Beauty is Not Pain! (Folliculitis; cause, treatment, preventive care)

Folliculitis (inflamed hair shaft caused by bacteria)

Welcome back to my blog, Locs Talk, where I talk about Locs and Loose Natural Hair care. This week, I will go further in depth to discuss common scalp issues, also preventive care and remedies to keep your scalp clean and healthy. I will also discuss how you can prevention health hazards by doing one simple thing, reading labels, which will include how to properly read labels, learn the importance of reading labels and learning the effects some ingredients in your products can have on your health. We all want beautiful and luxurious hair, but at what cost? In this discussion you will find, you do not have to suffer, for beauty is NOT pain. Let us begin with the why.

There are a number of reasons why we wash our hair. The most popular one, of course is dirt and oil in your hair and on your scalp. But there is a more crucial reason why it is important to wash your hair properly and regularly. Even if your hair doesn't feel or look dirty & oily. Let's take a step back, let's revisit some of what I touched on in the blog previous to this one; remember, when I pointed out the fact that, not only does oil seal in moisture, but it also seals in bacteria, and how it enters the hair follicles and sits there to create an infection? I don't know about you, but the thought of bacteria living in my scalp, frightens me. Let's look further into what this bacterium is and what it can do to your scalp.

One of the most common scalp infections that can occur on your scalp, caused from bacteria is called Folliculitis. Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicle. The bacterium Staphylococcus Aures (staph) is responsible for the cause of folliculitis. This is a fungal infection that can cause inflammation to the scalp. According to several medical journals I've researched, and compared to one another; I read that some major complications that occur as a result of folliculitis are:

-abscesses: a confined pocket of pus that collects in tissues.

-boils under the skin/scalp: a painful, pus-filled bump under the skin.

-inflamed hair follicles: red, swelling and painful follicles due to infection.

-destruction of the hair follicles, which leads to permanent hair loss.

To prevent Folliculitis, it is important to cleanse your scalp regularly. A clean scalp minimizes the presence of bacteria. It is also extremely important to keep your hair tools clean and sanitized on a regular basis to avoid cross contaminations. Think of all the people who practice this habit when it comes to washing their face. Many people wash their face daily to avoid outbreaks and pimples, they may even use separate washcloths to prevent cross contamination from other body parts they've cleansed. If you visit a stylist or loctician, be sure they are keeping their hair tools sanitized as well, look around to see if they keep their tools stored in clean areas and are cleaning their equipment. Staph bacteria can cross contaminate using tools that has not been cleaned properly or regularly. It is very important to stay in communication with your stylist and be aware of the tools they use on your hair. Scratching is another way to cause or spread folliculitis as well. Even if you wash your hands thoroughly on a regular basis, there is microbial living under fingernails, that soap and water won't kill, and staph bacterium can be a cross contaminant with fingernails. So, avoid scratching your scalp in order to avoid cross contamination. Scratching also causes bruising and damage to scalp.

"What if the damage is already done? How do I treat folliculitis?" First thing's first, folliculitis should be diagnosed by a board-certified dermatologist. Once you receive a proper diagnosis, folliculitis is treatable with medication (antibiotics), under your doctor's care. For mild cases, there are some remedies to treat it at home. You will need to start with a good wash, using medicated shampoo. You can buy OTC medicated shampoo, or your dermatologist can write you a prescription for it. For treatment and care of the scalp after shampooing, you can use cortisone cream to help sooth inflamed scalp or an antifungal gel as it heals. One really great home remedy is using organic ACV (apple cider vinegar). ACV is a known antifungal antimicrobial agent. To use it properly, you must dilute it, mix 1 Tbsp of ACV per 8 ounces of water and use a soaked sterile cotton ball or gauze to apply it to the infected area for 20 minutes, twice a day until the infection is gone. Witch hazel is also very well-known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties. It is a popular remedy for treating skin conditions like acne, inflammation, and sunburn. Treating mild cases of folliculitis with witch hazel will be effective in restoring your scalp to a healthy state as well.

As a preventive step to avoid folliculitis, I wash my hair with Made for Locs ACV shampoo. Some of the great benefits of cleaning your hair with ACV is, it helps prevent product buildup because it is a clarifying shampoo, it helps to balance pH levels of your hair, it reduces frizz and keeps the hair soft. So, keeping a stocked supply of Made for Locs ACV shampoo is highly recommended.

Tea Tree Oil, is also a great preventive agent, to help treat & avoid folliculitis. Knowing the benefits of tea tree oil, people tend to skip over proper care instructions thus using it incorrectly. Tea tree oil is a very highly concentrated essential oil and should NOT be applied directly to the skin. Tea tree oil should be diluted 4-6 drops per 1 ounce of a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil or any other plant-based oil. Do not let it get into your eye. To use as treatment of folliculitis, prior to shampooing, apply the oil mixture to the scalp and allow it to sit for 20 minutes. Then, using a shampoo that contains no more than 5% tea tree oil, wash out the oil mixture (you can opt to add tea tree oil to your favorite shampoo) and repeat at least 2 wash cycles. You can follow with a conditioner that also contains no more than 5% tea tree oil. This is a great holistic way to treat mild folliculitis. Tea tree oil is a great preventive care agent, apply and massage to scalp once per week to keep scalp healthy and prepared to fight against bacteria.

