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Tag Archives: Eczema

Herbal Cure to Eczema

Summer can be a killer within itself. Hot weather with dry and humid climates found in southwest Florida is a nightmare situation for Eczema suffers.

Recently I was gifted a supply of Master Herbalist Help for Skin Disorders herbal medication. It’s a 750mg capsule filled only with oregon grape root extract, bitter sweet extract, sarsaparilla, juniper berries, and neem extract.  These products on their own do a lot of good for the skin, blood and body. Combined them and you have an Eczema cure.

I have suffered with Eczema for almost 20 years. For the past 16 years I have been under the treatment of same dermatologist. During which I combated my dry itchy flaky skin with Triamcinolone .025%. Triamcinolone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug used in the treatment of skin, oral, and joint inflammations. My prescription of Triamcinolone is formulated a little differently than what you may receive from your average pharmacy. Mine is a handmade compound that is white and mouse like in appearance that requires refrigeration.  My application and length of use also differs.  You should also know that my formula is only made by two pharmacies in the state of Florida.

For years Triamcinolone .025% has been my go-to dependable remedy to elevate my skin inflammations, until this year. This year I waited way too long to schedule an appointment with my dermatologist, he normally has a 4-6 month waiting list. My Eczema was flaring up rapidly all over my body. It’s usually more aggressive and irritable during the summer months. I used my regular typical lotions and pure aloe from my own personal tree for quick relief but I really needed something more.

This is when my mother’s friend introduced to Master Herbalist. When she told me that it cleared up her son’s Eczema in 5 days I knew I had to try it. Let me apologize in advance that I do not have before and after photos to show you.

Initially I did not take the medication as instructed because I absolute HATE taking pills. FYI: I don’t take any over the counter medications except Triamcinolone, I am a bush girl by nature and will refer to herbal teas and concoctions for relief and healing. Because I have a hard time swallowing pills I broke open the capsule releasing the powdery substance inside and ingested it with food. It was very difficult to swallow. I felt like I was doing the cinnamon challenge (youtube it). After three days of taking 2-4 pills a day my skin was noticeable clear, 100% smoother without any irritations. You could still outline my breakout areas but it was getting lighter and lighter with continued use. Please also note that I was not using Triamcinolone in conjunction with the Master Herbalist pills.

Like a bad patient after four days the itching subsided and I stopped taking the product. The following week my itching and outbreaks returned. The second time around I used Master Herbalist as instructed for one week and my Eczema has not returned despite the weather.  

You can order the product online, it retails for about $25 bucks. I used this product to treat my Eczema but it can also be used for severe Acne and Psoriasis. Please keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and I cannot guarantee the same results for you. Also note that I am not a spokesperson for Triamcinolone or Master Herbalist, these are just two products that have worked for me in treating my Eczema. Best of luck this summer!

 Beloved,

AWalk

Natural Hair Products for Eczema Suffers

Through years of experimenting and with the help of my dermatologist I have been able to narrow down what products or ingredients cause my Eczema to flare up.  Minimizing my flare ups is a dual effort. I have to monitor what foods I ingest and what topical products I place on my skin or come in contact with. For right now I am only going to discuss the topical products I use on my scalp, but please keep in mind that this is just part of the equation. What you eat is equally important.

I use the complete BioInFusion Olive Oil line for shampooing, conditioning, deep conditioning and moisturizing on a normal bases.  To style I use Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner along with the BioInFusion Olive Oil Hair Lotion. When oiling my scalp I use a combination of Carrot Oil, Coconut Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Shea Butter at different quantities and separately depending on the situation and needs.  

During a flare up I use an aloe leaf from my garden. I cut the lead horizontally. I soak my hair until cool water and rub the inner portions of the aloe directly into my scalp and hair. If my hair is very dirty or have massive buildup, I’ll pour a little bit of baking powder on to the leaf and massage them both into my scalp and hair. I will twist my hair while wet and oil it once semi dry.

Beloved,

AWalk

Natural Hair & the Workout for Eczema Suffers

I try to get a good hour of workout in 5 to 6 days a week. When I work out I usually wash my hair on the third day. My routine remains the same. In between wash days I work out with my hair uncovered so the heat can escape and evaporate. After my workout I take a damp cloth and wipe my scalp to remove debris and any secretions from my pores. Once my hair is nearly dry I apply a mixture of oils, which must contain tea tree oil, to my scalp and re-twist my hair. I sweat in my sleep so I opted for a satin pillow and I must, MUST sleep with the A/C or fan on high. The key to relief here is keeping my scalp moisturized with products/ ingredients that would cause my Eczema to flare up.

