Curly~n~Natural

Curly~n~Natural

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Stress and Natural Hair


Happy Saturday everyone! You know what, I am so missing my hair today! I put kinky twists in my hair at the beginning of the month, and I just miss rubbing my fingers through my hair! But I will not be taking these twists out until January 30Th. This is my protective style for the month.
To keep my hair moisturized with the twists, I put 4oz of water, 3oz of Aloe Vera juice, 1tsp Shae Butter, 1tsp Coconut oil, 1tsp Honey, 2tsp Olive oil, 2tsp Castor oil, 10 Vitamin E capsules, and 2tsp Tea Tree oil into a spray bottle and shook it really well. No the oil and water did not mix, I have to shake it really well before each use. This spray has really kept my hair moisturized and itch free!
Anyway......... Today I wanna talk about stress and the effects of it on our Natural Hair. I was just thinking soon my husband and our family will be moving to a new city, and state, and I'll be going back to work, and we have kids. So being a wife, a mother, a friend, a daughter, trying to build a business, and working can get really stressful at times. So let's just take a quick look at the affects of stress on our hair..................

The Oxford dictionary defines stress as "a demand upon physical or mental energy.' However, stress, as most people see it, is an above average demand of our energy. This demand is usually very hard to deal with. Stress puts demands on people to perform well above their capacity. This demand is very difficult to maintain without some form of relief. Despite the negative perception, stress is an everyday occurrence that affects most people at some point in their life. Following are other definitions of stress:
-- Stress is supposedly a recent phenomenon and is everywhere we turn to.
-- Stress does not feel good and cannot be experienced in pleasant situations.
-- Stress can be achieved when our problems go out of control.
-- Stress and change are related.

Stress can sometimes lead to hair loss. The human body has ways of alerting us of problems such as stress. If handled properly, stress can be managed and not lead to hair loss or other appearance related problems.
The condition of a person's hair can tell you a lot about stress levels in their lives. Happiness and serenity in a person's life will be reflected by healthy looking, shiny hair. However, those with dry, lifeless, poor hair are likely encountering a depressing situation and are struggling to adapt. When the body and our health is negatively affected (trauma, emotional stress, major illness) your hair no longer has priority for your health maintenance. It's as if your body is saying, "I've got bigger problems to worry about and take care of, I don't need to worry about hair growth right now."
Your body's built-in self healing "process" considers your other problems so important, that it concentrates on the problem and ignores your hair. "... a sudden or stressful event can cause the hair follicles to prematurely stop growing and enter into a resting phase." This is referred to as Telogen Effluvium.
Telogen Effluvium is characterized by sudden, diffuse hair loss caused by an interruption in the normal hair growth cycle. This interruption is often the result of trauma, such as chemotherapy, childbirth, major surgery, severe stress, and severe chronic illness. This trauma causes large numbers of hair follicles to enter a stage of telogen, or rest, simultaneously.
The telogen phase can last 6 to 12 weeks (and much longer if left untreated) and affects women much more then men.
The good news is that stress related hair loss (telogen effluvium) is temporary. In fact, due to the nature of the hair growth cycle, by the time you hair starts to shed heavily, your stress related problem may have already been resolved.
"The odd thing about this condition is that you’re usually over the stressful event before the hair loss even starts."
However, for many people, a major stressful event can be more lasting. At times like these, these tips for handling stress are helpful:
*Exercise. Just 20 minutes a day can produce enough endorphins to reduce stress levels.
*Write in a journal. Writing your thoughts and feeling down in a journal can help in expressing the frustrations you are keeping inside.
*Get a massage. Massage therapy can relax muscles, ease muscle spasms, increase blood flow to skin and muscles, and relieve mental and emotional stress.
*Realistic expectations. A lot of stress is caused by disappointment in ourselves and/or others. When we or others can't live up to expectations you may have, disappointment and stress can set in. If you feel this applies to you, adjust your expectations. Don’t expect everyone to be like you or behave to your code of “shoulds and oughts." And don't say yes to demands that you know will be difficult to live up to. Don’t let ego and social pressure force you into being/doing something your not.
*Trust in God to help you make the right decisions in every area of your life! He is the ultimate stress reliever!

We must simplify our lives, and make them less complicated. A lot of us need to learn how to say the word NO! Stop trying to be Superwoman! Let go and Let God! If you can't do it, Just say No! A stress free life benefits not only us, but also those around us. Our family, friends, and our jobs. So less change some things. In 2010 less attempt to live a STRESS FREE LIFE!

Thanks for your Support! Have a great day!

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