“Not by a hair on my chinny chin chin”

“I refuse to think of them as chin hairs. I think of them as stray eyebrows” ~Janette Barber

As we age, many of are waking up each day to discover some new, uninvited friends.  While we are all concerned about hiding those unwanted wrinkles, these guys create an entirely different nightmare.  Men, we won’t leave you out on this topic.  As many of you are losing your hair, you are finding it appearing in other places…..your ears and your nose!

There are a couple of reasons for these unpleasant and annoying additions.  The most common reason for unwanted hair growth in women is hormonal imbalances.  As we age, our hormones begin to shift and certain hormones get depleted causing side effects such as hair growth…..or hair loss….depending on what part of the body you are looking at.   Low progesterone, higher production of androgen (male hormones) and other causes such as  thyroid disorders, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), certain medications and of course…. genetics!

So how do you get rid of these guys?  There are several options.  Tweezing and shaving are often what we resort to but not the best choice.  This only increases the thickness of the hair.  Waxing can be painful and cause yucky ingrown hairs that can lead to scarring.  I’ve personally tried electrolysis and unless you have an extreme tolerance for pain, I don’t recommend it!  If your hair growth is hormone related, working with a practitioner to balance the hormones is helpful.  However, it will only help to reduce or stop new hair growth but the old hair growth generally remains.

Laser Hair Removal is the most popular form of getting rid of those unwanted hairs.  I tried this a couple of years ago and found it to be rather painful and ineffective.  Even after a few treatments, I was continuing to get quite a bit of hair growth and resorted back to other, even less effective….but less expensive means.  Recently, however, I had the pleasure of meeting a skin expert in the Nashville area, Tracey Harris.  She is the owner of Trace Skin Care, a state of the art skin care clinic offering a variety of anti-aging treatments, as well as laser hair removal.  I got to experience a more advanced form of laser hair removal.  Not only was it much less painful, but faster and more effective!  While the laser is working to burn away those unwanted hairs, a cool breeze of air is blown across the skin to help cool the area and eliminate pain….it was wonderful!   So don’t let these pesky little guys get you down.  Zap them away and enjoy that silky, smooth skin of your youth!

Visit Tracey’s website for more information:  www.traceskincare.com

“Hairs” to a better you!

The Winter Blues

Tis the season when many of us begin to experience those all familiar feelings of depression, anxiety, or just an overall feeling of “blahness”! The winter blues can be frustrating and definitely put a damper on our lifestyle and relationships.

There are several reasons people get the winter blues.  My personal challenge is the time change — a lack of sunlight and warmth.  Winter days are shorter in sunlight and in most parts of the country much colder.  I know that here in Tennessee, we tend to get a lot of rainy or overcast days so that warm, happy sunlight is few and far between.  Another reason we may feel down is from the stress of the holidays. For some, holidays are filled with love and laughter while others may dread that time with fighting family members and busy, multi-family schedules. Whatever your reason for the blue season, there is help!

For those of you who suffer from seasonal depression which is often referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder, try purchasing a sun lamp or full spectrum light boxes to help give you that much needed light therapy.  Exercise is a great way to increase endorphins in the brain.  Since it is harder to exercise out doors, you may consider joining a gym for the winter months and participate in more group exercise classes to help keep you motivated.  Instead of trying to do all of the cooking at Thanksgiving, have family members pitch in and bring their favorite dishes so one person isn’t doing all the cooking….. or better yet, hit your favorite Cracker Barrel for lunch that day!  Christmas shopping seems to bring the most stress during the holiday season so try drawing names this year.  Everyone has been impacted by the stressed economy so this is a perfect opportunity to start some new family traditions.

I must mention good nutrition and some helpful herbs that can support your body during this stressful time.  Watch your sugar intake.  Holiday seasons bring reasons to eat more sugar!  Instead of eating a slice of every pie on the table, take smaller bite sizes of each one and quickly walk away!

Here are some suggestions from Nature’s Sunshine Products:

Vitamin D3- make sure you are getting plenty of D3 as our levels tend to drop more during the winter months.  Vitamin D3 helps prevent colds and flus by boosting the immune system.

Nutri-Calm- this is my favorite supplement for supporting the body during stress and anxiety.  It is full of vitamin B’s and some calming herbs that will help to “take the edge off”….it is a favorite among my clients.

Mood Elevator- this is a great herbal supplement to support depression and low moods.  It is a blend of Chinese herbs that have shown to be effective in turning that frown upside down!  It is also available in TCM (concentrated form for those who prefer taking it once a day)*not recommended  if taking anti-depressants or with bi-polar disorder

Nervous Fatigue Formula – another favorite Chinese herbal formula that is great for those who are feeling “burned out”, exhausted, or overly stressed.  It’s helpful for those who wake up during the night with a racing mind.  It helps to nourish the adrenals and support the body during times of fatigue. Also available in the TCM formula.

Clean Start- this is a great, overall cleanse for the body.  It contains Environmental Detox to help rid the body of those daily toxins we are all exposed to, as well as cleansing formulas to support intestinal health.

For product orders visit www.mynsp.com/offeringhope

And most of all, remember to find something each day to be thankful for and focus on those things. Find reasons to laugh and smile…..make your own sunshine and be a light to others.

May you all have a healthy and happy winter season!