by Shelli of Hairscapades
So, I’ve been meaning to talk about this for a while. At what point are we crossing the line of being “idiosyncratic” and quirky about our hair obsessions into psychotic?
I mean, I admit to taking things to the point that make some believe that I’m a little crazy (although, they thought that before anyway;-). I carry a pair of sheathed scissors in my purse in order to destroy split ends and knots at any time, no matter where they may hide!!! I also regularly inspect the hair on my sink and in my hands to make certain that it is shed and not broken. I’ve saved my hair balls to compare the amount of shed hair from week to week (though I didn’t get to the point of saving it in a ziplock bag, I’ve contemplated it). I have about 6 satin pillowcases and make certain that I bring one with me on trips so that I don’t have to lay my head on cotton (mind you, I always have a satin bonnet or scarf too). I wince and get upset whenever I hear a hair “pop,” despite the fact that it doesn’t happen often at all anymore! I also become distraught if I’ve been working with my hair and discover a ragged-edge nail because I’m contemplating what damage it may have caused to my strands!
However, about a month ago, Michelle commented that some women were using Monistat cream on their hair and scalp to promote hair growth. Now, that made even my obsessive behind think, “A yeast infection cream on your head?!?! Well that’s just crazy.” LOL!!! Over the last year on the hair sites, I’ve also read about taking pre-natal vitamins when not nursing, pregnant nor having any plans to get there (I researched but don’t feel comfortable about doing that until I talk to my doctor), using veterinary quality shampoo and conditioners made for horses to promote growth (MegaTek) and employing safety pins to try to remove SSKs. I also suspect that far more of us than will admit spend an inordinate number of hours stalking Fotki, Youtube and hair sites and find ourselves up to the wee hours of the night or watching the sun rise because we couldn’t pull our exhausted and red-eyed selves away from the computer.
So, what say you?
When does ”idiosyncratic” about our hair cross the line into “One Flew Over the CUCKOO’s Nest?!”
What hair-related things do you find yourself doing that you know are a little obsessive, quirky or (shoot, let’s admit it) crazy?
Well IM gonna try monistat i have very bad itching in my scalp and IM loosing alot of hair it is so noticeable its embarrassing and the itching is so painful i have tried everything else IM hoping this will work.
I thought only the relaxed girls did the monistat thing.
For me it's not what you do that makes you crazy but how intensely you do it. (okay sometimes it's definitely what you do, i.e. bull semen) But while I haven't tried those things, they seem perfectly reasonable. and from what I heard megatek was made for humans too.
as for my craziness? i currently have a crate full of half used conditioners, shampoos, oils and random bottles…and a huge things of olive oil. like enough to fry a turkey. i ignored the looks i got when the movers picked it up -_____- i haven't bought a hair product in almost a year now and i still haven't managed to cut my supply down significantly. and the sad part? i laughed at all the posts about pjism thinking 'yeah that'll never be me. some people just need to stop being greedy!' meanwhile i couldn't step into a target without eyeing up the sales and coming out with a bottle.
on the bright side i have what looks like a lifetime supply of hair care products….until they expire :/
I think by virtue of the fact that we are all on this site and posting comments about hair shows just a wee bit obsession on all of our parts. 🙂 Never heard of the monistat thing, but medications have been used for "off label" purposes all of the time. I for one had some medical issues in the past and the doctor prescribed meds that were "off label use", but that helped me with my problem. I have recently been reading about emu oil on another site. I will admit to a mild pj-ism and to youtube stalking since starting my transition journey 11 months ago.
I just take my biotin and multivitamin everyday. I haven't gotten to my breaking point yet.
@Jan, You should be careful taking all those vitamins. It is very easy to overdose on vitamins, which can cause health problems.
Ive used cooter cream on my scalp,It didn't help me sprout 5 inches in a month, but it did help to keep my scalp flake and itch free…which you could kind of say helped with growth.
I confess, I do some crazy stuff. I take 8 vitamins and supplements every morning – multivitamins, biotin, sea kelp, vitamin c, vitamin d, vitamin e, b-complex, and b-12. Yes, I am aware most of these are in the multivitamin, which is why I acknowledge it is crazy. I caught my husband researching the sea kelp online so I am aware I am beginning to worry him as well 🙂 I bought every vitamin that I have ever heard was beneficial to the hair whether it was strengthening (my focus) or growing. Once my current supply ends, I will pair it down to the multivitamins I have always taken and biotin.
