The Ugly Truth Behind Reality TV

I was having a conversation with several clients and the topic of reality TV came up. As we were talking I had this revelation: That many of the women portrayed in these shows are miserable and unhappy. Think about it, in the most popular ones that cast black women, really look at these women. Nice clothes, nice cars, nice houses, makeup on point (well for some) and that’s it. What else do they have?

Many of the women on the reality TV shows mask their pain behind expensive material goods and pounds of make up. So I say to my young impressionable girls/ladies that watch these shows and are enamored with what they see, “Is that really the life you want for yourself?” “Do you really just want a bunch of overpriced goods to flaunt while feeling empty on the inside?”

I say to you young ladies (girls) that a person with a lot of money that has no one that truly loves them or cares about them in their life is miserable. Money can by temporary happiness. But it can’t buy love. I’m saddened by how so many of our young black girls aspire for nothing more than a sexy body, lots of money and expensive clothes, shoes, and cars.

Ladies you are beautiful as you were created. Stop killing yourselves to be something/ someone you are not. The women you see on TV cry every night before bed, drink to mask the hurt or do some type of drugs to numb the pain. Hence the reason for a full face of makeup every time you see them on camera or off. They are hiding the face of insecurities, pain, mistrust and lack of love and true friendships.

Love who you are naturally. Think for a moment what do you truly have a passion for doing. Something that is so near and dear to you that you could do it for free. That’s your passion, work towards obtaining that and being the best you, you can be. Look in the mirror and say: “I am powerful, I am smart, I am beautiful and I am a queen. I will accomplish any and every thing I put my mind to. Today I will be a better woman than I was yesterday because I love me and he (most high) made me Phenomenal!”

Stop settling for less than. Stop being a clone. Stand up and Stand out. Be different, be unique, be YOU! Love the skin you are in. Be proud of yourself. Your past is just that YOUR past. It does not have to be an excuse for your future. We all have made mistakes and made bad decisions. From this day forward make better decisions, make choices to become the best woman you can be. When you know better you do better. Trust me no one has a squeaky clean background. Just make steps in the right direction, do something you love and have a passion for and be great at it.

I felt like someone needed to hear this and read some positive words of inspiration and encouragement. I pray that these words falls upon the ears and eyes of a young girl/lady that is doubt of herself, a young lady who feels unworthy or undeserving. You are confident, you are strong, you deserve the best and nothing less. Smile because you love yourself enough. If not I have love for you and I believe in you. I know I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but I know your story and it does get better.

Peace and blessings my beautiful black queens!

How to Combat Dandruff

We have all pretty much at some point dealt with this issue. Uggghh those pesky white flakes of dead skin, really annoying right?  Let’s talk about one of the common scalp conditions that plagues many people…DANDRUFF *big sigh*

What are the symptoms of dandruff, you ask?

Dandruff usually is white, dry or oily flakes.  It’s also accompanied by itching of the scalp. Change of season worsens symptoms.  Especially fall and winter months due to the fact that there is less humidity in the air and heating your home in winter dries in home air which leads to dry scalp and skin. 

Sometimes the size of flakes can vary from as small as the top of a dressmaker’s pin

To medium size like the top of a push pin

Or Large like buttons

So now you are thinking, what causes dandruff?

There are several causes such as dry skin, not shampooing your hair often, irritated oily skin, psoriasis, yeast like fungus, eczema & adverse reactions to products.

Let’s break each of these causes down.

Dry Skin

Just that simple, dry skin is caused from lack of moisture. During winter months the cold air combined with heated homes pulls moisture out of your body. You will notice increased itching and dry patches on skin. Your scalp will produce the smaller dry dandruff flakes.

Not Shampooing Often

Usually this will occur in people with locs and people of color, as they don’t shampoo the hair on a regular basis. Ideally you are supposed to cleanse the hair once a week to keep hair fresh and to remove build up. Over product usage can cause build up and dandruff.

Irritated Oily Skin

This is also medically known as seborrhea dermatitis. This type of dandruff is usually plagued with red oily skin that is topped with scales that are white or yellow in color. These flakes tend to be much larger than dry skin dandruff.

Psoriasis / Eczema

These flakes are large, thick and kind of grayish in color. Usually people who have psoriasis/eczema on the body will have it in the scalp.

