Hair Scams- They are out there...Beware!

Hair Scams! Thought this would be good to post.

Good info for those seeking more help for hair loss. Just please research all possible ways before you decide to do something. People are vulnerable and get scammed. I was a victim by Hair Club EXT program. They lied, were rude, and didn't do what they promised. New staff, pulled on my hair when they styled and had no experience or limited with the laser.

I was looking at Farrell hair system a few months back for future options. The research I did mentioned with this system that you had to shave your head. Their website looks like very promising and a good plan but the more research I did and my husband did made us skeptical. We found many unhappy customers. I am sure there are happy ones but since I felt scammed by Hair Club for men/ women with their EXT program. I wanted to learn more after spending $1,800.00 on a useless (for me anyway treatment and ignorant rude staff that promised to refund me but wouldn't and were rude about it).

http://www.farrellhair.com/

Just to give you all the info I had. I did a Google search on Farrell hair and came up with many unhappy customers. Perhaps this is just a select few.

Check out http://www.ripoffreport.com - It is for consumers by consumers. You can enter a company name and see if there have been issues.

Farrell hair came up a few times so did Hair Club. I didn't see much under Reprieve.



ShanLaree

Women's Hair Loss Project - check out!

After I was told in Dec of 2007 that I have female pattern hair loss. I wanted to reach out and find support.
I asked my dermatologist if there was a support group in my local area and she said not that she knew of.
I came across Women's Hair Loss Project in my searches and have been madly reading it every chance
and I get even am making connections with other women who have this same issue. It is a great release for
me and I am thankful for it.

The Women's hair loss project is a forum for women who need it so badly. It is wonderful to come here and read
stories and to connect and release. I believe this is what I was truly looking for. What a wonderful place to connect
with others, to vent and to share hope. I believe this site gives us just that...hope. Thank you (Y-) for creating 
The Women's hair Loss Project!

The women’s hair loss project is forum/ community /blog for women suffering from hair loss. This is a place where
women who are depressed about hair loss situation can go to vent, to connect with others that may be going through
the same thing. The author has been dealing with this for over 8 years and she is not even 30 yet.

www.womenshairlossproject.com

Check it out.

So what do I do when I have a bad hair day?

So what do I do when I have a bad hair day?

Hair covers!

When my hair seems thinner or more frizzy, my twin and I came up with an idea. I went to visit a hair specialist. She said yes, I have thinning hair but it is still is too much to wear a wig comfortably. I told her I need something for bad hair and thin days or for big sheds. Then she showed me her hat collection. Oh my goodness, my sister and I were in instant heaven. I bought 3 and she bought 3. All different types. She bought some dress up ones and I bought some by Park Hurst -guard. So cute and it really is helping us on those bad hair days. We get complements for the hats and less time in the mirror trying to do our hair. Now we have 6 hats to rotate. They were about $26.00 each. So, an investment but am happy with it. I never seen a great hat collection like this before. Feel free to let me know if you want to the name of the shop I visited or you can also see some of the Park Hurst collection at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Parkhurst-Pointelle-Beret-Topper/dp/B000OKRMHA. I didn't see the same hat that I bought but there are some cute one here.

How to Prevent and Reverse Hair Loss with Diet- seen on Oprah!

Found on Oprah's website: I felt compelled to share. Anything that gives us hope- I want to try to share. This is from the show that aired Feb 18th. Ask Dr. Christiane Northrup

Christiane Northrup discusses how the right type of diet can reverse the hormonal imbalances that cause hair loss. And how eating low glycemic foods can actually reverse the thinning process. Yay!! Thank goodness for Tivo- can't wait to watch.

To vies this artice or other's go directly to : http://www2.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/20080117/slide_yourbody_northrup_110.jhtml

According to Dr. Northrup, glycemic foods can cause dramatic changes in the body. "One of the things that often happens in mid-life to people is if they have a lot of stress hormones in their system and they're eating a high-glycemic diet, and the high insulin is in their blood from the high sugar … that actually changes the way hormones are metabolized. So you actually begin to shoot your estrogen and progesterone into androgen-like substances that produce male pattern baldness in women. Have you seen this—where [women] start to get a beard and they get thinning of the hair at the temples and so on?"

Other than a low-glycemic diet, Dr. Northrup has one other recommendation for thinning hair. "Acupuncture can be very, very helpful for it," she says.

ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA & My perception

ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA_

So, this is what I was told that I have. My once thick and curly hair is now much thinner and I get to look forward as I age for more thinning hair. Do I like this? NO! How can I be me like this?
Answer: I can't! My perception must change, I must change my attention on it to move through
this. I am learning and I am in the process of taking this in and not letting it make me hide but
to find ways to be me, live my life, be happy, a great wife and awesome mother even though I have ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA.

I am okay but I do not like this. I am okay but I think this sucks but I will get through this. I am okay but now My twin is experiencing shedding and I have to see her go through the roller coaster that I just went through and will go through until I change my perception and outlook on this._

ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA.
Androgenetic alopecia is also referred to as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. Certain follicles begin to shrink, producing thinner, weaker hair with a shorter life span. With each growth cycle the follicle shrinks a little more. If the follicle continues shrinking it may eventually atrophy. If this happens it will no longer be capable of producing hair. This is a gradual process which occurs over a long period of time. As long as the process is not complete there is potential to minimize the effects. My Dermatologist told me to take a blood pressure med, Yesmin and Men's Rogaine (I use drugstore.com- to buy that one - no way I am buying that at a store- not yet anyways.). So, I heard that proper diet, extreme care, and natural remedies such as aromatherapy can be helpful. I am willing to try and try until I have
felt that I did all I could and that I tried.


Now-> My goal is to drop 10 lbs by my 34th birthday. My plan- coming to a post soon.

....letting the Universe guide your energy flow....

Wanted to share an email my dad sent to me. It was sent to me at just the right time and means the world to me and I wanted to share it.

I was really feeling bummed out when he sent this. After this I felt much better. I have good days and bad days and re-member that it could always be worse and to appreciate what I have and rejoice in that.

--------------------

Hi Babe! Hope you're doing better and better....letting the Universe guide your energy flow....remembering that "you" or "I" are really just a formation of particles attracted together for a period of time within this bigger energy field called the Universe or God and not separate from it.

Don't forget to pay attention to this "inner you" and actually "feel it" and its bigger connection to the Universe deep inside you as you go about your business of the day. Oh yes, and Happy New Year!! Here we are in 2008...the Chinese Year of the Rat....which is a source of new beginnings according to their belief system of how the stars are aligned this year. I suppose there could be something to that......


I love you. Feel my arms around you....my energy field vibrating with yours....in peace and love...we are never alone.

Dad

--------------------------

How great was that email? Thanks Pop for allowing me post this email you sent to me. ;o)

Why me? Why not me? Continued....

I came home and cried, I felt that my whole world crashed on me. That I could not work in my field with my hair issue. It seemed fine for men but not young women. So, I stopped working- I am figuring out how to cope at his time. I was bawling for the whole day- I mean really good to. A huge self pity party. I had child care for the kids. My husband! He kept them busy and said mommy isn't feeling good and I wasn't. I do not think I would let myself go in this direction if I did not have care for my little ones. I mean I have them on a schedule.

Today it was my day to feel sad. To feel my loss, to really feel it. To feel the loss of being told I had this issue. I do not want it. How am I suppose to be me? To be cute and happy? How am I suppose to stay positive and want to be the best I can be? I felt crippled, slapped in the face by God - Universe. The next day my eyes and face were swollen. I dropped off the boys at school and decided that like this is my Petty Tyrant. I felt better. I re-membered Carlos Castaneda's books, stated in his book about how the Petty Tyrant can make one stronger and how it is a good thing to help one move to a heightened awareness. I took a deep cleansing breathe. I took it all in. I then went to my sister-in-laws. I had a terrible itch later that night and went back one days later to my dermatologist. I told her I think I had a reaction to the Rogaine or the blood pressure medicine that she gave me. She said no- it is Shingles caused most likely by stress. OH, MY GOD! What .. not this too? It was two week before Christmas and I was getting electrical type shocks in my back and on my left breast where the shingles were. I was given a steroid to put on the shingles and an oral virus med so i didn't get some other strange nerve ending issues. So, two days later my throat hurt and the next day I was not feeling well. the next day my throat decided to get white patches and it was a Saturday. Christmas was a few days away and I was feeling awful. I couldn't stand up, I was on walking to the shower to the bed to the teapot. I was dizzy, hot and cold and could not get comfortable. I called my twin over. Since she is a nurse and her husband I thought perhaps they could help me. They said they could only recommend me going to urgent care.