Let's talk about SWEAT baby; sweat is another way for bacteria to make its way into the hair follicle and cause infection. If you work out regularly or you sweat a lot, then this is for you. The moisture from perspiration and your body heat together, are like an incubator for bacteria growth. Sweat can dry on your scalp and can potentially clog your hair follicles; this happens when the bacteria is mixed with the sweat and as it dries the bacteria burrows down into the hair follicles becoming trapped; some also attaches itself to your hair, causing a fowl mildewy odor. That's one of the causes for your hair suddenly itching like crazy after a workout. Please do not scratch your scalp if this happens. The importance of cleaning your scalp after a workout is crucial to the health of your scalp. It is obvious that you aren't washing your hair every day or every time you work out (I get it). So, how can you cleanse your scalp without shampooing every day? I'll tell you how! First, avoid letting the sweat dry before getting to your hair, that contradicts what I said about sweat drying and bacteria becoming trapped in the hair follicle. The magic happens when you treat it immediately. The primary ingredient that creates the magic of killing bacteria is Witch Hazel! Yes, good ole fashioned witch hazel, preferably alcohol-free witch hazel. It cleanses the scalp and relieves itching. If you sweat every day on your scalp, here's the GREAT NEWS!!! Witch hazel is gentle enough to use every day and a little bit goes a long way. You just need a clean white terry cloth or sterile cotton balls to apply it, or you can even put it in a spritz bottle and spray it on the scalp. You're probably thinking, "what about the odor causing bacteria that attaches to my hair from sweating?" I'm glad you asked. The mildewy odor that you would normally smell because of sweat is caused by the mixture of sweat and bacteria: if you focus on killing the bacteria, when you need to focus on killing the bacteria (before the sweat dries), there will be no odor. This is why cleaning your scalp directly with the witch hazel before the sweat dries is necessary, kill the bacteria, kill the smell and you will likely not experience the stench of mildew. Now, if you happen to be a person who simply hates the smell of sweat, then I highly recommend using Made for Locs Aloe Vera refresher spray to moisturize and freshen that up right after you workout, so keep a bottle in your gym bag. You can kill two birds (bacteria & funk) with one stone, using aloe vera refresher, it contains witch hazel (antifungal) and aloe (fresh scent) in it. Spray it on your scalp and hair, this will treat the scalp and leave you hair smelling like you just stepped out of the shower, fresh and so clean.

Now that we have fully covered how to properly cleanse the scalp and hair to help treat and prevent folliculitis, let's dip into reading labels and the ingredients you should avoid if you see them listed on your products. Note: in the next blog, we will dive deeper into the discussion about these ingredients and why they should be avoided. But this week I will simply scratch the surface. There are a number of ingredients in products you should avoid using if you are considering the health of your hair as well as your overall physical health.

When you are reading the ingredients on the label of products you use on your hair or body, it is the first 5 items listed that are the most concentrated in that product. Even if it is not highly concentrated, long-term use of products that contain the following ingredients I am going to list below can have a lasting effect on your health. READ YOUR LABELS!!!

Here is a list of the top 9 ingredients you should avoid if you see them on the labels of cosmetic products you may use:

1. Sulfate: an aggressive chemical that is extremely drying for hair.

2. Mineral Oil: a liquid by-product of refining crude oil to make gas and other petroleum products. (Anything that says by-product is hazardous to your health.)

3. Parabens: a group of Chemical Compounds used as preservatives in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. (Extremely hazardous to your health.)

4. Denatured Alcohols: Which causes excessive dryness.

5. Synthetic Fragrances: harmful if you suffer from allergies (often containing parabens and phthalates).

6. Coal Tar: It is a by-product found in dyes to color products. (This one is a deep one.)

7. Silicones: Effect the strength and appearance of your hair, causing a weighty feel, dryness and is hard to remove buildup, also blocks hair follicles which can lead to hair loss.

8. Phthalates (tha-layts): chemicals that make plastic soft. (Phthalates are highly hazardous especially to hormones and reproductive health.)

9. Formaldehyde: a colorless pungent gas in solution made by oxidizing methanal. The fumes caused by reacted formaldehyde causes major respiratory problems.

The ingredients I listed above can be hazardous to your overall health, not just your hair. Reading the labels of the products you use is very important to assure you know what's being used to formulate those products. This is the primary reason why I stand firmly behind the product I consistently recommend to you. The founder and CEO took the time to study the ingredients to assure we have a long-term healthy hair journey. Made for Locs products are made for us, by us.

Pammie

Recommended Made for Locs products from today's Blog are:

-ACV Shampoo

-Aloe Vera Refresher Spray

All available the link in the drop-down menu above on the bar.