May 2020 - Edith Lalonde

When Shaving Your Legs IS the End of the World

Hey, Everybody!

Holy crap! Here we are. It’s the end of the third week in May, and this is only blog number two for the month! Super sorry, Sharing is Caring Tribe. With the amount of overtime I’m working, the days have flown by while time has simultaneously stood still.

Seriously, my life is a groundhog movie. Eat. Sleep. Work. Repeat.

But today? Today is Saturday, summer has finally arrived, and I’m going to work from the cottage this weekend!

Woot! Woot!

As I type this, the early morning sun is slanting through the windows, laying a path of warmth across my bare shins, and I’m reminded, I haven’t shaved my legs in a while.

No time, no energy, no desire, and up to this point, no need. My legs haven’t been on display since I left Florida in mid-march. So yeah, shaving hasn’t been a priority.

Until now.

Lake weather has arrived, and the clothes are coming off.

It also means I gotta dust off a razor and give myself a weed wack. Not something I’m looking forward to.

Why Body Hair is my Nemisis

When you suffer from chronic pain, some days, getting out of bed is an accomplishment—hitting the shower? A heroic exertion of epic proportion. Shaving your legs? Yeah, not gonna happen. Especially in the dead of winter when no one gets a peep at your gams anyway. And if your partner doesn’t find your hairy appendages sexy? Well then, that’s what fleece pajamas are for.

Am I right?

Happily, seasons change. Minus forty temperatures give way. The earth warms. Flowers bloom. Summer living begins, and out from those layers of denim, cotton, and spandex come the neglected body parts no one has seen in a while.

Not gonna lie, body hair (and its permanent removal) has been, and continues to be, a war I will wage without regret. Does that make me high maintenance? Maybe. But here’s the deal. Sometimes, when you suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases, something as simple as personal grooming can require too much of your limited energy. Not to mention the physical limitations of a body that cannot, and will not, bend in ways that allows a normal person to get at those hard to reach places.

Doesn’t mean I don’t care about how I look. Doesn’t mean I’m willing to go au natural by embracing my hairy self. Quite the opposite. Despite my shitty eyesight, the older I get, the more body hair I discover! It’s creepy, I don’t like it, and it has got to go. PERMANENTLY.

Hair Here, Hair There, Hair Everywhere

Black hair growing on your chin in clusters? Moustache hair sticking straight out? Eyebrow hair meeting in the middle? Nipple hair? On women? What fucking depth of hell is this torture? Hate em. Had em. Electrolysised the shit out of em.

Bye-bye, bitches.

Next.

Armpit hair impossible to shave because you can’t lift your arms above your head? Unauthorized expansion of hairy hoo-ha territory because you can’t contort into a pretzel? Toe hair long enough to braid because you can’t bend over to reach your feet?

Toe hair? Who the actual fuck grows hair on their toes? I swear, I have hair growing everywhere…except on my head…where it’s supposed to be!

No matter.

Laser hair removal to the rescue.

Zippity-zip. Zappity-zap. Take that you, hairy hair follicle.

High Maintenance Vs. Practicality

Yep, I invested in and endured laser hair removal. For me, it has been money well spent. The energy I would have expended week over week and month over month, keeping my body hair situation under control, was spent on things I wanted to do instead.

A huge win considering my battle with chronic pain and my limited energy resources.

So, why then are my legs still hairy? Great question. Glad you asked.

There are a couple of reasons:

I don’t have a lot of hair on my legs, so if I let the hair grow, it’s not so bad.
Leg hair doesn’t creep me out as much as nipple hair.
I can see and reach my legs, so shaving is fairly easy.

But honestly, electrolysis and laser hair removal is expensive. Each session can run between one hundred and two hundred dollars depending on how long it takes, and multiple sessions are required to achieve permanent hair removal status.

Basically, in terms of body hair removal priorities, I was saving my legs for last. And in fact, I was scheduled to begin my laser hair removal sessions on my legs last month.

COVID-19 put a halt on that.

Not a big deal. I’ll survive another summer of shaving my legs. I just don’t think I’m starting this weekend, because I spent my energy on writing this blog.

And now I have a question for you.

Does spending money on something that makes your life easier make you worthy of being called high maintenance?

Yes, I can spend my time stressing, waxing, plucking, tweezing, and shaving (although I find good razors are ridiculously expensive). Or I can let myself go natural. But does that make me less high maintenance?

I think not.

Either way. I’m gonna take my hairy legs to the lake now so I can get to work and enjoy the sun.

Hope you all have a beautiful socially-distanced Saturday!

Until the next blog – peace out pain sufferers.

Current pain level 6.5/10.

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Nail Health – More than a Mani/Pedi

Leave a Comment / Living With Chronic Pain / Edith / May 9, 2020

Like many women, I enjoy having pretty fingers and toes, especially when traveling or on special occasions. So, for about a year, I made an effort to get my nails “done” at a salon.

