How Stress Is Making Me Bald At 31

Since having the toddler 3 years ago I’ve been shedding hair faster than a snake sheds its skin. Of course the doctor told me I was only losing the extra hair I’d gained during my pregnancy! He looked at me with a slight smile as I protested that actually my hair had began thinning during my pregnancy! Seriously, there were no luscious locks in need of shedding here! The look on his face said it all… He thought that I was overreacting… My panic, unjustified!

As a child, teenager and young woman in her early twenties, my hair was thick and healthy. During my later twenties and drawing closer to the big 30, my hair was struggling to keep up. Now as I write this, age 31, my hair is so thin you can just see my scalp. I have some noticeable patches to the front area of my head.

Another visit to the doctor almost 3 years following the first and my worse fears are confirmed… My hair is falling out! Why? I’m told its stress!

If I was going to lose eyebrows and lashes then it would have happened already… Well, I guess that’s something positive at least!

I’ve read about this happening to both children and adults, both men and women. Some people lose all their hair in a speedy fashion and sadly experience no regrowth. Others are more fortunate and the hair comes out at a much slower pace and new hair continues to grow, only at a far slower pace (looks thin but not noticeably bald). I kind of fall within the latter, only now I’m losing the hair faster than ever before and I suspect that the regrowth of my hair is much slower!

Annoyingly, I don’t over style my hair, I use heat defence spray when blow drying and despite owning GHDs straighteners I’m careful and don’t use them on a daily basis! Whenever I do straighten my hair I do well to protect it by opting for a good heat protector and intensive conditioning treatment. So… Why do I consider the above to be so annoying? Its simple… I’ve taken steps to avoid damaging my hair only to discover I’m literally forcing it from my scalp with the power of my mind alone. As I sit worrying about certain happenings in my life somehow its my hair (whats left of it) paying the price.

Yes… I’ve felt somewhat stressed, more so these past few months for sure. There are a lot of things happening in life right now, not only I, but my family as a whole have been dealing with a lot stuff of late. Its the type of stuff that makes you sick with worry and no matter what you do its one of those situations that are way beyond your control. Yes, this is stress at its worse, the type fuelled by worrisome thoughts that when combined with other everyday pressures, they become extremely explosive! The end result… A 31 year old women preparing to wig shop!

As some may expect, I went through the motions… Checked the mirror every 20 minutes as so to ensure their was still hair on my head, brushed my thinning hair ever so gently and lastly… I used all the “miracle” hair treatments, the ones promising hair like that of Cheryl Coles.

But no more! I’m now just getting on with things! After all worrying about something that is caused by stress isn’t going to get me anywhere now is it? I’ve decided that I’m going to have fun with what hair is left on my head, starting with colouring it pink… Yes pink! I’m using a less harmful colour treatment and may even throw in a little blue if I’m feeling adventurous. Why? You might ask? Well… Why not?

I’ve come to realise that in life there are much more pressing issues then that of my fading hairline. By adapting this attitude I could also be doing my hair some good. However do I expect to correct an issue caused by stress if I’m stressing even more as a result?

Its all about the inner issues and its them that I’m concentrating on banishing. We as parents, human beings even, will always be stressing about something! I’ve just got to learn to let it out and deal with things in a more productive way, rather then letting it go to my head… Literally!

Review – One Careplast Plasters

Imagine being able to buy a product you need and at the same time have the knowledge that 100% of the profit made from your purchase is going to a good cause.

That’s exactly what happens when you buy any products from the One range (produced by One difference)! I’ve written about One difference before, back when I was invited to a cooking master class with Simon Rimmer in which we used products from the One brand range as ingredients (click here to read). The post tells you in great detail what this fabulous brand does to help fund humanitarian projects in places like Africa.

One Careplast is a new addition to the range and came about as a result of a national competition where One difference wanted those entering to come up with a new One product in which they could develop but also come up with a humanitarian problem that 100% of the profits could be donated to. By buying a box of One Careplast plaster you are actually doing your bit to support a very important life changing project. 100% of the profits from the sale of the plasters is to be used to fund bicycle ambulances and medical boxes, which will help to improve and change lives in Malawi by promptly providing medical assistance and treatment to those living in rural areas of Malawi.

I’ve actually had these in the medical cupboard for a while and haven’t been able to write an honest review in till now. Reason being is the fact that despite have three children who seem to be constantly injuring themselves somehow or another they haven’t even scrapped, scratched or bumped a single part of their bodies. Funnily, they still haven’t but ironically it’s me with an injury!

Don’t panic though it’s not a case of having to be hospitalised I just cut the top of my hand (well, it wasn’t actually a cut, more a deep scratch done by a 3 month old bonkers kitten). One Careplast plasters were grabbed from the cupboard and did the job nicely.

Not only are One Careplast plasters available in some awesome designs (seriously I had a leopard print pack) but they are also waterproof, stick well and don’t irritate my sensitive skin.

I love the design and I was asked a number of times by friends where they could grab a pack (not for their kids but themselves). Leopard skin is still a huge trend so these are the ultimate plaster that not only caters for your first aid needs but also that of your fashion needs. 🙂

So… Do one good thing, replace a product you would normally buy to one from the One range. Smile with the knowledge that you have helped fund an important life changing project without actually doing anything different.

One products can be brought in most of your big name super markets. One Careplast is available at the Co-operative and are RRP at just £1.34… Bargain.

To learn more about One Products and the projects that benefit from their sale visit the One difference Facebook page or check out the One Difference website.

