Well, hello, Autumn. Suddenly, the nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning russet and gold, conkers nestle on the ground like treasure, and there’s a distinct chill in the air. Autumn Equinox has passed, and despite the Summer holidays only just ending, we’re on countdown to Christmas. How do you feel about autumn? I love it. Crisp walks, kicking up leaves, comfy boots, and a hearty bowl of soup (without or without crusty bread and lashings of butter…)
Cosy Autumn Vibes Incoming
Are you already getting ready for Christmas? PSA: It’s less than THREE MONTHS away.
Winter Blues
Autumn is a bittersweet time of year. Yes, we can enjoy occasional days of Indian summer and appreciate a cosy home. Perhaps it’s great to have the kids back in school. But there’s no denying winter’s proximity and the lack of sunshine can take its toll on our health. Eat well, keep up the hydration, and maybe look into Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin – supplements. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), sometimes known as Winter Depression, is linked to reduced exposure to sunlight and, though often joked about, is very real.
According to the NHS, symptoms of SAD can include:
- Persistent low mood
- Loss of enjoyment or interest in everyday activities
- Irritability
- Feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
- Lethargy and fatigue
- Sleeping for longer than normal and difficulty waking in the morning
- Cravings and weight gain
- Concentration difficulties
- Low libido
For some people, these symptoms can be severe, even rather debilitating. If that’s the case, it’s important to see your GP. In the UK alone, around 2 million people are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder – and over 12 million people across Northern Europe.
Feel Brighter; Feel Better
There are simple and practical ways you can help manage those Winter Blues, including getting as much natural sunlight as possible – yes, even in the winter months, taking regular exercise (see our recent blog Move Your Body and Ease Your Mind), eating well and taking vitamin supplements if appropriate, and minimising stress. You could even try a daylight lamp. If nothing else, it’ll brighten up any darker corners in those dark evenings.
LOVE Autumn
Pop the 19th of November in your diaries now – our next event is about all things Winter wellness. We’ll look at mindset, skin, and supplementation, as well as a wealth of other seasonal stuff.
In the Pink
While we’re talking of wellness, we are SO proud to be part of the incredible Paint Cheadle Hulme and Bramhall Pink campaign. This initiative is all about raising awareness of and funds for Prevent Breast Cancer, the Wythenshawe Hospital-based charity dedicated to research and prevention. Dress in pink, bake pink cakes and make pink cocktails, decorate your windows with pink balloons and bunting – and support as many local events as you can. Above all, remember to CHECK YOUR BREASTS. Get to know what’s normal for you and be aware of any changes – early detection is key. Plenty of information and support can be found on the charity’s website and social media channels. Be sure to follow Jo’s Paint the Town Pink socials, too. Let’s ALL be in the pink – and let’s ALL keep an eye on ourselves.
Let’s paint the town pink for Prevent Breast Cancer
This year’s Paint Cheadle Hulme and Bramhall pink promises to be another tremendous event – or, series of events, as it’s over the course of the month – October is always Breast Cancer Awareness month. Here in clinic, we’ll be donating £5 for EVERY treatment booked with Lynsey, plus we – and the clinic – will be adorned in pink. Furthermore, I’ll do 100 skips every day in October for cancer research. We also have a skincare sin bin, whereby for each product donated, we’ll give £5 to Prevent Breast Cancer AND give the patient £5 to use on new skincare in clinic!
Fizz and Frosting
In other news, you’ll know we recently launched our incredible Focus Dual ‘lunchtime facelift’ treatment. Our patients are already LOVING the results! We celebrated with a launch event at the brilliant Ladybridge Connect, home of Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge Cricket Club.
Loving the launch of Focus Dual
We were thrilled to have a full house, and everyone loved their complimentary goody bag, which included skincare, sunscreen and smellies! The lovely Elouise (@elouise_lynton on insta) of Lynton Clinic talked us through this incredible innovation, all whilst a patient underwent treatment. Elouise was able to highlight the countless benefits of dual treatment versus standalone RF microneedling or HIFU. Our patient could then happily tell us how it felt – and the best bit, we got to see the immediate results and obvious ‘lift’ first-hand!
Naturally, there was fizz flowing as well as scrumptious cakes. Gilly Rafferty, the senior clinical educator for Europe and key accounts within Alumier MD, gave us all the inside info on skincare and how we should look after our skin as seasons change. Her keynote to take away was UV*A* – ageing rays; UV*B* – burning rays. There were also 10 lucky raffle winners. Cathy won the top prize, a voucher for £750 to use on a full face and neck treatment of Focus Dual. Thus ensued the quote of the night from Cathy – “I won’t win. I never win anything!” We were happy to prove you wrong, Cathy!
Make sure you join us for our next event – it could be you. In the meantime, stay well, stay hydrated and look after your skin. Above all, CHECK YOUR BOOBIES!
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