Yeast Like Fungus

Also medically known as Malassezia. This fungus can stay on the scalp of a healthy person and not cause any issues. The over abundance of oils either secreted from the scalp or applied to the hair from a product that you use on a regular basis will create an ideal growth area for the fungus to get out of hand. It will cause more skin cells to grow. The excess skin combines with the oil on your scalp creating clumps of dandruff similar to seborrhea dermatitis.

Adverse reactions to products

Some people have sensitivity to products. One ingredient in particular paraphenylene diamine (PPD) will irritate skin causing scaly, itchy, red scalp. Sometimes people may cleanse the hair to often causing drying of the skin on your head as well as using too many/ too much product which can irritate the scalp.

Now that we have identified and explained the causes in detail let’s discuss how to treat dandruff. As we all know dandruff is pesky and annoying as it itches and leaves flakes on your clothes, so you become OCD with dusting flakes off of you. Arghhhh that tedious task.

How to Combat Dandruff?

There are several shampoos that are geared towards reducing the appearance of dandruff and relieve the itchiness. These shampoos are made for the skin aka your scalp. DO NOT apply on all of your hair, because it will dry your hair and make it brittle. 

The key ingredients in these shampoos are as follows:

Selenium Sulfide – found in Dandrex, Selsun Blue

Zinc Pyrithione – found in Nioxin Scalp Recovery, Selsun, Head & Shoulders

Salicylic Acid – found in Neutrogena T-Sal

Coal Tar – found in Denorex, Neutrogena T-Gel,

Ketoconazol – found in Nizoral, Dandrene & Extina

Natural remedies

             

Many of my naturalistas and locstars will prefer the natural route to combating dandruff and itchy scalp. So here you go:

            Tea Tree Oil

There are a couple ways to apply: 1) Add 4-5 drops of oil to about 4oz of distilled water. Spray directly on scalp. 2) Pre cleanse scalp with witch hazel (for those that are not able to shampoo the hair weekly) placed on a steaming hot towel. Apply diluted tea tree oil (dilute with carrier oil or water) directly to scalp.

Black Soap           

This soap is absorbent of oils and kills bacteria. It also is soothing to irritated skin from psoriasis and eczema.  It is rich in Vitamins A and E. It is a natural exfoliate and removes free radicals.

Apple Cider Vinegar

After shampooing hair to remove most build up. Drench scalp with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), Let sit for 15-20mins then shampoo out with moisturizing shampoo (Creamy in color). This helps to regulate the pHHhh dnfohhfhfh balance of the scalp while adding shine.

            Rosemary Oil

This oil is a part of the mint family. It has anti-fungal properties that kill yeast while soothing itchy scalp. Dilute by adding several drops to distilled water and spray directly to scalp.  You can combine this oil with the tea tree oil to create a phenomenal scalp treatment for dandruff.

I personally prefer the natural remedies for treatment of dandruff as many of the oils and products have multiple uses other than scalp conditions. So you get more bang for your buck with the purchase of those items. Just make sure you are buying 100% pure products. Many of them can be purchased at an herbal, health food, or African Import Store. Pure essential oils will only come in dark amber glass bottles.  (If the bottle is plastic then its not 100% pure, it has been diluted already) I use the natural remedies for my clients and they have said that over time the dandruff has subsided and or been completely eliminated as well as their hair has also become super shiny and soft. So as I give you the tools and the knowledge you will see that it’s really easy to S.imply K.eep Y.our H.air H.ealthy

Maintaining Healthy Hair Internally

One of the most asked questions I get is: “How do I maintain healthy hair?” or “What is healthy hair?”

Healthy hair is hair that is soft and pliable, it has body /bounce, shine and no split ends.  To elaborate, this means that your hair is well moisturized which gives you soft, pliable and shine. Your hair no split ends which means you are getting ends trimmed on a regular basis. Hair will naturally have body and bounce when its not weighed down with a ton of products. Shampooing and conditioning hair will help with all of the aforementioned traits.

So you say to yourself,  "I’m already doing this but my hair doesn’t seem to be healthy.”

Well, let’s see what else promotes healthy hair.

