Tag / perimenopause

by jo

Why Being Perimenopausal is Really Irritating

I’m comfortably in that very late 40s perimenopausal stage of life, with all the things that are bundled up with it. It’s not fun.

You’re fast asleep, happy in the land of nod when suddenly you are dripping with sweat. You have to wake up, open the windows and get to the toilet to run some cold water on your hands. Anything to make it feel better. You go back to bed and immediately it is too hot. So you kick off the covers and lie on top. But then you’re too cold. So you go back under the covers and you’re too hot.

Repeat to fade for the next four hours…

Or how about during the day? You’re boiling, a little desk fan to keep you cool which mostly works. However, every now and then something gets to you. Something very little but before you know it your face is bright red, your upper body is on fire. Your face a delightful shade of beetroot and it won’t go away.

Welcome to hot flashes. They come when you least expect them and are quite the inconvenience. You’ll almost certainly start experiencing them when you’re perimenopausal.

So many businesses are making moisture wicking pyjamas which help. Alas the kind of money most of them cost, it’s too much to try it out to know it works. However, I’ve spotted M&S have a range which seem reasonably priced. Uniqlo do their Airism range too which look like they might be helpful during the day.

I’ve also heard taking black cohosh or sage can help perimenopausal symptoms like hot flashes. I’ve ordered some from Amazon (affiliate link) which I’m hoping will work.

A poor night’s sleep leads to a bad day in the office trying to remember what you’re doing – oh the brain fog. The obvious solution here would be a nice strong coffee, BUT; you should really avoid too much caffeine if you’re experiencing hot flashes.

I’ve cut most caffeine out of my life and mostly drink decaf now. Our local cafe CyCo in Coulsdon do an amazing decaf which tastes as good as the real thing. Keeping hydrated is the most important thing for me. I drink plenty of water throughout the day.

I’ve also read a good Vitamin E supplement can help, although that’s on the pricey side. I’m keeping with the black cohosh for now.

The perimenopause is the stage of life when you get these symptoms (and a bazillion more), but your periods haven’t stopped. When you’ve had no periods for a year you’re classed as in menopause.

by jo

Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner

I’m well into my later years of life these days, properly perimenopausal and waiting for it all to stop (I give it a couple of years). If you were to look at the symptoms of perimenopause there are many. One which has reared its ugly head in the last year has been an itchy scalp. I was sent some samples of Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner to try, to see if they made a difference.

Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner

Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner is a new brand to me and one I was keen to try. They look at what makes a scalp itchy and try to fix that problem. I have a very itchy head occasionally, I often wonder if H has picked up headlice from school. It’s that kind of an itch, and never looks good in public when you’re scratching your head.

I switched all my shampoos to non-phosphate ones which has helped, though the itching reappears by the end of the day or overnight. So would the Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner make a difference?

I like the smell of the shampoo – the juniper smell reminds me of a nicer T-Gel. I didn’t need a lot for my long hair, and made sure to concentrate on the scalp area. You need to keep it on your hair for a couple of minutes then rinse.

I received a booklet with the products which explains the science behind an itchy scalp. Rather than type it all up word for word, here’s an explanation. Basically, most shampoos don’t deal with the problem the way they should – whereas these do. The ‘Controls Skin Cell Growth’ part explains it best. My mum has terrible psoriasis on her scalp and nothing fixes it (I might treat her to some of this) – probably because it isn’t being treated properly.

Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner works some kind of magic, my head wasn’t itchy for an entire day. You use the shampoo fairly frequently to start, decreasing over time until you’re using it once or twice a week.

They don’t test on animals too, the shampoo and conditioner are vegan and cruelty free. 

The conditioner is soothing and easy to apply as well. I found I didn’t need to use it every day, just once or twice a week. 

At almost £17.50 for 250ml the shampoo isn’t cheap, but it’s worth every penny for itch-free days. If you have a flaky scalp and you’re not sure how to fix it, I highly recommend Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner. The Tony Maleedy site is here, you can also buy it on Amazon here (affiliate link).

I was sent the Tony Maleedy Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.