As for monistat and megatek, I haven't done them, but can acknowledge they both seem less harmful than overdosing on vitamins so no judgements from me.
monistat is used for cleaning your scalp. Just like clearing your lady parts of yeast it is helping your scalp stay clean which makes sense. You use things on your hair for other places of your body as well because the ingredients are similar even putting things meant to be food on your hair (i.e mayonnaise, yogurt, eggs)
I personally havent tried monistat but the logic behind it to me is sound. I just think that hair growth just like exercise does not happen overnight and if you put the basic practices of hair care in use (Cleanse, moisturize, protect ends, repeat) then you will reap benefits some people just cant wait
WE HAVE YEAST ON OUR SKIN – INCLUDING SCALP – AND IN OUR INTESTINES. WHEN THE RATIO IN OUR GUT IS OFF EVEN SLIGHTLY FROM 85/15 GOOD TO BAD, THE MANIFESTATION CAN BE DANDRUFF, ATHLETE'S FOOT ECZEMA AND MORE. SO MONISTAT ON THE SCALP CAN ACTUALLY KILL YEAST AND BACTERIA THAT CAN INTERFERE WITH A HEALTHY SCALP. THE ITCHING FROM THE MONISTAT IS ACTUALLY YEAST DIE OFF.
THIS IS WHY THE ANTIFUNGAL ACTION OF COCONUT OIL OR CASTOR OIL CONTRIBUTES TO ITCHING AND HAIR GROWTH ALSO.
Monistat??? really? OMG now I definitely need to see before and afters LMAO
I took 5000 mcg of Biotin a day for a week, but felt that I may have been going OD, so I cut it back to 5000 mcg twice a week. Honestly I didn't see much progress. Now that I've started to take 1000 mcg and changed to GNC's Women's Ultra multivitamin, I've seen nice progress. As a bonus my nails are strenghtened and growing nicely.
HI, my name is Michelle in TX (Allnatural1) and I am a stalker of FOTKI & YOUTUBE. hahahahahahahaha
Yes girl, I am guilty of staying up late at night because I just had to look at one more set of hairstyles or videos. Pitiful isnt it? smile Don't worry I'm on the 10 step program from (NNHA)Natural Nappy Hairstyles Anonymous.LOL
shelli u r SO not alone I can say that .."I also regularly inspect the hair on my sink and in my hands to make certain that it is shed and not broken. I’ve saved my hair balls to compare the amount of shed hair from week to week AND keep them in plastic bags. i felt as though I was shedding a whole lot and believe it or not i still don't know the pattern because i have hypothyrodism and recently had surgery so i'm back to sending how my hair starts behaving after all that. PLUS i recently got a trim so i have a lot to take notes on! LOL
Hmm…. I admit to watching Youtube videos at least an hour a day. I will admit to taking three hair viatamins a day. I will admit to having a very OCD hair cleaning regiment lol…
I admit to spending time at work dusting my ends, then taking pictures of the split ones to see up close how bad it really is LOL…
Hi all, Shelli again. Just wanted to say that I didn't write this post to offend anyone. In fact, I was trying to be a little self-effacing by admitting to all the things that I do and just wondering if there is a line that is crossed at times. However, I did it as a fun post and not to actually accuse anyone of being LITERALLY crazy.
I researched the Monistat thing when I read about it and identified the concept behind its use. I always do so as I'm interested in the "science" behind things. I researched prenatals and MegaTek too. I didn't immediately write them off, but after some research, decided they weren't for me. I did learn the principle behind using Monistat was related to scalp health and killing excessive bacteria, which is the cause of dandruff (what I read also indicated that we all have bacteria on our scalp, just some have more than others, which can result in varying degrees of dandruff). However, I thought, "why not just use anti-dandruff shampoo like Neutrogena T-gel or the prescription foams for dandruff." I also pondered, is the scalp supposed to have a certain level of bacteria similar to the way that of our "nether regions" need it (hence the reason it is recommended that one eat yogurt when taking an antibiotic)? If one doesn't have dandruff, could the Monistat do more harm than good? I have no clue as to the answers and Monistat may be more economical than the prescription foams and some of the OTC products as well as more convenient to use because it doesn't require shampooing. Honestly, I wasn't trying to pass judgment. Just kind of laughing at all of the "idiosyncratic" things I do and how we repurpose things. So, I apologize if I seemed judgmental. I was actually just trying to prompt responses=).
Oh, and one last thing. I spend an inordinate amount of time on hair related topics and I admit I have a touch of OCD=). I'm a little obsessive about anything for which I develop a passion (ask any of my friends about my obsession with cartoons and my blog followers who have had to read several posts about Avatar The Last Airbender and my fangirl nerdiness;). But, I think that for some of us, hair is a hobby. It's entertaining and fun for us and not a job or distasteful task. For others, it's of little concern and, as someone said above (I believe), they'd rather be doing something else. I don't think it's about not living life, it's just about how you want to live it. So, carpe diem in whatever way makes you happy ladies and thanks for all of the comments and interesting perspectives!
