Stresses Over My Tresses

Warning: Some of the images you are about to see are incredibly terrifying. Proceed with caution.

Since Kat wrote a post on Monday about a game changer for her hair, I figured we should make it “Hair Week” and continue with the idea. I don’t know when we decided we are experts on this subject considering our hair used to look like this…

My hair and I have been on quite a journey together. We’ve had some good times, but we’ve mostly had some bad times considering the pictures I’m about to show you.

That should give you some insight into my hair adventure. After years of hair mistakes, things started to improve in my life.

Then March of 2018 happened. VERY long story short….I somehow got a bacterial infection, and it was about as attractive as it sounds. To this day, we still don’t know how. I went to the ER one night, watched The Bachelor finale, and they told me to go home because nothing was wrong. Two days later I knew something still wasn’t right because I could barely walk, left school early, and drove myself back to the ER. They told me I would be there maybe two days. Three weeks later, I got to go home and have never been more thankful for my bed, showering without napping immediately after, or Western medicine. Be grateful for your health, people.

While I was in the hospital, my hair started to kind of come out when I would wash it, but I didn’t think too much of it. That was just the beginning. Even though I was on the road to recovery and feeling much better, my head began to revolt. Everyday a huge chunk would come out, and I would hold it in my hands and want to cry each time. Now, I know that this wasn’t cancer, and I didn’t have to walk the road of chemo. However, I heard on the radio a few years ago, that one of the hardest parts for women who go through cancer is losing their hair. I can somewhat understand that because it’s almost dehumanizing to lose that part of you.

Here’s a picture of me about 5 months before I got sick.

Before we move on, it only makes sense to include this song. Gloria Gaynor said it best. I honestly didn’t think I would make it through this hair tragedy, but I didn’t “crumble; I didn’t lay down and die…” Play it as you read the rest of the post to really feel my emotions.

Here’s what my hair looked like 4 months after I got sick. I feel this is what I would look like as a redneck man that smokes a carton a day. I think that’s accurate.

There was literally no way to work with this. I couldn’t even put it up because it looked like an aggressive rat tail. I basically wore a hat anytime I went in public except church. We’d sit in the very back, and I would just pray no one looked at me.

It was getting close to time to go back to school. I love kids, but they don’t have filters, and I KNEW they would say something about my hair, and I just didn’t think my heart could handle it. My dear principal told me I could wear a hat if that would help me. However, I decided to look into extensions…something I knew zero about at the time. I called a salon and made a consultation appointment and went there wearing a hat…obvi. Then I met the angel that would help me. I first asked a question I already knew the answer to. Could she possibly cut it in a way to make it look better without having to do extensions? That was a no; it was way too see-through. She told me my hair was in too bad of shape to do clip in extensions, but that she really thought she could help me by basically sewing some in, and that it would give my hair time to start to grow back. One Friday in July I sat there for 13 hours while she performed surgery on my head.

They miraculously lasted until the end of January. Then it was time for them to come out. I was so nervous and for good reason because when they came out, I looked like a mix of Hillary Clinton and Dudley Moore.

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I remember texting my friend, Rachel, while the extensions were coming out, and I told her to head to a wig store. She is one of the most giving and caring people I know, and she immediately told me she would if I just told her what to get! 🙂 I decided to stop being dramatic and forego the wig. I also decided to opt out of extensions again (but was considering another round). I sucked it up and chose to just let it grow. At least it was MUCH less embarrassing this time because my hair was at least full; it just needed to grow A LOT. I had the help of some friends.

I started using collagen, and almost two years later, I still do. Look up the benefits of collagen. Not only did it do wonders for my hair, but it’s great for a host of other things. Can’t stop. Won’t stop.

My other friend is biotin. I still take these everyday too and probably will for a little while longer.

My hair also needed to the help of a good shampoo and conditioner, and I have loved this trio.

Even with new hair growing in, my hair was looking like Mia Thermopolis before her princess makeover.

This treatment, shampoo, and conditioner have helped revive it and make it look so much better.

My last hair game changer is a silk pillowcase. I remember our grandmother always slept on one; she was fancy like that and way ahead of her time. Now, so many people rave about them, and I am one. Kat mentioned using one in her post on Monday, and I’m echoing her thoughts. I wash my hair 2-3 times a week, and if I’m going to take the time to make it look decent, I want it to last. A silk pillowcase does that (and is also good for your skin). Over the past two years I have purchased a much cheaper one, but I’ve then had to buy two more replacements. So, I recently bought the Porsche of pillowcases and love it. Yes, it’s expensive, but did you see what my hair looked like? I need all the help I can get, and this way I won’t have to buy so many replacements.

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I’m sure your hair doesn’t look like mine did, but if it needs a little extra love, maybe give some of those game changers a try.

Are you tired of looking at pictures of me? I am.

Peace, love, and collagen,

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