Shampoo Free

For the past 4 weeks I have been skipping shampoo. That isn't to say I don't wash my hair, just that I don't use commercial shampoo anymore. My hair has always been problematic; it's super thick, wavy, has a tendency to poof, is dry/coarse, and I have lots of it. I started dying my hair 18 years ago, so that hasn't helped. Its been stripped, permed, relaxed, heat treated, you name it-it's probably happened. My mom happens to be a barber, so I have access to professional grade shampoos, conditioners, and deep treatments, but nothing made my hair behave in a desirable manner. I have read about the "poo free" routine a few times, and figured I didn't have anything to lose. I've been on a leave of absence from work, so I wasn't concerned with the dreaded "transition phase" which makes hair seem greasy while it continues to overproduce oils. Traditional shampoos strip all of the dirt, grease, and natural (healthy) oils from your hair and scalp. That's where conditioner comes in to restore all the lost moisture. With this method, hair is cleansed and the dirt is removed, but the scalp's natural protective barrier remains intact preventing overproduction of oil. My routine is simple. I take an empty water bottle and add 2 table spoons of baking soda with a few drops of tea tree oil and 16 ounces of water. I shake it up and that's my shampoo. For the conditioning rinse, I use 4 tablespoons(usual recipe calls for 2, but my hair is parched) apple cider vinegar with some more tea tree oil and 16 ounces of water shaken together. In the shower I wet my hair as normal, shake the "shampoo" bottle once more, and carefully pour a small amount over my scalp. I use my fingertips to massage the mixture around. You won't get a traditional lather, it will feel mostly like a slippery water consistency. Upon rinsing, however, you can feel the "squeaky" clean. I follow up with the vinegar rinse. Some people only apply it to the ends, but with my dry scalp I pour it all over. I leave that on while I proceed with the rest of my shower tasks, rinse it out thoroughly and that's that. The vinegar smell is dissipated by the tea tree somewhat and the rest of it evaporates as your hair dries. I was never a daily shampooer, since it's detrimental and drying to the scalp and hair. With this method I usually shampoo on the 3rd or 4th day. Eventually some people wean off to using only water to "wash" their hair and scalp. I'm not sure I'll get to that point, but I have seen a definite change in my hair for the better. Here are some photos of my hair raw and un-styled to illustrate that point. 

Here is a close up of my "curls" as they stay together without being poofballs.

This is my hair just a few days ago after air drying. 

Edging out the trainsition phase you can see that my hair is starting to calm down.

during the transition phase I actually experienced "greasy" hair for perhaps the first time ever. This was on day 4

Here is my hair at the starting point. thick, Dry, poof

Sistrunk Procedure Complete

Hello all!
Monday afternoon I had my operation at the hospital. I was supremely nervous because I've never been under anesthesia before, but all went as planned. The procedure took approximately 90 minutes once I was knocked out. The pain was a little worse than the chronic migraines I suffer from, but mostly only painful upon swallowing. Pain was different than your typical sore throat, more of a sore muscle than say strep or bronchitis. Chewing is difficult because moving my tongue to either side of my mouth is sore, spitting (IE after brushing my teeth) is very tough. I woke up today with slightly less pain and the ability to eat soft foods, rather than just the smoothies and chili I had been subsisting on. I still have a tegaderm bandage on until my follow up on Tuesday. I can't wait to get this thing off. It's slightly itchy around the edges and rather unsightly with the dried blood underneath. They sent me home with gauze and tape to cover the blood visible through the tegaderm when I'm in public.  

Thyroglossal Duct Cyst

I am a 26 year old female. I was diagnosed with a thyroglossal duct cyst last Wednesday following a throat ultrasound, blood work, and an MRI. This type of cyst isn't very well known by the general public. My discussion about it always warrants a "HUH?!" from the person I'm telling. Hence, I decided to start a silly little blog for other people dealing with this madness to reference against.

In very basic terms; in the womb, the thyroid gland begins near the back of the tongue. Gradually it descends down what is referred to as the "thyroglossal duct" (thyro indicating thyroid and glossal pertaining to the tongue) past the hyoid bone, and lands typically at the base of the neck. USUALLY this duct disintegrates before birth, however, sometimes it remains open. In those instances, such as my own, there is a likelihood of developing a cyst along the duct. Treatment involves removal of the entire duct and part of the hyoid bone (EEK!) via what is referred to as the "sistrunk procedure." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroglossal_duct_cyst

I had an inkling this would be the ultimate diagnosis for me. My primary care practitioner(PCP) didn't seem very concerned with it's urgent removal, but referred me to an otolaryngologist for this coming Tuesday. The cyst itself is sore, sometimes it even throbs. It moves while I swallow and also when I move my tongue. This has led my tongue to also be sore, and tired for lack of a better word. I've also been nauseous, have had trouble swallowing for some time now, earaches, and more recently-great difficulty breathing. I sure am ready to get it assessed by the surgeon and then yanked out, but I am nervous about the anesthesia, as I've never been under before. PCP also diagnosed me with asthma Wednesday, so now I'm on an inhaled steroid. Hopefully that doesn't affect the outcome of the surgery. I was always "healthy" before this, so this will be my first operation ever. I have insurance, but I've heard crazy rumors about it being considered "pre-existing" by some companies. PFFT! The duct is supposed to atrophy before birth! I'm, therefore, very worried about all the bills I might receive once everything is said and done. The peace of mind knowing its (hopefully) benign will be more than worth the expense, though. Wish me luck! I'll be reporting back here.