beauty, health and wellness, Women, lifestyle, Sunday Confessions, Menopause

Sunday Confessions

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It’s Sunday morning on my corner of the globe. My day began without the shrill of an alarm, the smell of fresh coffee brewing and the sun peeking through the cracks in the blinds. My kind of morning. As I was sipping my coffee I found myself in reflection and question, something that is happening more and more these days. Reflecting on past days and questioning them at the same time. Not in a “did that happen” kinda way, in a “I wonder why” kinda way. As I was walking through the living room, the thought, more a voice in my head to be quite honest was “you should write today.”. So here I am.

Since it’s Sunday, why not return to my Sunday Confessions. They started in 2013, https://thatgirlintheredcoat.com/2013/06/09/sunday-confession/ , on a Sunday morning when I realized I had had it with the bullshit that they try to, and succeed at, feed young girls and women about beauty and self image. I’m sad to say, that in 13 years, not much has changed. They’re still trying to spoon feed us the same rhetoric, disguised as wellness and yes, I’m still sick of the bullshit.

Over the past weeks, I have seen and heard women who I deem fabulous cut themselves down to size, a size that they are told they should be. They’re doing too much. They’re doing too little. They’re overweight. They’re underweight. They’re not getting enough protein – don’t even get me started on that one. The list goes on, I’d give myself carpel tunnel if I listed them all. Oh, and trust me when I say, I’m not immune to the above. Just this morning, I almost didn’t make an iced coffee to accompany me at my laptop. Yup. My favorite morning treat, a fabulous mix with a splash of caramel coffee creamer, and I almost didn’t make it because of a shitty comment made about women and their “midlife mid section”. Thankfully my true voice stepped forward and said “Fuck that Shit!” and here I am sipping and typing away.

To be clear, huge fan of health, wellness and longevity. What I’m not a fan of? Using them as some sort of holy trinity. Using them as a weapon or marketing tool used to disempower instead of empower. Making women feel like they are failing at life because they aren’t tracking their daily protein intake – for Christ’s sake Sharon – I can barely track my thoughts some days. Another thing that burns me up? Too many “experts” and “life coaches” giving great advice that makes you start feeling “I can do this” and then hitting you up with a price tag. FYI – most of your audience does not have a discretionary fund at their beckon call. Most are just trying to survive and do the best they can with what they have. The click bait is astounding to me. Listen, I’ve been in sales and customer service for over 35 years, and these suckers are good! Half the time, I don’t see the sales pitch coming. Good for them, but not so good for us.

As a lover of lists, I’ve compiled a little something for all my 40 plus gals. A how to if you will. I’m not an expert, nor am I a life coach. I’m just a woman trying to keep on keepin’ on, as most of us are.

  • If you are able, go get your bloodwork done. Check your blood pressure. Give yourself a base line. – I understand that depending which country you live in, a medical visit may cost you. Another reason I’m grateful for Canadian healthcare – to the haters – not now.
  • Take what you will from a Tik Tok /Instagram post, with a grain of salt. If it interests you, do a bit more research. My favorite go to is the Mayo Clinic website.
  • Before you try any new supplement/regime – make sure there are no medication absorption disruptions. I’m on thyroid hormone since I don’t have one anymore and you’d be surprised how may supplements I can’t take because they interfere with my medication. Disruption = a really bad couple of days. “Your skin looks terrific!” – “Thanks! I feel like shit and can’t get off the toilet!” – what’s the point of that?
  • Water supplements/ flavor enhancers – those sneaky buggers – some have fine print that states “do not take within 3 hours before or after certain medications.” – Your water may taste great but it could give you heart palpations. I don’t know about you, but those aren’t the heart flutters I want.
  • You do not need to get a second job to take care of yourself. Close your Amazon cart, go to the kitchen, pick up two soup cans, and lift them as you go up and down your stairs. Eat an apple.
  • Sit down, Lower your shoulders. Breathe in deep through your nose. Hold for the count of 2. Exhale through your mouth. Even once and you’ll feel a little more at ease. *If you feel emotional after you do this – that’s ok! You’re releasing my friend.
  • If you can tell the barista about your hemorrhoids, I think you can talk to a licensed professional about your concerns “down there”.
  • Stop calling any body part below your navel “down there”. If you can look up the newest slang on Urban Dictionary, you can look up the proper names/terms for your body.
  • You do not need to have the latest and greatest wellness tool to matter.