I don't really pay my hair much attention at all. When it needs something I take care of it and leave it alone until it needs something again lol. While I've never used any of those unconventional things listed in the article in my hair, I don't see anything wrong with them if they're safe to use. The Monistat 1 in particular seems pretty common sense to me. Idk if I'd use it for hair growth but if I was having problems with itchy scalp or dandruff I might try it. If its safe enough for internal use in such an area as the very finicky flowery area below, I guess it's good enough to use as a topical cream to kill some bacteria! lol idk just a thought.
I’m not going to encourage anyone to use Monistat on their heads, but I have used it and I can tell you that I believe it to be a safer product than perms or texturizers are (and most of us here have used perms at one time or another). I know the ingredients in this product, and I can tell you that absolutely all of them are around you all of the time in your lotion, shampoo, makeup, and yes even FOOD.
I have the box right here with me. The ingredients are: benzoic acid (a common preservative for food), cetyl alcohol (used in many hair and skin care products), isopropyl myristate (used in cosmetics and to treat head lice), polysorbate 60 (used in cosmetics and food preparation), potassium hydroxide (used to make soap), propylene glycol (used for about a million things including as a food additive and in shampoos/conditioners. This one can be toxic, but only if ingested in very large amounts), purified water, and stearyl alcohol (used in cosmetics and perfumes). The only other ingredient is miconazole nitrate which has anti fungal properties that can be used to treat dandruff, as well helping to oxygenate the scalp.
I admit none of those are exactly the healthiest ingredients. But most of the ingredients are low enough concentrations that I’m really doing more harm to myself by going to a bar and breathing in some second hand smoke.
I’m not trying to be catty. It just seems like sometimes you get written off as a hair obsessed crazy person just for using something unconventional. The truth is that I’m a college student with ties to my school’s biology and chemistry departments, which means that I have somewhere to go to get answers about what I’m putting on or in my body. I think most of the people who are decrying MN-users as ‘crazy’ would have a hard time going through their bathroom counter and finding products that don’t contain one or more of those ingredients. But again, what you do is between you, your doctor, and your god. Just understand that ‘crazy’ is a harsh word to throw around just because you don’t understand something.
I just purchased a small pair of scissors for my purse to do search and destoys on the go not more than two hours ago . I'm always getting knots and splits on my ends. I can't stand them.
You may laugh, but Megatek got my thin spot growing! That was over a year ago now. It's the extreme protein that's in the product. The drawback is you cannot use any other product containing protein while using it or your hair will protein overload. I'll stand by that product.
Never thought of using monistat but think it's being used in place of a more expensive cell based hair treatment on the market right now.
Past the pj stage and don't think I'm obsessive but I do like what works!
catcurls
I've heard that taking prenatal vitamins are good for you and that was before I ever started going on hair care blogs.
i will never use monistat, but ladies, i will say that i used megatek for my then non existent hairline, and it works. Apparently it is a cheaper version of Ovation – a human hair care product.
I have seen worse though for hair growth – and i still reflex gag on that one.
While I am certainly guilty of being a YouTube/blog stalker, the rest of that- not so much. Actually, not at all. I've been natural for almost a year, and now that I've figured out what my hair likes, I realize that it's going to do its own thing, and that is fine. The more it grows, the more I have to do, so I'm pretty sure I'm not going to let it grow past BSL. I've got to much living to do to be spending so much time on my hair. If it were to stop growing, I could always rock a TWA and keep it moving.
I have to admit I’m not very obsessed with my hair. I worried a little about my hair before I found products that work for me. Now that I know what works, I use it and move on. I look at Youtube videos about hair to learn about new products and to get ideas for new hair styles. I do spend hours on Youtube, but I’m not just watching videos. I have small knots in my hair now that will be removed when ever I get around to it. Some time I worry about not being obsessed with my hair. Should I be obsessed? Maybe if I focused on my hair more I would have less split ends. But hey, I have them and I will live with them.
Please don’t think I’m judging in, just giving my opinion.
@kitka82 true when they put those three words in together……exit stage left , do not pass go……
But when i was younger and had braids my mum would clean my scalp with cotton swabs of methylated spirit i don't know the science behind it but it sure did remove a lot of gunk from my hair without having to wash it i guess it was her way of a cleanse tone and moisturize routine for my scalp and that's my crazy.
My mother in law told me about this before I ever heard it anywhere else. of course, I just rolled my eyes like "what is she talking about now Lawd". She's from MS where the idea originated and she suggested I try it for my daughter who's hair is growing ever so slowly.
I can't…just can NOT have me or my daughter walking around smelling "yeasty". The prenatal vitamins are fine though.
