I have mild scoliosis- I was diagnosed as a child but was told I would likely grow out of it (most do). I never really thought about it much after that and since it is mild it wasn't noticeable and I didn't realize what even an 11 degree curve can do to your nervous system. I have also suffered from migraines since I was an infant...before they even had a name I think lol. So, in the fall of 2010, I began treatment with a chiropractor for both of those issues. She was confident she could cure my headaches and that she could help my scoliosis as well. But after a couple of weeks, the adjustments were becoming excruciatingly painful. The chiropractors at the office couldn't understand why they were so painful for me. They said that was not normal...that some pain as your spine is manipulated is expected but the degree of pain I was experiencing was rare. I began to dread going and would put it off until eventually I stopped going completely. I do have to say, that the migraines have in fact decreased- I still get headaches but not the migraines like I used to. Unfortunately the pain has continued and my symptoms are random now- no longer cyclical and the "flares" are much worse in severity. It is almost like the adjustments "triggered" the fibro and made it so much worse.
After doing more reading and research, I am even more convinced that I do in fact have fibromyalgia. And I found out my grandpa was diagnosed with it just the other day adding to my confidence it is the correct diagnosis. I believe it is caused by the scoliosis because it messes up the spinal cord and nerve transmissions. (Fibromyalgia is a syndrome caused by an underlying disease process.) I have probably had it for a long time and it used to be triggered by hormones. Since the chiropractic adjustments- I don't know what triggers it now, if anything, but I have a lot of pain in my neck (my scoliosis is in my lower back and also up in my neck) and the fibro symptoms are more severe on days when my neck is in pain than others so I am guessing I strain my neck somehow- sleeping wrong, turning to far, too fast, etc- who knows.
Regardless of the definitive diagnosis, if you read the symptoms of fibromyalgia, that is what I deal with. I suffer from at least 90% of them. So, I guess I figure the true diagnosis is insignificant- the symptoms and the struggles are the same.
I probably should interject something here about the chiropractor. My husband has a spinal compression in his neck (I think at the C5 vertebrae). He has many similar symptoms as I do. He has continued with the chiropractor and feels he does find relief and improvement in his symptoms. So, I do not mean to say here that chiropractic care is bad...it is just bad for me. =)
As far as pain...like anyone with this...I have good days and I have bad. And the bad ones range in severity from simply needing an extra nap that day to being in such severe pain that I am almost brought to my knees and am completely debilitated.
I will probably not stick to just the pain issues...so let me tell you a bit about myself. =)
I enjoy reading, writing, rubber stamping (though I haven't done that much lately) and making jewelry. My husband and I own a business and I do graphic design work for that. I also work from home assembling crafts for a company in New England.
I am a mom of four- and will become a grandma in the fall. I also have three 4-legged furry kids...two dogs- golden retriever and mini poodle- and a Maine Coon cat.
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