Many (belated) happy returns Emma!

Good to hear you enjoyed your day!

Happy Belated Birthday wishes to you Emmab and wishing all the best!  Your birthday sounded lovely x

Thanks all!  I have to admit I had 1 cigarette this afternoon, but my chemist didn’t have the lozenges that were prescribed yesterday, so had to wait till later today to get them!  Patches seem to work, but need something to do with my mouth LOL!  Julia, interested to hear about the electronic cigarettes; heard some scare stories about them?  Where did you get yours from?

I know this is a curl diary, not a smoking diary, but please indulge me!

Still having a couple of cigs in the evenings, but considering I was on about 20 a day, that is a huge improvement!  I don’t overly think about it during the day (can only smoke at lunchtime at work) but evenings are the worst for me.  I do sewing and cross stitch embroidery as a hobby, so this helps keep my hands occupied, but we have the step-kids this weekend (and a friend staying!), and they have totally taken over the living room, so I am stuck in the kitchen on my laptop!  The cravings are covered by the patches and lozenges, but it’s the habit I have to break, and smoked a lot when I was on the computer   Only been 3 days, so I know it will take time, and once I have finished the few I have left, determined not to buy any more LOL!

Am feeling a little better already to be honest, and the few cigs I am having taste a lot stronger than they did, and not enjoying them as much, so hopefully in a week I will be totally off them!  Just have to remember that by not smoking I will have more money to spend in the Emporium LOL!  Great incentive

well done emma x

Yep, well done. I got ROK cigarettes from their website. I am rather fond of the cherry flavour, vanilla and mint are good too and all much better than the tobacco flavour. Because they are physically similar to cigarettes they really help distract me from the physical smoking thing. I haven’t experienced anything scary, bar a headache when I had too much. The ‘smoke’ you get from them is the same as what goes in smoke machines.

I’m in on the smoking diary!! I was going to stop like most peeps on Jan 1st (smoke about 10 a day), but then my baby (well my 18yr old son) decides hes buying a one way ticket to Australia and goes in 11 day and 8hrs :-( so decided with all the stress I’m feeling about that not to bother until he’s gone, yeah I know excuses excuses. But am determined this time, have had the patches n gum ready to go for weeks but like the sound of the pretend ciggie. can you put an email link on Julia plese cus can’t find on the internet.
Thanks x

Well done with the smoking - or, not smoking I should really say! Once you are ready to give up completely you will. It’ll just happen one day. And yes, think of all that hair product you can buy!! :D

Hi Cat woman and Emma….

http://www.rokuniversal.co.uk/ - this are the ones that I have got - I got a starter kit which gives rechargeable batteries- but notice you can buy 30 disposables for £7 - which would give an idea of whether you like them.  It’s not exactly the same, but you do get a sensation of something hitting the back of your throat and you can exhale ‘smoke’.  I’m feeling pretty confident about achieving this; which after more than 20 years of smoking I haven’t been able to say before. 

I think some pharmacists sell them too.  There’s loads of info on the net about them and whole blogs and forums given over to

some colleagues have bought these; halo - they are longer and heavier than the ROK http://www.haloecig.info/

whatever, it costs circa 60-75% less than buying cigarettes as refills for the equivalent of 20 fags are less than £2 a go.

Been a while, so thought I should update!

Still using the same products, and getting great results!  Saying that, I have now added Hairveda Whipped Cream Ends Hydration to the mix!  Finding this great as a pre low-poo treatment; I put a little on my ends either the night before washing, or even 5 minutes before jumping in the shower, and it gives me the moisture and curls I get from co-washing, but means my scalp still gets cleansed by the shampoo!

Hair has grown a lot; will post pictures soon, but when wet it is now arm pit length, when dry just resting on my shoulders!

Ooo looking forward to an updated pic Emma - sounds long!

Actually, looking at the photo, not quite arm pit length when wet ( !), but still very long!  Not had chance today to take a photo when dry, but will do so soon!

good length emma!

The dreaded seborrheic dermatitis is back with a vengance   Nothing in my routine or products (or diet for that matter!) has changed recently, I’m not stressed, so the only thing I can put it down to is the weather getting a bit warmer.  I do have a tendancy to get hot very easily, and do find my scalp sweats, especially when I am in bed.  Having to resort to clarifying shampoo, which is really sorting out my scalp, but leaving my hair dryer.  Can’t overly complain though, as it still looks and feels a lot more moisturised (and curly) than it did before CG LOL!  Just hoping this will do the trick, as don’t want to have to resort to coal tar shampoo (totally strips my hair ) or steroid lotions.

If any one else here has the same issues, I can definitely recommend using ACV (apple cider vinegar) as a rinse before conditioning!  Usually I leave it on for a while, but finding just rinsing and leaving it on for 1 minute is really helping.  I also find when it is itching to distraction that a dab of EVOO on the sore bits helps to calm it, but the only problem with this is that you are adding more oil to an already oily scalp, so after a few hours it can make it worse!  Very confusing, as the syptoms of SD are dry feeling, flaky, itchy scalp, which makes you think it needs more moisture, but it is actually caused by too much sebum being produced by the skin (hence the “seborrheic” part of the name).  Another reason that I have to cleanse my scalp every day, and can’t co-wash.  Such a pain having a greasy scalp and dy hair though! 

Doing well with the no smoking, will be 6 weeks on Thursday!!  Still could be easily tempted, but luckily no one I know smokes, so easier not to give in!  Should have saved around £150 last month by not smoking, but god knows where it’s gone!  Had a few small treats, but nothing major.  Saying that, one of my cats had her vacinations last month, and also had meds for arthritis (she is 14!) and blood tests done, so that cost me about £60   She is worth it though, and seems to be a lot better now!

Hi Emma, sorry to hear about your predicament, hope it clears up soon. I do get dermatitis but mine is on my hands, so I can fully understand how uncomfortable it feels, and the itching!

Congrats on still being smoke free (so to speak!) I don’t smoke myself, (my vices are wine, chocolate, crisps, anything high fat/calorie, lol ) but can only imagine how difficult it must be to give up. Why is it the things we enjoy are quite often bad for us, totally unfair!

And finally, glad to hear your cat is doing ok after their vet visit. You’re right, vets aren’t exactly cheap, but like you, I’d give them my last penny to ensure my little furry ‘son’ is fit and happy!

Best wishes.