LOL @ Dino urine!
Weren't some folks using bull semen back in the day. My word.
I often use dinosaur urine for my protein treatments…
BAHAHAAA! I swear Aphogee is made from re-hydrated dino urine, but we all know that's not true, even though it smells like it!
I used Monistat on my scalp once, but not for growth… a friend suggested it b/c I had a dandruff problem. I used it & followed up with a shampoo & my dandruff was GONE. I never used it again though, I just didn't like the fact that I had to use a "real" shampoo to remove the monistat residue. I works, but there are easier ways to deal with dandruff.
@nabwire: if I thought Monistat would be safe and work, sure I'd use it even in the same package with the same name–as long as the label did not include the words "vaginal", "yeast" or "infection" LOL
Prenatal vitamins are not the reason for hair growth during pregnancy. When I was preggo I did not take my vitamins religiously (I focused on getting my nutrients through food) and my hair still grew fast.
Come on… I wanna hear other people's crazy stories! I admit sometimes I get a little obsessive about my search & destroys. And I have been known to spend the occasional Friday night perusing Youtube videos, although I have settled down. :-p
And let's face it–some of us (myself included) have been bonafide product junkies, which can be just about as ridiculous. 🙂
the question is then….'does it work? and is it safe? i mean don't we put dimethicone and all other chemicals from shampoos and conditioners in our hair? if the same ingredients were in a say cantu sheabutter package wouldn't we use it?
I do try to monitor for shedded vs. broken hairs, but I don't collect them.
I agree with the Anonymous comments at 10:51 AM and 11:05 AM. If you take care of the hair that you've already grown, you will grow more.
As for Monistat and horse hair products, they are a NO GO for me.
IMO this is a bit crazy. All that in the pursuit of growth? There are many cute styles to rock on your growth journey, so I say stop stressing. Sometimes I wonder why "naturals" go to such lengths to defy or trick "nature"? Let's be real. Healthy hair will grow. Kinky curls shrink up. Frizz happens. Ends get raggedy. Face it and embrace it.
BTW, prenatal vitamins are not very different than a regular women's daily multivitamin so there's probably no harm in taking them. BUT I thought hormones are the reason our hair thickens and grows like crazy during pregnancy not vitamins.
I don't get it. What's the big rush for super hair growth? And I thought you couldn't change your hair growth rate. That you should focus on retention or retaining the hair you've already grown. (???)
I just take care of my hair with the usual stuff (conditioners, protein deep conditioners, moisturizers etc) and some protective styling. Beyond that, I just let the hair do what it do, ya know. A watched pot never boils.
I don't think I'm hair crazy.. the only thing on my list is inspecting hair strands for breakage or shedding.
lol, I thought the horse would be a nice touch 🙂
Although I never used Monistate, I've read that the miconazole nitrate in this product is the growth headline ingredient. The nitrate is believed to provide oxygen to the hair by relaxing the blood vessels in the body and scalp allowing increased oxygen to the scalp promoting stimulation to the hair follicles for growth. SOUNDS FAMILIAR…… similarly there are essential oils working in this capacity such as Peppermint and Rosemary oil, etc.
See, but only one person admitted to doing something obsessive or a little crazy!! I put my business all out in the street! C'mon folks! Admit it. I know you do something that even you shake your head at yourself about;-).
Shelli
LOL love the horse. Monistat? OK
smh…I think the image of these things sounds ridiculous ,and we just cant pull away from the actual purposes of these products.However I remember YEARS ago when people frowned upon placenta…NOW it's everywhere!I for one would not think to take an after birth swipe of my own let alone some animal,then bottle it up and put it in my hair(But that's just me) lol :-/.I wouldn't try any of these products …lol I just cant.Plus I'm a slight hypochondriac …I could imagine tripping in the middle of the night over what I have put in my hair…And as ,mentioned above we could already be using them especially the things in Megatek…Monistat….hm not so much…lol
Ok… that picture…. made milk squirt out of my nose. And I wasn't even drinking milk. LMFAO
If we review the ingredients in these products we may find that we are already using them via "FOR HAIR USAGE" products. They may share the same ingredients as a number of our favorite hair growth/cleansing/styling aids.
***JUST A THOUGHT*****
Early in my journey, I was a youtube stalker. Now I watch one or two hair videos a week.
ummmm… no. Pretty much goes without saying for me 🙂
I'm sorry but there is no way I'm putting Monistat on my head unless you talking 5 inches a month in growth or something outrageous like that! Otherwise it can just stay at the store.
The Monistat thing KILLS me…some things are just better left to tackle the task which it was made for…although some women swear by this. I am sorry, I am just not that desperate for growth!