As silly as it sounds, I stand 100% behind this statement. I would never describe myself as simple or low-fuss (many who know me may make a convincing argument in favor of the use of the word EXTRA), but I previously never put too much energy or emphasis on my appearance. I have always done a good job of taking care of my natural curls and have my simple everyday 5 minute makeup routine and before last year, this worked for me.
Developing fibromyalgia changed so many aspects of my life. I obviously knew about the physical implications before I was even diagnosed (no one needs to tell a fibro patient that they’re in pain), but there were a multitude of emotional and psychological symptoms that don’t manifest until far later, like aftershocks of a tragedy.
For me, the strangest trait that developed was a heightened consciousness of my appearance. A reformed Catholic High School girl with natural-born confidence, I had entered my early adulthood with almost zero concern for what other people thought about my appearance. Something about losing my faith in my own physical capabilities led me to start being more concerned with my clothing, hair, and makeup. My insistence on not letting this condition change my life more than it had to and not allowing it determine how other people saw me actually pushed me to put more effort into my guise.
At first, I was worried that this was a result of a blow to my confidence. However, I have come to realize that instead it is often a calming and mood-boosting practice. On days when I may be too tired or sore to do certain activities, I take pride in taking a few extra minutes to do something special with my makeup or wear a new piece of clothing I’m excited about. As I realized what feeling good could do for my overall well-being, I started to seek out ways to pepper in a little pampering every now and again.
As a curly girl, I had always loved the feeling that a blowout gave me – frizz free bouncy hair that made me feel ready to take on the world. Getting blowouts more frequently (no more than 1 a month to avoid too much heat on my curls) has been a therapeutic practice for me for several reasons:
- My hair looks great and that helps to brighten my mood for a few days
- The act of getting the blowout is relaxing and I LOVE the feeling of getting my hair washed at the salon
- When my hair is blown out, I don’t have to worry about doing it every morning so it takes something off of my plate when I am in pain/fatigued (dry shampoo is my savior)
I know that it’s not always financially feasible to indulge in treatments like this, but when you can, it can be so rewarding. My biggest tip would be to avoid the blowout chains (overpriced and not worth it) and instead sign up for the newsletters of local salons, as they often will advertise $20-35 blowouts when they have quiet days in the salon.
