energy-saving hygiene habits (or lack thereof)

[November Girl]

For haircuts, I've found the Flowbee gadget to be a godsend. i can't hold my arms up to use it, but my husband can. It gives a great haircut - a neighbor asked what salon I'd gone to. One of the best things is I don't have to go to a smelly salon, and don't have to worry about keeping appts when I don't feel well.

It's an electric clipper that attaches to the end of a vacuum cleaner. There are spacers so you can choose the length you want your hair. The vacuum pulls the hair straight for an even cut, and also sucks up the hair so no mess afterwards. DH loves it for his hair. It works better with a strong vacuum. We tried it with a shop vac, and it didn't work as well.

As for all the other shortcuts, I've done most of them, too. If I do have to go out, I try to shower and wash my hair the day before. And every so often, I take the extra 5 or 10 minutes to style my hair, and wear a bit of makeup. These are special occasions, but it gives me a real lift.

For skin care, I use Paula's Choice products, which are unscented and avoid irritating ingredients. Their website is also a great information site as it discusses various skincare ingredients and what they do. She also reviews most of the makeup/skincare products on the market, with approvals of many across all price points. paulaschoice.com

As for general appearance, when I'm feeling up to it, I concentrate on good skin care (3 or 4 minutes 2Xday), a good haircut (every 2 mos) & keeping my eyebrows trimmed (2x month) Come to think of it, if I didn't spend so much time online, I could probably manage those three just fine!

 

[Mary Poppins]

This is such a great, normalising thread. I can't wait to read it all, but today's not the day for that.

Re: Make up, I wear makeup, but then its ingrained into my ADLs. Obviously not if I'm just at home or around home, of course. I have found that the advent of the makeup remover disposable wipes to be a fabulous discovery. Most of them are moisturising and well as cleansing, will remove any amount of waterproof eye makeup, so I leave them next to my bed and use them there.

I know that they're probably not suitable for people with allergies and skin sensitivities. But chronic illness takes so much from a person, and sometimes it helps to staunchly retain or rediscover whatever we can about what makes us who we are.

 

[Sasha]

I can't tell you how much better I feel about myself after reading this thread.

I completely agree!

Just wanted to mention something that I'm not sure has been mentioned. For my entire life up til now, I would take a shower or flannel wash in the morning, first thing after breakfast. When ill, I struggle to do this and on bad days, can't wash at all or have to wait until the afternoon or evening when I've got more energy.

However, for the last few months I've made a deliberate decision to give up on morning bathing and to shower/wash in the evenings at around 8pm or 9pm because I've almost always got the energy then. It's great! It means that I don't spend the whole morning in my pyjamas feeling icky until I can bathe, because I'm already clean and can dress straight away.

I read from one of the reports from the IACFS/ME conference yesterday that PWME typically have an M-shaped energy curve; we're rubbish in the mornings, better in the afternoons, then a dip, then better in the evenings again. I think that exploiting the peaks in that curve to choose when to shower is a good strategy.

This simple decision has made a big difference in my quality of life and how I feel about things in the morning - no longer having to worry about what I can't do, not having this big hurdle to climb over and feeling nice and clean at the start of the day. It was only force of habit stopping me doing this, but habits are hard to break!

 

[Misfit Toy]

I feel better about reading this but it also makes me so sad. I used to shower and wash my hair everyday. I used to always put makeup on, get gussied up, I wore heels, etc. Now...now that I am in perimenopause, forget about it. And I used to take a shower in the morning.

Now, showers are at night. I don't blow dry my hair, I brush my teeth twice a day still because I want my teeth!! My hair gets washed maybe twice a week. No one can tell really because I wear it up in a ponytail or bun. I used to work in makeup at Lancome. Now, I only wear mascara, blush and some light lipgloss. I used to have a whole face of makeup.

The thing I really miss is cooking. I don't have the energy to cook elaborate meals anymore.

I wear jeans. I wear jeans that are usually the same ones I have been wearing all week. I switch it up and change to something else or I wear black yoga pants which make me look thinner and sleek.

I used to be this full on fashion chick. I went to art school for fashion. Now I lust after the clothes and have no where to wear them or I am too sick to wear them. I think I am in denial though because I still buy them!

I always sit when doing anything other than brushing my teeth. I shower standing too. If I am really tired, I just take a hot bath. That helps two fold. Fibro pain and I get clean.

I live alone, so I do everything that one does when they live alone ; ( I take out the trash, I do my laundry...outside of my apartment, it sucks. Sometimes, things don't get done.

For me...all of this feels draining and like a full time job.

 

[Mary Poppins]

It's quite a challenge to reconcile the person we once were with the person we have been forced through illness to become. Grief and sadness are all normal reactions to this.

Some of us may regain the ability to dress and groom ourselves in the way we felt at our best, and others among us must adapt and change.

It's difficult journey, wherever the outcome leads you.

Much love to all.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Yes, thank you for this post. I really have enjoyed it and it helps us to feel understood and like we are all in this together. I love seeing innovative things people do. I know I have to come to terms with my new way of life in not keeping up with looking like a fashionista. It is what it is.

I know this has nothing to do with hygiene, and it's been discussed before, but I have learned to cook big meals when I cook and freeze them. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. Chicken soup is a staple of health and I take a nap while making it.

Anyway, these simple things have helped save me energy.

Thank you!!

 

[Mary Poppins]

I do that too, SF. Chicken soup is one of the things that is always in plentiful supply in my freezer. Winter or Summer - I use it as a stock too. We should swap recipes, everyone's is different.