Recently, I met a remarkable woman who has incredibly thick hair for her age. She was interested in our product line and was chatting with us about her hair, challenges and interests. During our discussion, she mentioned that she had seriously thinning hair not too long before and had experienced remarkable hair growth after consulting experts, researching and incorporating a regimen that worked for her. I looked at her full head of hair in disbelief! There was no way that I would have been convinced that she ever had thinning hair. But she did! She has graciously shared her story which I have shared with minor edits and I hope it will give those of you facing similar challenges some hope as well as some options that you can pursue. Make sure you consult with a dermatologist or hair expert as well as your medical doctor as applicable so that you approach any hair loss issue from a practical and holistic perspective.

In pictures of me taken in June 2012, my sisterlocked hair looks thick--bouffant--and hanging below my shoulder blades. By the summer of 2013, friends and family were pointing to thinning, nearly clean-head spots in the back of my head. The thinning/balding spread from the center of my head out and up toward the crown. It was easy to see thru my hair at the front hairline.

The next dermatologist did a biopsy of my scalp, which determined that the follicles, from which hair grows, were still alive, vital, capable of producing hair and that I have no disease that should prevent hair growth. She prescribed a stronger version of Topicort and, from this, I noticed much more improvement. My head began to show what I jokingly called “ground cover” as my scalp was becoming less visible. I began taking Biotin and combinations of Biotin, Zinc and hair and nail vitamins from the health food store.Several dermatologists indicated that there was little to be done. In six months, I will be 67, so menopause and age seem to be the problem as they saw it. I have always been determined to fight it. An African American dermatologist started me on a mild steroid cream, Topicort, and Ketoconazole shampoo to fight fungus even though there were no visible flakes in my scalp, and still aren’t. He wondered if there are auto-immune problems in my family and I shared that close family do have both Crohn’s and IBS. I don’t have any conditions that I’m aware of. I think I noticed mild improvement.

A dermatologist at a university hospital prescribed the strongest steroid available for the purpose, Clobetasol, and I used one tube of it, finishing it around the fall–September maybe–of 2014. I had been fighting my hair loss with everything I could find online, in women’s magazines and in health food stores.

My hair showed phenomenal improvement when I began using a laser comb, which a Sisterlocks loctitian told me about. She said her clients who’d tried it got good results and she said that, when they took Biotin, their hair also grew stronger. After googling laser combs for thinning hair, I bought one from HairMax for about $300 (there is also a cap for about $900, but too much for me). Within 3 or 4 months after I began using it, my hair was so thick on top (where I never applied the steroid creams) and all over that you cannot see through it. It is, in fact, exceptionally thick and kinky, just as it was when I was young. The back, which had the worst problems, is thinner than the top, but my scalp in the back is also covered with thick, kinky hair. I continue to use the laser comb and I take hair vitamins, right now from Viviscal. I’m about to cut off my locs, which have gotten pretty raggedy because I don’t re-tighten them in order to have some hair after the transition.

She finally did cut off her locs in the pictures above! Congrats!

 Her Solutions

• Fight inflammation in the body, not with steroid creams, but by eating fresh, whole food--no junk, no fast/packaged food, drink water and green drinks. My blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are all normal or low normal in the case of blood pressure and sugar. Makes a huge difference in skin and hair. Check out Omega 3 Fatty Acids For Healthy Hair & Eat Your Way To Healthy Hair for additional dietary information that will support healthy hair growth!
• Laser comb (3x/week, follow directions that come with the comb)
• Take hair vitamins
• Make the following hair oil recipe, mix the oils and massage into scalp for 2 minutes, wrap head in a warm, wet towel (I use a heat cap for 10 minutes). I believe this can be done every day, but I do it 2-3x/week.

• When my scalp is a little itchy, I use pure tea tree oil, sometimes full strength before I shampoo and sometimes in a solution of 1 oz of Karanja oil and a capful of tea tree--anytime.
• In the winter, I shampoo about 1x/week, summer 2x/week if necessary. I use pure, natural oils, including Amla to take care of the hair I'm growing and try to avoid beeswax and other substances that may clog the pores. Gentle massage while watching TV or reading for a minute or 2 seems to stimulate the follicles and relieve dryness.
• I believe the shampoo I use is also helpful: Therapy-G claims to remove DHT (Dehydrotestosterone), a leading cause of baldness in women and men, and neutralize other toxins on the scalp and I believe it does. I use it regularly and afterward, I use Therapy-G follicle stimulator, which claims to nourish the follicle and stimulate blood flow to the scalp.

For those of you suffering hair loss we hope that some of the solutions shared above might prove useful. Please note that results vary and it is always advisable to see a professional/expert for proper advice.  The Naturaz Moisture Burst System is formulated to support hair growth and maintain softness in your hair. You may wish to include them as part of your regimen for recovering your hair.   

Hair is so important to many of us and facing hair loss can be a very unsettling experience that affects self esteem at a very deep level.  Reach out to us at customerservice@naturaz.com for additional guidance on how you can start your journey to getting healthy hair again. 

Stay tuned for additional blogs on hair loss and Dehydrotestosterone (DHT)

About the Author – Mumbi Dunjwa is an award-winning chemist from the American Chemical Society.  She is the Founder & CEO of Naturaz and she formulated the industry leading Moisture Burst System™.  This revolutionary 3-step system is an all-natural hair care product line which is 100% vegan and scientifically formulated to infuse long lasting moisture in curly, coily hair.  Mumbi has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and nuclear medicine technology and a Masters degree from Carnegie Mellon University.  She is passionate about seamlessly integrating health and beauty in our lives and she is a strong advocate for advancing STEM education among our youth, developing STEM careers and empowering women and girls around the world.