Maintaining healthy hair starts from with in.  I tell my clients what you put in your body comes out in through your hair, skin and nails, as they are the waste product of the body. So to ensure you have healthy hair you want to consume healthy foods, such as: fresh fruits, vegetables, protein & plenty of water. It’s not that difficult to do.

When you consume many unhealthy foods such as: fried foods, processed foods, sweets and breads it takes a toll on your hair. Because the grease has to be excreted from your body sometimes it can come out through your scalp in the form of large greasy dandruff flakes. Also when you ingest a lot of grease it causes acne. This excess grease will sometimes prevent color from taking on your hair.  When you are not consuming enough water it can cause dry brittle hair, dry scalp that leads to dry dandruff. Also not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables leads to hair loss.

So let’s take a look at what foods will help you maintain healthy hair. (We are going to get a little technical here.)

Spinach, Kale, Chard & Broccoli

These green veggies are all high in Beta Carotene, Vitamin C and Iron. Iron keeps blood and healthy oils circulating: by transporting oxygenated blood throughout the body, and to the hair follicles. Beta Carotene is turned into Vitamin A once digested.

Eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of protein and are rich in Iron, Zinc, Sulfur and Selenium. Iron is amazing for the hair because it helps to carry oxygen to the hair follicles. Iron deficiencies can cause hair loss (this-hair loss will be a repeated trend). Zinc & Selenium provide antioxidants that protect from harmful effects of the sun and the environment. It also helps to strengthen hair and stifles hair loss.

Blueberries, Sweet Potatoes, Strawberries, Tomatoes and Kiwis

All of these are high in Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Vitamin C is extremely important to help with blood flow and circulation to the scalp and overall hair health it promotes growth and color. Too little of this vitamin will cause brittle hair which is the leading cause of breakage and split ends. Vitamin A is vital as it produces and protects the healthy oils for the scalp. A lack of this nutrient will cause dry scalp and dandruff.

Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Low Fat Cheese and Skim or Almond or Coconut Milk

These foods are a great source of Vitamins D & B5 as well as Protein.   Vitamin B5 metabolizes fat, carbs and protein and provides nourishment for all your body’s cells. The lack of it can cause slowed hair growth, hair loss (Oh here it is again) and possible closing of hair follicles. Vitamin D acts as a receptor to activate the hair follicle producing hair growth and color.  A lack of it can cause premature gray hairs.

Fish, Chicken and Nuts

These lean foods will provide the hair with Protein, Biotin, Omega 3 Fatty Acid, Vitamins E, D, & B. Protein is the what hair is made of along with keratin, so when you consume a healthy portions you are providing this nutrient to maintain strong strands of hair. Lack of this can cause brittle and dull hair along with hair loss (yet again). Biotin is crucial to moisturizing/ strengthening your hair, skin and nails.  It also turns the food you eat into energy; which promotes hair growth. Omega 3 Fatty Acids provides oils needed to hydrate your hair, skin and nails. Vitamin E protects the hair from free radicals and is essential to cell regeneration and scalp circulation. Once again lack of this slows hair growth; which leads to hair loss (I did warn you that this is a trend).

Now you are saying, “how can I consume all of this stuff that I’m not used to eating?” One way is start off small and gradually increase. You can start by adding one healthy meal a week and then slowly increasing to 2-3-4 times a week. Substitution is another way, The “Eat This and Instead of That” technique.  Example: Instead of mashed white potatoes do mashed sweet potatoes or even better mashed cauliflower (Google or Bing Recipes, its delicious).

As you can see its best to consume fresh fruits and vegetables because they contain many of your antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that all promote healthy hair, skin & nail growth. Without those nutrients they all lead to hair loss (aka: shedding) not to mention in today’s world it is so much easier to consume these foods by means of Smoothies and Juicing. Although, I am a fan of Smoothies (via NutriBullet) because you are able to blend the whole fruit or veggie without leaving behind any pulp so you get the full nutritional value of the vegetable or fruit.  Look up the plethora of Juicing and Smoothie recipes, (Mmmm soooo tasty). So try making a smoothie with all the good stuff in it and bake, grill or pan sear instead of frying. If you follow this you will be well on your way to S.imply K.eeping Y.our H.air H.ealthy.