Dyeing My Blonde Extensions Brown "Test Strip"

Hello Friends!

Today I spent the day dyeing my truly overgrown roots at home. I have done it many times, mostly successfully and a few times quite disastrous. Because I knew that I would have some hair dye left over I decided to do a dye test on my clip in extensions, which are blonde. I bought them this color because the color that I wanted was not available in the length and you know how that goes: A woman wants what a woman wants! O.k. just a little joke but you get my point if you're buying something you want exactly what you desire and no less. So, these extensions can be dyed, curled, washed, treated like real hair. But also the picture on the website was darker than what I actually received and I said well I'll still be able to dye it so I will work with it. I've had them for probably a year and really haven't worn them because of the extreme contrast in color..now much less because I chopped my hair much shorter about four months ago. Well, let's get on to this...I had never even washed the extensions because I had only tried them on. I added my extra hair dye to the smallest clip in extension just to test how the color would take to the blonde extension.

These are the extensions-blonde. I have not yet dyed them all only the smallest test strip

The color that I used to dye both my natural hair and the blonde extension was a light brown. I was aware that the strip would take the color a lot faster than natural hair because they have been processed and blonde catches a darker color quite easily.

I won't lie and say that I timed the process but I left the dye only for about ten minutes because I could see the color absorbing quite quickly. They looked quite dark, and I proceeded to wash them and condition them just as if I were washing my hair.

Now, the top clip in extension appeared much darker as it was freshly washed 

and sat next to the the blonde extension.

I combed the extension and set it to dry flat on a towel. When it was finally dry I could see that a lot of the blonde was still peeking through. The hair although visibly darker in this picture, looks more like an ash blonde... the color looks beautiful but still does not match my hair color. I don't plan on cutting the extensions too much if at all; I rather wait to grow out my hair a bit because it would defeat the purpose of buying longer extensions if I get rid of the length. So, I still have time to process how I want to proceed with this.

I know that through doing this test strip I would have to wash the extensions to try to strip some of the extra products that the extension manufacturer added and that way the dye would grip better. Also, I might leave it in for a bit longer when I decide to do all the extensions. Or, as I have already seen how much of the dye changes the hair in ten minutes I could do all for ten minutes to get them evenly toned-then if I'm still not content I can go back for maybe another 5-10 minutes.

I'm not a hair dresser and these are the first extensions that I dye, so it was quite experimental. I'm sure that it will be better to add a little of product at a time and perhaps get a lighter tone than desired because taking out a darker color might just be a bigger headache. I will plan to record the video of when I actually dye them all to be able to show you results and maybe be able to give you a few tips.

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Hypothyroidism...Today...

Hello friends :) ......

If you recently read my previous post about how I found about hypothyroidism and symptoms you'll most likely be somewhat familiar or at least recall them (if not, it's the previous post before this). This post, although it is about the same topic is not directly about me. Rather, this story came to me from my mom, who spoke to my sister, who lives in another state (in the U.S.) Yes, it's one of those...

The story (real life of course) is that a lady with the same health issue (hypothyroidism) , taking her medication, did end up in a comma. Even though, I don't know this person or all of the details of how it happened, I was told that the medicine she was taking was not doing what it was supposed to do. I was a bit shocked at first to hear this because as I had researched this seemed to be possible as an extreme effect of not taking the medication. So, it just seemed quite irregular that inadequate medication will also have an adverse effect and probably one of the worst case scenarios. As a result this person did end up in the hospital and was treated for the comma, which she was brought of it. First, it makes me think...that even if you're doing what you know to be the best for your health it can sometimes still affect you in  negative way without you even knowing it. But, in hindsight I think that if this is the case there must be symptoms that tell you that the medication is causing some negative effects, so that you will be able to talk to your doctor about the possibilities of a new prescription. And, well even if medicine as a field has long been bringing people in and out of commas for different reasons sometimes they too make mistakes; or not exactly, rather, they give you recommendations to follow but only you know what is best and the actual effects that any medication is causing your body. Then, I know that even if doctors can bring you out of this state, that because the body fell ill to an unnatural state it will need time to recover back to being normal (coming out of  comma sometimes may mean re-learning basics). Whether it is good or bad, your body is the best determining factor that will ultimately tell you if it accepts this or any treatment.

I know that this was quite recent to my previous health post (and no not all of my posts will be about this) but it's like when there is something introduced to you-whether a product or idea-every time you see it,it's like there is now so much of it/them (if products) that seemed never to be there before. When in fact everything has always been there, we just don't pay particular attention to them because it may not be in our interests. I hope I'm not too confusing, but for example: you see a beautiful car that you would love to have or just think looks gorgeous (dream car status), now every time you see a car like it you stop to look at the details, different colors, whether there's a new model, sometimes even who was driving it, if in fact you like it the way it is or you would change any details if it where your car. This is the same concept with anything really... yes, even makeup!!   