They took me. We arrived to Providence Urgent care and the message marching said they close a 7:45PM. We arrived at 6:59. As I was desperately trying to get to the door with help from my twin, the door was locked and blinds shut in our face. I knocked desperately on the door. I need help- I yelled in a crying voice. This bleach blond 22 year old open ed the door and said: Sorry - we are closed and we close at 7:00pm today.) I begged to be seen another nurse or med aid came and said that the doctors just were leaving or had left. As they shut the door in my face, I heard them laughing and not quietly but loudly as they said try the emergency room.

My sister was pissed and laughed in a heckle back to them. Now I was getting cold flashed bad and had coat and a blanket wrapped around me as I wobbled back to her car with tears from pain running down my cheeks. I was not feeling good at all. My twin and her husband decided to would be best to take me home and take me back to urgent care the next day. I was going to let them but inside I was yelling no- I want help now- I can not handle this any longer. I then spoke up and said please drop me off at Emergency. I can not help how I feel here. I need help now! Please get me help. I had tears and little voice. I begged them to take me. They seemed not to want to. Then my sister dropped off her husband and gave me some throat spray and said" I will take you..sis".

We got to Emergency and I told them I was afraid my throat would close- shit I didn't know and I wanted to help no not in three hours. I waited 15 minutes and I was sent back. I wobbled I could not walk straight up, I was bent over and I didn't care how idiotic I looked. I was doing the best I could at that moment. I was not offered a wheel chair at the OHSU emergency but I didn't care I was getting help and I was happy. I was given tea when I asked for it. Anything hot to lessen the pain in my throat. Oh!! That felt good. Thank Goodness for hot tea! I was also seen immediately. It was determined that my throat would not close so they gave me a pain pill and said they believe I have Strep Throat because of the white patches. An hour late they gave me a shot of Penicillin in my rump. Ouch!! Thank Goodness though _ I felt much better 24 hours later.

A couple days later Christmas came. I was no longer really contagious so I went to my sister-in-laws for a couple hours so we could be with family. I was really out of it and my promoter energy was no longer available. I not only felt icky...I also felt like I had a hidden secret. I am no longer normal or pretty, I felt like a misfit because I also knew that under this strep throat and shingled body also was something far worse to my ego. My hair and how it would never be that thick pretty and yes sometimes wild and frizzy curly hair again. It would become more thin and no longer unique, no longer would I be seen as special or that is how I always felt.

I am now 33, feeling older and now seeing it happen before my eyes. OH.. NO! Why me...A thought immediately answered me and said Why not. Ouch! I thought that I did ask the Universe to be transformed and to be not only brighter but to feel and see life differently.

Never in my dreams did I ask for this. I then shouted back to the Universe why can not the evil step mother (Marlys) that beat me as a child get this? Why didn't that b-tch get the cancer that my mom died from. Why is she okay>

The answer - why not! So, I decided to pick up my books, listen to Kelly Howell, Jean Houston's audio clips, Earl Nightingale, the Secret cd and any thing else and move through
this.

Next post- what happens next and how I am coping today.

My husband and I

My honey and I.

Have You Done It Lately?

Have You Done It Lately? Gentle reminders of some to do's and a great New Year organizing plan by my favorite Martha Stewart online resource. To see this article and others like it visit www.marthastewart.com.

Have You Done It Lately?

If you have stone floors, you should reseal them about once a year. Porous materials such as brick and slate will absorb spills and dirt if not coated with a masonry-floor sealer. First, clean floors thoroughly with a scrub brush and detergent. Rinse, and let dry completely. Then apply sealer according to package instructions.

Indoors
--Write thank-you notes for the holiday gifts you received. Etiquette dictates that these notes should be sent by the middle of January.

--Take down and store holiday ornaments and decorations. The boxes that your ornaments came in are best for storage; if you didn't save the originals, you can wrap each piece individually in acid-free tissue paper, and pack them in a sturdy, compartmentalized box (or use paper cups to keep ornaments separate). Be sure to store the box in a stable environment, such as a closet; fluctuating temperatures and moisture levels in attics and basements can be harmful to the decorations.

--Update your personal calendar, making note of important occasions throughout the year. Don't forget the birthdays of friends and loved ones.

