Family before and afters

[gingersmommy]

I am pretty hard core about not paying a fortune for anything - I only cut my hair like once every four months because I am so cheap!

Girlll, I hear you! I love a bargain.

[gingersmommy]

Wow, you both look incredible! You have a beautiful shape to your face and can really see it now. Great hair, too.

[Jennibc]

Nice work!

[Janie]

I’ve heard some people who have had a severe trauma have had their hair turn white overnight, but I thought this was just an urban legend.

Not an urband legend, although I have had people argue it is “scientifically impossible”. Tell that to my husband! When I met him he had a small streak of pure white just above one of his ears and only on one side. Not other white or gray.

He said he’s had that ever since he was around 10 years old and pulled from a lake when he started to drown. He was brought back and he woke up with the white streak the next morning.

He just runed 57 and has enough gray and silver now it isn’t so noticeable but when I met him 15 years ago it was dramatic.

[BlueViolet]

I have had people argue it is “scientifically impossible”

It is impossible. Hair is dead tissue, there is no way for the cells of which it is composed to alter its color. It hasn’t any blood supply wherewith to do so, so any stress hormones/biochem changes cannot reach it, in any case, to trigger a change (of which it is cytologically incapable in any case).

Hair is dead. Its cells are not able to reproduce any longer therefore alteration of its composition and thence, appearance is not possible. This is fact not conjecture.

Sorry to seem so firm but laypersons making false claims irks me.

@Jennibc wow you look FAB. Truly fab. What a handsome devil that boy is!

[Janie]

I know - been told. No explantion - just know it happened to my husband and 10-yo’s don’t get white patches the next day after being brought back from the dead for no reason.

The reason may be beyond what science currently understands but his family confirmed his story.

[BlueViolet]

@Janie Not possible. I hate to come across argmentative and so hope I don’t because that’s not my nature, at all.

But it is simply, not possible.

Think about it. Hair would have to have a blood supply, and then be capable at a cellular level, of altering itself due to biochem changes, for this to occur, yes?

So if you accept -as you must, this is indisputable- that hair, lacking blood supply, and being dead (cells are dead, no longer able to “do” anything), you can see how this simply cannot be, even if one takes the position that the cells of which hair is composed were ABLE to alter themselves in such a manner which they are not.

Who knows why your hubby or anyone makes this claim but it cannot happen.

[Janie]

Well, hair turns white and gray as we age. Why couldn’t the same process happen is a small area due to trauma?

Just asking - not going to argue. My own hair had NO gray until my son totaled his Suburban and almost killed him and 3 girls as a teenager. Right after that I had a LOT of strands turns gray and it was not just my imagination as my ex commented on it also. Then no more for 10 years then started turning gray naturally.

There is no reason for me or my husband to make up a story as there is no benefit to either of us and we certainly do not do it for attention. Just reporting what we experienced.

[Ruina]

I’ve always assumed the “turned grey overnight” phenomenon meant that all growth in the affected area from that day on was white. Not that the hair that was already out turned white.

[BlueViolet]

Just asking - not going to argue.

No, I gotchu

Why couldn’t the same process happen is a small area due to trauma?

NEW hair (growth) can be gray, yes! Alteration in amount of pigment produced in new hairs/new growth of existing strands is of course not only possible but is what we all experience as we age.

That cellular change in pigment producing cells may be accelerated post trauma IS feasible. BUT!

…that would not happen overnight and would not affect pigment of hairs already visible on the head. Just new growth of already existing hairs (like when we have hair grow in after a dye job) or new hairs.

Hair that is already produced cannot change color. It is dead.

growth in the affected area from that day on was white. Not that the hair that was already out turned white.

Yes, THIS ^^^ is possible.

Hair that is already on the head (has emerged from the scalp) is dead. Dead. No cellular activity. It is dead tissue therefore cannot undergo change.

#deadthings

[Ruina]

I had quite stressful teenage years. I had a few greys, 5?, from 16. But my sisters had a few more. My mom was quite grey early on as well. But my dad was bald, so I was happy to see the grey. I can die that. Bald I can’t work with.

Interestingly, after I moved away from home my grey count stayed the same for a long time. I’m 44 now and have quite a few, but not enough to stand out. Both of my sisters have a lot more. So genetics is part of it… but I can’t ignore the fact that I only had my teenage greys for a loooooong time. And that was the most stressful time of my life.

[Jennibc]

Thanks! I am so glad my son can hit adulthood feeling good about his body. The kids in first and second grade used to tease him for being chubby. It was very painful for him. After about three years of no grain, at 12, he was able to wear ‘skinny’ jeans which was the ‘style’ then for most boys his age. When we left Old Navy that day he had a lump in his throat and said, “I can’t believe I can wear skinny jeans, I am so happy.” That left a lump in MY throat! I think his struggles with weight are probably what pushed me into gear to start seeking something other than the typical calories in calories out paradigm. I KNEW he wasn’t overeating as we packed his lunch, made his breakfast and dinners so there was no way he could be eating food we didn’t know about.

[Ruina]

Well, now this has put a lump in my throat.

[Jennibc]

Just thinking and writing about that day just made me tear up a little. It’s so hard to see our kids suffer, and for something so ridiculous too. Body size shouldn’t matter, but it really does affect how kids feel about themselves.

[Ruina]

I’ve recently become an “auntie” to a boy who is chubby. And more slowly friends with his mom. It breaks my heart, but I’m not at the point yet where I can say, “Look, everyone you think knows anything is wrong. Here is what you should be eating.” Right now all I can do is be a good role model and reitterate the things everyone knows are bad. No sugar. No processed foods. That is best.

But it hurts to not be the mom. (This woman is not a bad person, but she needs a mom who loves her too.) I can’t just say no you can’t eat that because I say so and have control of what you do in my presence.

[Momof5]

@Jennibc

Uh, His name is Remington Steele.

I had a mega crush on him with that series!

You and your family are gorgeous

I agree, you all look spectacular and very happy =).

I wish your son all the best in his acting career as well, that is pretty cool!

[Momof5]

Your family is beautiful and looks so happy, your daughters are dariling =).

[Momof5]

You and your hubby have both done awesome!! You look healthy and have glowing skin, beautiful =).

[Jennibc]

I think acting is in the rear view mirror… for now. He is applying to colleges right now. We live in the middle of the country so there wasn’t a lot of professional work here but he would occasionally book jobs from tapes and get to work elsewhere. He mostly did student films and commercials here. He was a very good young actor but it’s so competitive! And he got close on some big roles, but never quite got the one that would launch him. It was a great experience that taught him about bouncing back from rejection and it was his big love starting at about 8 years old. And he’s got a nice chunk of change in savings account because of it too!

[Momof5]

Oh okay =). Well it is pretty cool still, so it can be an interesting conversation starter for him at university!!