Take it easy on yourself. Try your best to do what is best for you today. You miss a day? There is always tomorrow. Trust me when I say this, the people who matter don’t give shit if your skin is glowing, they want to see you spirit glowing. The ones commenting on your appearance – they’re selling something – they are not your people. The ones who compliment your appearance – those are your people.

Be kind, to yourself. Plain and Simple.

beauty, Business, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Uncategorized, Women

Balancing Shampoo can only do so much

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At least once a week I seem to have the same conversation, with a new customer or with one of my regular customers or a client from the Salon. It usually goes something like this… “since I have had my baby, my hair just isn’t the same”, or “ever since I started this new medication, my hair isn’t the same”, or “how is it that my Mother is sick, but my hair is the hair that is falling out?”. Hormones, medications and stress can and will affect your hair growth cycle, unfortunate but true. It’s okay. It will be alright. Step away from the kitchen scissors and your hand held mirror, step away from the phone to make an appointment to chop off all your hair since all hope is lost, for all hope is not lost. A little knowledge goes a long way, and being me, I always want to educate and enlighten.

For my new moms out there – first and foremost – you rock! You do. Being a mother is the toughest job in the world, the most rewarding, still the toughest. I am here to tell you that it is okay to be upset that your pregnancy changed your figure and your body. I am here to tell you that every new mother, I mean EVERY new mother has had that moment when we look in the mirror at our once shiny tresses that are now matted and tangled and feel like “What’s the use. My hair will never be the same”. I am here to tell you that yes, your hair may never be the same, but it can be just as great, or better. First of all, be patient. Your hormones are all over the place as is your diet because you are a little busy with your new bundle of joy. Usually after 6 months your hair will start to behave itself again. If not, ask your stylist for an appointment for a consultation, to go over the issues you are having with styling and managing your hair. You may just need a trim, or your color freshened up. Sometimes a conditioning treatment does the trick…Joico’s Kpak Revitaluxe…you’ll hear angels. Also, have a chat with your M.D.. You may be low in certain vitamins and a vitamin supplement is all you need.

As for medications, many can affect our hair and the growth cycle of our hair. Yours truly is on thyroid medication and when my levels are off, so is my ‘do. The texture of my hair changed, my hair took color in a totally different way and a little thinning happened for a while.(always the hair, never the hips.). Once my M.D. & I figured out what dosage was best for me, my lovely locks returned. I also, much to my chagrin, changed the way I was eating. Lowering my caffeine…yes lowered…lets not get silly, cutting out the junk, like pop and chips and eating well has helped my hair, my skin (and my ass). When starting any new medication, ask your M.D., nurse practitioner or pharmacist about possible side effects, about changes in hair or skin. Many medications are going to affect our hair, but if you know that your medication will affect your hair, you can start preventive maintenance on your lovely locks. * Always let your stylist know of any changes in existing medications or if you are on a new medication – it could alter your color/chemical process.

When a loved one is ill, it is more stressful than when we are the ailing patient. As for stress, I wish I had a better answer for you. Stress is a bitch. Yeah, I said it. It is one of those things in life that likes to pop up at the most inconvenient times. Not only can stress make you yell at your purse when you drop it in the driveway or have a argument with your hubby over the difference between “beige” and “natural beige” sheet sets,  stress can also interfere with the growth cycle of your hair. When we are stressed, one of the things our bodies will do is produce more testosterone which in turn the body turns into DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which is a major component in hair loss/ thinning. I am not going to tell you “so, don’t stress so much”, because, well, that makes me sound stupid. What I will tell you to do is to try not to stress as often. Take a look at your day and choose your battles accordingly. Your mother is ill – you can’t fix that. Give her your love and support and a few giggles. Your hair is starting to fall out – this can be fixed. Got one word for you – Nioxin. Check out their awesome website http://www.nioxin.com . Psstt… Mario Lopez is their new spokesperson…he is nice to look at…actually… after looking at Mario I bet your stress level drops.