--Clean the refrigerator and freezer. Soak removable pieces in warm, slightly soapy water; loosen hardened spills on fixed parts by covering them with a damp sponge or cloth. Don't use bleach or ammonia, as these can damage some materials. To eliminate odors, wipe down all interior surfaces with a baking soda and warm water solution (one or two tablespoons soda per quart of water).

Outdoors
--After snow falls, clear driveways and walks. If you let snow sit too long, it will become dense, eventually turning to layers of ice, which will be much harder to remove than fresh powder. You should also clear heavy, wet snow from the tops of bushes and shrubs with a broom to prevent branches from breaking under the weight.

--Avoid walking on the lawn when it's covered with a layer of frost or icy snow. Blades of grass can be easily damaged when frozen.

--Spring feels a long way off, but now is the time to start planning your flower and vegetable gardens। Browse seed catalogs and begin placing orders and plotting out your plantings.

I can not take the credit for writing this artice but of course I can say I have done most of these and feel more organized and on top of things! Hope you feel that way too!

Why me? Why not me?

Why me? Why not me?

I finally decided that I would go see Dr. Roberts, a dermatologist in Portland, Or. She specializes in hair loss for women. I Just wanted to make sure that there were no real issues. I was hoping that it was all in my head. You see, I have always had extra thick curly hair. Stylists would tell me how lucky I was to have such thick curly hair. I would always say, "I wish I had straight hair". Anyway- I decided that the shedding was not normal and the thinning didn't seem normal. So, I decided I would go get checked out. I got checked once before and that was/is a bad memory and did not want to go through that again. I was 9 months pregnant and a Kaiser dermatologist said "You have Male Pattern Baldness disorder and it is hereditary". He just looked at me and not anything else, no special scope was used or hair strand tested. I was in his office for 10 min. I went home and cried. I told my OBGYN at my next appointment and she said it was from the hormones and since I was about to have a baby that this sometimes happens and I should expect my old hair back. I did accepted it and then my hair was fine again (my hair did go straight while I was pregnant). Well that was in 2001. Now it is happening again and I had my last and final son in 2003.

So, 2 years ago I noticed my hair starting to shed again or thin a bit. I was kinda glad that my extra thick hair decided to become a little less thick and much more managable. Then it kept thinning and I thought. " Hmmm- what if this doesn't stop?" Then I thought that everything would be fine and not to think about it. Then this past summer it started to shed and just thin and my scalp itched. I didn't want to think about it. Except for I did think about it, every time I had to try to style my hair or get ready to go meet a client or go meet with consultants.

Oh no- it was now much harder and harder to style my hair like I usually do. Oh Sh-t! What am I going to do if this does not stop? I thought, I am not my hair. I am not my hair ...I am more.

Except I kept feeling strange inside every time it got harder to style my hair in my regular way. How am I suppose to feel confident meeting with my clients with this hair? I had felt comfortable with my looks - well except I always wanted straight hair and always had curly thick hair that just was different then everyone else's.

People would ask if I was Spanish, Mexican, Indian, Italian. I would always say," no." I am just your average American with a little this and that but a white person. Anyway- I finally decided in late summer to go see a Dermatologist. After a 4 month wait I made it in late November of 2007. I brought my test results from my reg doc that said my blood work is fine but hoping she would find a normal issue or low iron and fix me right up.

She took two biopsy's -Ow! 2 weeks later I went back with my husband and got the news. She said, well " Looks like you have, Female Pattern Baldness - she explained that it is diffuse thinning across your whole head". (What I was thinking- meaning this is not going to get any better ever but it could get much worse and now my worst fear is coming true). I bawled - right then and there. I didn't want to bawl like a 2 year old that just was told no, but I did. I am talking red in the face and chest and not being able to breathe very well. Talk about being embarrassed. Here I am a mother of two, 33, and a professional consultant that interfaces with CEO'S bawling like a 2 year old. I could not even hear what she was telling me. Something about taking Men's Rogaine 4% and how that can help keep the hair I have. She also told me that Nioxin doesn't hurt and gave me a blood pressure medicine called Spin-. After we left Dr. Robert's office.

Find out more on my next post - more to tell on how I am coping since this just happened and my breakdown. Come back and see what happens to me next. Oh Geez!

 Happy New Years