Good Skin, Good Hair

In the couple of years that I have been eating healthier, I’ve seen changes in my skin and hair. I swear I look younger than I used to! I had to renew my driver’s license this year. I had the sticker you get as a good driver that lets you keep your license for another 4 years. After 8 years of that picture, I was ready to get rid of it. This time the picture wasn’t awful. In fact it looked better than the old one. I thought, “How weird is that?!” I had a license that I could finally show to people without cringing before I handed it over.

And the cool thing is that eight years ago, I was at about the same weight. Yet, this picture showed a more vibrant person. My chin and face looked thinner. My skin had a healthy glow and yet I was 8 years older. After I got in the car, I looked at the picture and felt recharged. For a short while I felt like I was 25 again.

I forgot about that until recently. I was cleansing my face and the sunlight was streaming in. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw a face that I recognized from years ago. No acne, no blotches, no large pores, blackheads or uneven skin tone. I really looked at my face for the first time in a long time. I looked healthy. I looked more than 10 years younger. I had few lines. My skin felt smooth and silky. Even my neck had fewer creases and my décolleté was smooth and blemish free. “Wow” was all I thought.

I knew it was because I had drastically cut down on processed foods, was drinking more water, cut out soda, and ate more healthy produce. I had found the right combination. Once I almost completely eliminated the processed foods and soda, the positive changes began.

My hair regained its luster and shine about a year ago. I have colored my hair on and off since I was in high school and have always had fairly good hair. It’s fine, but not thin. I permed it because I wanted to make in fuller. In the last year or so, I stopped perming it. It is healthy again, even with swimming over the summer.

I’ve kept my hair a reddish brown shade for a lot of years, sometimes going a little darker. One day I decided to lighten it. It looked so nice and I did a nice job of getting low lights and highlights that I thought I would keep it for awhile. I found a new stylist, who really does a nice cut, so I don’t worry as much about being outdoors. I am out in the sun so much that my hair got lighter.

I was driving one day and looked in the rear view mirror and had to tdo a double take. My hair was now in the blond family, with this beautiful natural looking blend of color. It was gleaming and healthy. I also noticed I was starting to get more attention from men and women. I haven’t had this kind of attention, since... I can’t tell you when.

I’ve tried home color in blond hair before, but it never looked natural or very good on me. I looked washed out. But hair color today is so much better than 20 years ago. Yes, I did say 20 years. Boy, does that date me…
Anyway, this color I have now looks nice with my healthier looking completion. I look good!

I made the mistake of going back into a browner color though last week, which was blander than my old color. A 20 something woman I work with bluntly told me, “That color makes you look older.” I’m glad her parents didn’t raise her to be polite! I redid my hair blonder when I got home that night!