ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: nancyann on October 31, 2006, 07:36:11 pm
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Hi everyone - I know this seems silly what with all the stuff we've been thru with AN surg. & all, but I have this problem & wonder if it's just me or post-surg. stuff.
I HAVE FRIZZY HAIR!!! It's very fine, but it gets all frizzy , really bad, - I've tried anti-frizzy shamp. & cond., even bought an ionic hairdryer at my friend's suggestion, but
nothing seems to work - AND I MEAN FRIZZY!!!! It's embarrassing when I go out. I'd appreciate it if any of you ladies or hair savvy gents have any anti-frizzy ideas or why this is happening. (I know it doesn't help that I live in a humid climate, but this is ridiculous). HELP!!!! Nancy
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Hello there:
I would blame the steroids if you were on them. They do bad stuff to hair. It should get better when all of the hair you had at the time of surgery is grown out. My hair was willy nilly for 6 months post op. If you didn't have steroids, it beats me what it could be.
I was on steroids (lots of them) for Guillian Barre in about 1978. I have very curly hair and it went stick straight and felt like straw for at least 6 months after.ÂÂ
Good luck, hair issues are very real for us. My hair is short so I never bothered to research this. It might be worth a shot.
Kathy
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Kathy - Hi there, so glad you responded. I started thinking this is a stupid thing to fret about; you'd think the facial paralysis would worry me enough - but I know if my hair looked better I'd feel better - something I can control. I was on Decodron only about one and a half weeks post-op, so I don't know if that could be it - I'm 4.5 mos. post op now. Thanks again Kathy
I hate having a bad hair day EVERYDAY!!! Nancy
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Anesthesia messed with my hair, it took awhile to calm it down. Talk to your hairstylist, he/she should be able to help. But I will tell you the regrown hair on the An side has a weird flip to it that wasn't there before surgery. Drives me nuts, I'd like it if both sides flipped the same way.
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Thanks Pembo - I'll check with my hairstylist. ( wish I looked good in hats!) My regrown hair's too short to notice anything yet, so there's more to come!! Nancy
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HI All,
  I'm 2 yrs post op and my hair never did really go back to what it was before. It used to be very straight, now it has a curl/wave to it and it is still very dry and a little frizzy. I try all kinds of conditioners. The best one was by Loreal called Vive, smooth-intense masque. Unfortuatly just as I got hooked on it , they stopped making it I think. About a month ago I can't find it anywhere. Also, I lost alot of hair on my AN side and a little on top. I had middle fossa and they only shaved about a 1/2" strip for the incision, so my hair really covered it completely except the little part of it that was on my face just in front of my ear. But then a few weeks after surgery it started falling out and continued to fall out for months. The Doc's said my scalp was in surgical shock from being pulled back and that it would grow back eventually. WELL,I"M STILL WAITING. Like the An isn't enough , I gotta go bald too. ANyway, for the friz I would continue trying different moisturizers and try a flat iron. It really isn't good for the already dry hair, but it does straighten out the friz.
Good Luck
Patti UT
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Ok, time I chimed in.... 25+ years as a licensed cosmetologist/hairdresser here (retired...oy, I'm too young for retirement) a few years back but still licensed to dish out suggestions and thoughts.
Ok, medication of any form (ie: heart meds, steroids as noted, etc) will have a direct affect on the chemical makeup of the hair shaft. Stress, diet, etc, also affects the hair. Think of it this way... the blood stream supplies the hair with it's nurishment, so anything in the blood will affect the chemical make up as well as stress.ÂÂ
So, how do we combat the frizzies?
Now, keep in mind there are many "moisturizing" conditioners out there. Now, not sure if you all know but.. if you over moisturize your hair, it will also cause the frizzies!  The hair shaft has a cuticle layer that is much like fish scales (acually, like the Schwann cells of our AN's as well!). Anyway, the moisture molecules of moisture shampoos and conditioners tuck themselves under these cuticile layers. If too much moisture molecules tuck under the cuticle layer, it will cause the frizzies.