Disclaimer: This is a review post, all thoughts, opinions and words are that of my own. I was not paid to write this review but did receive a sample of One Careplast plasters.

Little Man’s Kitty has a seizure

So, if any of you read my post “I don’t feel like me anymore” you will know that I’ve been feeling a little down in the dumps and a tad stressed lately.

I wasn’t to sure what was happening, was I falling into the grips of depression, would I therefore be reliant upon my old friend “Mr Prozac”

Feeling a tad guilty I took a little “Me Time” and I went to Brighton on Sunday (just for the night) returning Monday evening. Preparations were in place for the children and that of our 2 cats and the 4 kittens (in which 2 are due to shortly be re-homed).

The night away really was needed! Just to have time to think and clear my head if anything! I’ll share my one nights break and those thoughts and feelings in another post, now isn’t the time, as on my return something else took place, something I’ll now share with you.

Mind you… This is no happy event! It’s one that I myself and the children found extremely distressing!

One of the four kittens, the weaker of the four, the one who’s always been that bit behind her siblings, had a seizure.

I was cleaning the kitten area when I noticed that the kitten was not running around and jumping about like the others, next thing I knew, she was trying to get back in the kitten enclosure and instead of slipping under its door as she normally would she had instead put her head through the bars and become stuck! However, she wasn’t distressed which I found strange, she just seemed to stare blankly. I freed her head and she sat there for a moment before accidentally stepping into the water bowl. I approached her and she started shaking, at first I thought she was shivering as the water was cold, then she fell to the side of the enclosure. My instant reaction was to pick her up and dry her quickly. Suddenly I realised this was something more serious! She dribbled and before I knew it her mouth was foaming heavily, she had a seizure right there in my arms.

All three children are extremely fond of the cats and the kittens, little man loves his Bella who is the mother of the litter. Little man was very nervous when Bella first had the kittens, his anxiety levels were off the scale as he worried about Bella and her new litter constantly.

It was a great relief for him to watch the kittens thrive and as they grew he became reassured all would be OK. Of course, I did well to remind him that the kittens were healthy, the likelihood of them becoming sick as the weeks went on was small!

I guess both the little man and his sister worried more due to the fact I needed to intervene a little and help Bella attend to them in way of feeding. Bella came into heat pretty quickly (when the kittens were almost 3 weeks old) and during this period she feed them less, requiring me to help by way of bottle feeding 4 hungry kittens. Initially one of the tabby’s was what one would normally refer to as the “runt” of the litter, then I noticed the kitten in question got pushed out more during feeding time and even it’s mother would sometimes become a little rough when grooming it.

Have you ever read the book ‘All cats have Aspergers’? (I’d highly recommend, little man loves this book)! My point is, looking back the kitten in question displayed some quirky behaviour, such as not mixing well within the group, being a tad bullied and sleeping in a corner with its face buried in amongst the side of the kitten box while the others huddled together. When all running around the room displaying some crazy speeds, this one joined in only a handful of times, and when she did it wasn’t long before she took herself of back to the enclosure and into her corner.

It’s strange as little man brought up that book and asked me “Do you think all cats really do have Aspergers? As our little black kitten seems to have it more!” I couldn’t help but smile, as in a way little man was displaying more awareness for his own “condition” and the fact he literally felt all cats had Aspergers was actually quite lovely. I wondered if this was the reason he connected with them so well, they have all become somewhat therapeutic in the way we often hear about horses and dogs when it comes to autism.

My daughter Alice-Sara, is also brilliant with the animals of the house, she’s like the zoo keeper who keeps them all in check as she goes about feeding them.

With this you can just imagine the total upset within the household when the kitten violently shook and cried out. I did a terribly job of remaining calm for the sakes of the children, fellow cats and the kitten itself. I just felt helpless and scared, extremely unprepared to witness such a worrying situation. I now know I should have laid her on the floor, removing everything that could harm her, instead I held her firmly and with tears streaming down my cheeks I tried reassuring her, through now I understand she would have had no idea what was happening.

By now Little man was standing at the door way with eyes so wide and watery I could almost see within them, that of my own reflection! He spoke just 3 words… “she’s dying mum” before fleeing the room. I wrapped her in a blanket as she continued to have accidents after the actual seizure, then throwing on my shoes I darted to my neighbours, rudely banging on her door at 11pm.

Thankfully we have one of the nicest and kindest neighbours you could wish for, a women who actually used to babysit me as a child. Inviting myself, daughter and kitten inside, she called the emergency vets which happens to be miles away and well beyond my reach (in my head I’m running of a list of those people I can call to collect me and whisk us off down there). However, having spoken with the vet and given the fact the kitten is by now no longer having the seizure, instead laid in my arms not fully together, I’m given the advice to keep a close eye on her throughout the night! Instructions are to keep her in a dark safe room away from others (including other animals) if she has another seizure, I must call again, otherwise it’s vets in morning… especially if she still wasn’t walking, using the litter tray, eating and drinking, generally not acting herself.

It’s now 3.30am, the children are in bed, little man having only just settled, I’m writing this on my iPhone as I lay in bed surrounded by pitch black darkness and a very weak kitty who remains very confused with very little awareness of what’s happening around her. Am I worried? Yes!

So, yes… I was home just a few hours before this happened, god I’m so thankful this didn’t all occur when I was away.

Thankfully I got a great nights sleep in Brighton, as I won’t be having any whatsoever tonight.

And to top it all off… I’m sun burnt… Really… Really… sun burnt!