I have been a new mom, I have gone through the hair woes of medication interactions and have had the stress of ill loved ones. One thing I know for sure is once you begin using the correct professional salon hair care products, although your hair may be different, you will once again love your hair.

beauty, communication, Hair Care, health and wellness, That girl in the red coat, Uncategorized, Women

More options than the “comb over”

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Today’s tale is about hair loss. Women and hair loss. Yes, it’s true. Ladies suffer from the effects of hair loss just as much as the gents – we just don’t talk about it. It isn’t the kind of thing people like to talk about at parties. Today I am gonna get this conversation going  to shed some light on the reasons for hair loss and how we can control and even stop hair loss in it’s tracks and even help the weakened hair that you currently have become stronger. Now lets get this party started.

Before I begin, take a breath and remember, it’s gonna be alright. Don’t be frightened. Remember, knowledge is power. There are five known factors of hair loss;

Genetics – A family history of hair loss. Testosterone turns into DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) – a natural occuring age related hormone. Too much testosterone = the body turns it into DHT. Before you go and yell at your Dad – too much testosterone can come from Mommy too.

Nutrition and Diet – a diet that is higher in animal fats, rapid weight loss and liquid protein diets can result in a lack of amino acids such as biotin, zinc and iron – all of which are an essential component for healthy hair.

Stress/Trauma – stress and trauma can increase the production of testosterone which in turn can increase the production of DHT – this interrupts  the growth cycle of the hair.

Medication – certain medications can and will affect the growth cycle of hair. Many hormone therapies (even the Birth Control Pill), steroids, some forms of chemotherapy, heart medications and thyroid hormone replacement can be the culprits of more tresses being found in your hair brush. Always speak with your Doctor when you find any change in your skin, hair or overall well being. Sometimes altering the dosage can help stop or slow down hair loss.

Over all Health – changes in lifestyle, such as weight loss, illness, and pregnancy can affect your cycle of hair growth.

Now, before you go and Google the nearest wig shop, or run into your bathroom and count the hairs in your hair brush, take a breath. I have given you some of the reasons why you may be losing your hair or why your hair is thinning. Now I am going to give you a solution. I am giving you a tried and true answer – a product that can stop hair loss in it’s tracks and help your hair become more nourished and stronger, in turn, help it grow. The product is NIOXIN.

NIOXIN is a hair care line formulated for men and women who are suffering from thinning hair and hair loss. The key to NIOXIN is it is a 3 product system – using all 3 products is key and to achieve the best results. The Cleanser(shampoo), Scalp Therapy(conditioner) and The Scalp & Hair Treatment (a leave in). *The Scalp & Hair Treatment is key – it cleanses the scalp and follicle. NIOXIN offers systems for those of us that do not chemically treat their hair – System 1 (normal to thin looking) & System 2 (noticeably thinning), for those of us that chemically treat our hair (perm/color/chemically straighten) you would choose System 3 (normal to thin looking) & System 4 (noticeably thinning). *If your hair is more medium to coarse, System’s 5 & 6 are the systems formulated for your hair.

NIOXIN offers a beautiful array of conditioning treatments and styling products, from deep conditioners to mousse to hairspray. Many of the styling products are alcohol free. If volume is what you are looking for, let me introduce you to your new best friend… NIOXIN DIAMAX. This serum increases the thickness of each existing hair strand and makes the hair look and feel 3 times fuller. Dispense a pea size amount ( I kid you not – a little goes a long way!) It can be applied before blow drying or on dry hair to add the extra bit of height.

Check out their website http://www.nioxin.com for more information, great styling tips (that don’t include the comb over) and beautiful support.