And yep, there’s that stigma, rearing its ugly head again. Look at her French manicure and cotton candy pink pedi – she must be high maintenance.

Not, gonna lie. In my younger days, I was one of those judgy bitches.

Who had time to spend two hours in a nail salon, anyway? I spent my days at work, in hockey rinks, at the grocery store, and trying to figure out how to live with a significant amount of chronic pain.

Right…

Jealous much?

Anyhoo…beyond the time commitment, the truth is, I couldn’t afford to go to a nail salon with any regularity until I was older and had the extra cash to spend on what I considered a “luxury.” Note the use of the word regularity. Yeah, here’s the thing about getting a mani/pedi, like hair highlights and color, nail polish needs to be maintained, or it looks like shit.

Given my terrible “maintenance” record, I always opted for the longest-lasting manicures. While shellac and powder dipped nails are more durable than regular polish, they do damage your nails over time. Especially, if you’re a maintenance procrastinator and compulsive picker like I am.

Now, on to the high maintenance nitty-gritty, bull-shitty. Beyond vanity, there are specific reasons to pay attention to your nails.

For instance, did you know nail health is closely associated with your body’s overall health?

Yep, anemia, congestive heart failure, liver disease, malnutrition, diabetes, autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, fungal infections, thyroid disease, psoriasis, emphysema, lupus, melanoma (cancer), vitamin or mineral deficiencies, etc., can cause changes to the condition of your nails.

Warning signs to watch for include:

Cracked nails
Discolored nails (red, yellow, brown, white, blue)
Clubbing nails
Ridged nails
Pitted nails
Curling nails
Detaching nails
Bleeding nails

All of the above can be indicators of an undiagnosed medical problem, and changes to your nail health should be flagged to your doctor as soon as possible. Trust me on this one! In doing my research for this blog, I came across any number of photographic examples of nails impacted by a variety of diseases, all of them extremely painful looking.

If you have nail health concerns, I found the following links to be informative, if not somewhat disturbing.

In my case, my autoimmune diseases make my fingernails soft and weak. They bend and break easily, plus, the ongoing use of shellac, powder dip, acetone, etc., didn’t help the situation. So once again, I found myself in a bit of a quagmire, damaged nails due to disease and abuse, but wanting to have pretty fingers and toes. Vanity? Yes, maybe a little. Concerned about nail health? Yes, a little bit of that, too.

So? What’s an immuno-compromised girl to do?

Well, for starters, I stopped going to the salon. I also started taking biotin for hair and nail health, and I’m pleased to report my nails are slowly recovering.

But seriously though, plain old nails are, well, plain. Besides, who doesn’t need a little color and sparkle in their life?

Not only does a pretty mani/pedi make your hands and feet look cleaner, younger, and healthier, it can be an instant mood lift.

It’s why I’m super happy I discovered the Kiss brand of Impress Nails. Love these press-on beauties! They’re an instant manicure/pedicure, at a great price, with zero nail damage. Not to mention these “fake” nails look amazing, and if carefully applied, last for a week or more, making me happy, happy, happy.

(No, this blog is NOT sponsored by Impress Nails. I just love them. Sold at Walmart in Canada in case you’re curious.)

And listen, I’m not shooting down the traditional mani/pedi. I think there’s a real need for professional assistance when it comes to maintaining the health of your hands and feet, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic disease such as diabetes. But where you get your service done and what type of manicure/pedicure you opt for matters!

Salon Lover?

The two most important things to look for when choosing a salon or service provider:

Cleanliness – may be a no-brainer, but how often do you ask about how tools are sterilized (should be autoclaved), chairs wiped down, and basins disinfected? Unless you bring your own, tool packages should be opened in front of you, and service providers should wear fresh gloves or sanitize their hands before beginning.

If you feel icky about the sanitary conditions of a salon, do yourself a favor, WALK AWAY. Seriously, nail infections are no joke and can lead to major health problems.

Qualified technicians or service providers – Not all technicians are created equal. The best thing you can do for yourself is to communicate your expectations and concerns. DON’T BE ME. I ended up with a broken big toe because I didn’t speak up during a too aggressive foot massage at a sketchy nail salon that came highly recommended.

Instead, find someone you’re comfortable working with. A good technician will be concerned about the overall health or condition of your nails. Toenails discolored from polish? Your service provider should recommend you give your nails a break and offer tips for improving nail condition. If they’re not, it may be time to find a new salon.

Bottom Line:

Maintaining healthy nails is important. They are, after all, a functioning part of your body. How else are you going to open a can of beer one-handed?

Think about it. Your hands and feet are hard working. They deserve pampering. So go ahead, spend a bit of coin for a salon service, or invest in some products and tools to use at home.

No matter your preference, having pretty nails does not make you high maintenance, and to those who think otherwise…a manicured one finger salute will do.

How about you? Any experience with being called out as a high maintenance kinda girl? Would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Until the next blog – peace out pain sufferers.

Current pain level 6/10.

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