How does your scalp Eczema respond to workouts? Share below.

Beloved,

AWalk

Natural Hair Routine for the Eczema Suffer

Hello Beautiful People,

I’m going to jump right into my natural hair routine that I use due to my Eczema. I have had Eczema all my life but it didn’t become problematic until I was 10 years old. Below is the routine I use to prevent flare ups and when they occur. Depending on the situation the only thing that I change is the product I use. I am not a dermatologist; I’m simply sharing #MyFoolishAdvice.

Wash Day (every 3-5 days)
Divide hair into eight sections
Apply a dime size amount of shampoo to each section
* Depending on what I did for the week I may not need shampoo
Use the pads of my fingers to loosen dirt and flaked off scabs
Use a comb with rounded tips to gently scratch the surface of the scalp
Rinse with cool water (not warm or hot)
Apply a quarter size amount of conditioner to each section
Gently detangle each section, make sure you comb out the flaking scabs
Rinse thoroughly with cool water

Squeeze out excess water, leaving hair damp. Prolonged wetness can promote itching
Apply a dime sized amount of leave in conditioner to the shaft of the hair only (NOT THE SCALP)
Twist hair. I cannot leave braids in my hair for more than 2 days so I don’t braid my hair often.
Once complete, apply oils to your scalp
Allow hair to air dry before wrapping it or putting on a silk bonnet.

Apply oils to the scalp and shaft daily or as needed.
Sprits hair shafts only, not the scalp. If you apply water to the scalp allow your scalp and hair to air dry.
I do not go outside with wet or damp hair. The Florida sun will evaporate all the water and leave my scalp extra dry which would lead to cracking and itching.

Repeat this process in 3-5 days. This whole process usually takes me about 4-5 hours from start to finish.

The key to my process is: get it cleaned, moisturized, styled with less stress to the scalp as possible, and dried before bed or going outside. I also make sure the least amount of my scalp is exposed once it’s styled, this helps lock in moisture.

I really hope this helps. If you have Eczema or another type of skin disorder, share your routine below.

Beloved,

AWalk

Natural Hair and Eczema

September 2012 I will celebrate 3 years of being natural. Some women go natural for style. I went natural first out of necessity and because I desperately wanted a change. As an adolescent it was discovered that I had Eczema. For those that may be unfamiliar with Eczema, Webster defines it as an inflammatory condition of the skin characterized by redness, itching, and oozing vesicular lesions which become scaly, crusted, or hardened.

I define it as an embarrassing and shameful disorder that I couldn’t hide from. A parasite in my blood that caused my skin to crack and bleed if it was too cold, too warm, too dry. It was an unquenchable itch that would drive me to scratch and work myself into a frenzy. It was the ammunition that other school kids used to ostracized me and ogle at my legs and arms. I lived in Florida but wore jeans and long sleeve shirts to cover the dark black scabbed over patches on the surface of my skin. Through the years my Eczema has progressively gotten worse. Instead of being isolated to my inner elbows and knees it was now on my thighs, neck, face and on my scalp. So imagine me applying a relaxer to my scalp while in this condition.

The relaxer, shampoo, and conditioner would fry my scalp. It would burn. I would cry. As my Eczema got worse the effects of the relaxer worsen. I had bald spots. I had to wash my hair every 3 days, still do, failure to do so would mean open sores from scratched wounds. Don’t get me wrong my hair was full, thick and long. But the scalp was “tho’ up from da’ floor up!” After visiting a specialist he advised me to stay away from products which contained Lanolin. I did. In 2009 I decided enough was enough. I wanted freedom. I wanted to be able to apply my medication directly to my scalp as well. I walked into my son’s barber with hair passed my shoulder and walked out like this.

 Since going natural the Eczema outbreaks have gotten a lot better. I am more conscious of the products I use on my scalp and strands. I’m able to stretch out my wash days to 5 days instead of 3. I don’t use heat on my hair and apply a variety of oils on a regular basis. My scalp still gets flaky occasion but the days of pain and torture are over. Look out for my next post on the products I use to keep my sanity.

Beloved,

AWalk

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