Now, there are products such as serums and such that will help control the frizzies. There are some OTC products by FrizzEaze and Garnier that seem to work well. Remember to use just a VERY little bit...
Infusium is also a terrific product, which is a post-shampoo leave in conditioner, based on B-Complex, which is essential to hair.
FYI... any hair conditioner with B-complex is also great as a hand lotion.... I use them and it actually helps to strengthen my fingernails as well... which is also made up of B-complex.
So, there is a brief Cosmetology 101. Let me know on PM if you need any further help on this... I miss the days of doing hair and as you can see... it is in my blood! :)
Phyl
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Thanks Phyl,
You say thatour diet contributes to the condition of our hair. Do you think the ingestion of Tim Tam's is causing this??? LOL
Patti UT
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Patti & Phyl: Thanks guys - it's a rainy day in Miami - you can't imagine what I look like!!!!! I think I am using too much moisturizing/de-frizz conditioners: I could do a Brillo commercial using my hair. Nancy
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Hey Tim Tam's must strengthen hair as mine finally started looking decent after I started eating them :o)
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I have been losing quite a bit of hair in the last few months. I now have several thin areas (geez, why can't that happen to my body fat) Anyway, I am wondering if it is related to menopause or anemia ??? too many tim tams ???
My hair took a big hit after AN surgery, very dry and frizzy. It took almost a year for it to return to normal. I use an ionic/ceramic plate straight iron to help smooth it out.
cheryl
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Ladies,
Try Nioxin Treatment for Thinning Hair, it works. I have lost almost all of my hair 18 years ago, and it was very slow in coming back and very poor quality. I tried a solution similar to Nioxin (I believe it was called Foltene). It came in ampules and worked on the same principle as Nioxin. It was miraculous. Then sometime later Foltene was discontinued, and I used something else. Now I use Nioxin and everyone compliments me on my hair! I hope it works for you. By the way, I have absolutely no connection to any of these products professionally.
Eve
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Thanks for all the responses ladies. Hey Eve, I looked up Nioxin on the internet, it looked good but didn't give the price (you know what that means, 'if you have to ask').
There are a few places near me where I can check it out; & thanks again everyone, Nancy
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Don't forget that menopause causes weird surges in hormones which play with your hair, too! As if we need anything else to wish away... :P
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Nioxin is not the cheapest of all hair products but not the most expensive either. One bottle lasts months and it is absolutely worth it for me because it works. I would ratther save on other things but I want my hair to be in the best shape possible especially since I don't have to pay for color, perm or anything else - just cut and dry. I buy at a local salon that prints discount coupons.
Eve
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Hi Eve: there's a discount store by me that sells it - I'll definitely check it out this weekend.
Oh, the added bonus of menapause, where ' hell really does freeze over ' forgot about that!!!!
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I looked up tim tams - they are my dream come true, the pure chocolate ones, only I can't keep any sweets in the house
due to lack of control - the bag, box, etc. is gone one sitting!!!
However, if I ever get to.....when I get to Australia, I will surely have a tim tam or 2, 3, 4, 5, .........
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Hey Nancy -
Every one of these posts sounds like the history of my hair! I had my surgery when I was 38 yrs old, then I promptly did a jump start into menopause, at 38!! I think the stress of the surgery pushed me into it, but my hair suffered bad. Five years later, I am on the post menopause side and have half the hair and it is still a different texture than pre-op and pre-menopause. My hair is long (I would scare people with short hair, just doen't work for me) and I am in a high humidity place (NYC) 50% of the time. There is a straightening balm by L'anza called Strait-Line that works better than anything I have tried. It is available on-line or in salons. I also use a Chi flat iron. I tried many things before I found these products, but if it can work on my hair, it has to be good. By the way, my hair is very course so if yours is fine, maybe go easy on the flat iron. :)