When I was a child, I started to lose my hair. I suffered from alopecia aerate. We went to several doctors. They gave me medicines and ointments but nothing worked. I was ashamed to go to school with bald spots. My scalp was visible to everyone. The children at school began to make fun of me.

My mom got the idea to make me an herbal shampoo. She learned to make it from a woman in Sierra Juarez, Oaxaca. Surprisingly, my hair began to grow back very fast. Within three weeks, the bald spots started to regrow tiny hairs. My hair continued to grow back, and the bald spots disappeared. Even after I stopped using the shampoo, my hair never fell out.

At 26-years old, I was diagnosed with Lupus and immediately started chemotherapy treatments, double doses every three weeks. The doctor told me the treatment would last for two years. With the first chemo, a large lock of hair fell out just above my forehead. It was visible to everyone. I didn't want to be bald and certainly didn't want to be bald for the next two years. My mom came up with the idea of making the same shampoo she prepared for me as a child. We were not sure it would work because chemotherapy is so toxic. We decided to give it a try anyway. To our surprise after three weeks of using the shampoo, I had tiny hairs starting to regrow. I was no longer bald in that area. For me, it was a miracle.

I was due for my second chemo. I kept using the shampoo faithfully. My hair did not fall out anymore during chemotherapy. I used the shampoo every day during the two years of chemo and my hair stayed in excellent condition. The shampoo gave it a shiny appearance. It made my hair soft and manageable. It started to regrow very fast. People who knew I was in chemo started to ask me about the shampoo for their family members facing alopecia, thinning, balding, and similar life challenges. That is how Ribani was born.

For the last 10 months, I have once again been in chemotherapy treatment and yes, I still have all my hair. Ribani continues to be a miracle in my life helping me to remain determined and keep a positive outlook.

It has been thirteen years since Ribani was created. There are still so many people I want to help preserve and regrow their hair and, most importantly, keep their smiles and self-confidence. I believe when you keep your hair, you keep your heart and your will to survive.