Finally, I will end this chit-chat by saying that....I wish I where not a natural worrier always, but I am forced to be a realist as I see things like this changing my life as days go by. I'm not saying that this will happen to me, but it simply makes me aware and informed of other factors. Always be proactive in your medication regimen-this means yes following what your doctor has recommended for you but his advice has to be completed as best you see fit for you as you are the sole responsible person for your health as an outcome of any treatment. You know, I love learning and I hope that you may find some of it interesting, if not appealing. Have yourself a lovely week!! <3

Finding out about Hypothyroidism...

  Hello friends, today I will be including a more personal blog post about being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I feel that even though it's something that can be very common, it's said to be mostly found in elderly women (60 and above as shown by case studies). Why do I want to share this with you? Because I feel that it's important to know that sometimes we may have all the symptoms that our body is trying to let us know that things are not right and we refuse or cannot comprehend. Even if you personally may not suffer from this, there might be a relative or friend that does and this way you can just let them know you understand. Even though, I initially debated whether I really wanted to put this out there because I"m a very introverted person and don't like to discuss my problems with other people, I decided to do it in the hopes that it may help someone.

 I had seen/researched a bit about the possibility of having thyroid problems way before I was diagnosed, but never took it seriously enough to ask my doctor to test me for it. I have been having weight issues, fatigue, irregular cycles and other things for a long time but did not know they could be related. I initially went to the doctor for my anxiety about seven months ago(which I may discuss fully in another post/video because I'm still dealing with that). I told him, I wasn't sure what was affecting me for certain but I wanted to be tested. How do you test for it? I simply took a blood exam (this was a few months after that first visit-I really dislike blood tests) ;Surely enough it came back positive as I suspected. I came home and jokingly told my sister, "See, I have a reason to be fat". Which honestly is not even funny but what else could I do. It's not something that I provoked by not eating incorrectly or any such case. So what is it? There are two types of diagnosis, you can have an over active thyroid(known as hyperthyroidism) or in my case under active thyroid (known as hypothyroidism). It's a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. What are the symptoms? The symptoms can be easily confused with other health issues, or attributed to getting older. As I myself have been caught saying many times," I can't lose weight as easily because with age your metabolism slows down". Although, this may be true, the fact is that having hypothyroidism does not make anything easier. Common symptoms are described as fatigue,lower energy levels, depression, weight gain, excessive sleepiness, sluggish feeling, constipation, aches/pains, high cholesterol, muscle cramps, swelling of the legs, cold intolerance, dry skin/hair, muscle cramps, and decreased concentration. If the disease should escalate it can lead to puffiness around the eyes, slower heart rate, drop in body temperature, and heart failure. In the most severe cases, it  can lead to a life-threatening coma(rare) (myxerdema coma), as the onset result of serious illness, surgery, stress, or traumatic injury (in this case the person must be hospitalized and treated with hormones by injection);or cancer of thyroid gland. How can it be treated? Hypothyroidism is treated with thyroid hormone replacement, but if it's not treated it can lead to an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), heart failure, and an accumulation of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion). 

So, although, I knew a bit about thyroid issues I was not educated nor did I receive a crash course by my doctor. I was told, that the blood test showed that my levels were high and he'd give me a prescription that would regulate my metabolism. Also, he asked me to eat healthy since my cholesterol came back a little high (I wasn't told exact numbers); eat lots of greens, salads, avoid late dinners, and exercise to reduce weight (although it was not a priority at this point because he told me not to lose weight too quickly). I came home did some online research, was initially scared by what I found, did some of the healthiest eating ever, cut out a lot of the bad stuff and began taking my prescription. I was prescribed Synthyroid-Levothyroxine in a low dosage(1 pill 30 min-1 hour before breakfast). At first I noticed I had lost weight, then after a few visits had gained a few pounds. Even if this seems a bit discouraging, I am glad that I know that I'm doing the best that I can to help my body try to maintain at its potential health. This is hard, because I love to cook and of course I love food, but I find myself having to say "No", even if I really mean"yes" (of course I cheat all the time).

At my last doctor's visit I was told that it's under control with the medication (I've been on it for about 4 months).He said normal levels are 0-5, and I was at 4 (4 point something). So definitely my advice, if you see any symptoms that you may recognize ask for the test, best thing that can happen is to be told that you don't have it. But in case that you do, it's better to be able to treat it early on before it should worsen.

Another thing that I cannot forget to mention is that we really need to be sensitive to others. What I mean is that people can say hurtful things without even taking the time to understand that someone might have a health issue that causes a weight problem. I mention this specifically because there are at least three very specific instances that I felt very hurt by people's comments regarding my weight even though they were not people that were near me(also at this time I did not know about any thyroid issues,I just felt over weight),those comments are still etched in my memories. Please take the time to understand others, understand their situation (not only specific to this or to me). 
A kind word uplifts and hurtful words tear down..use your words wisely.

I'm at least glad that this was found in a very treatable stage, even if from what I understand I will have to continue with this medication indefinitely. But on the other hand I'm pretty certain that this will not be any "crippling disease"-in the sense that everything seems "pretty normal". I will try to keep you posted if there are any significant changes. Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I know it's not beauty related directly; but it is- 
Our health is optimum to be able to feel at our best.

Hope to hear about any thoughts or comments you may have down below, or if you have any questions I will try to answer them as best as I can...