The First Sign I had Entered Peri-Menopause
It happened in the spring of 2005. The gargantuan, long, dark black hair protruded from my chin. It was on the lower right side and thankfully it was all alone. Where did it come from? Why was it there? Why did it go from not noticeable to a feature attraction of epic proportions?
Well I needed to pluck that thing right away, but where were my tweezers. They were nowhere to be found. So my first order of the day was to get dressed and go to the drug store for tweezers. Everything else that day had to be put on hold. Nothing was more important that removing this hair. I put on concealer, foundation, and powder for fear of what if anyone saw this vine coming out of my chin? What would they think?
Out I went. Baseball cap. Check. Sunglasses. Check. Hair long, messy, and hanging in my face. Check. People might think I am a celebrity or about to rob a bank, BUT they would not see the beanstalk growing out of my chin. I picked out two styles of tweezers and so not to call attention to my purchase I grabbed some tissues, a magazine, and feminine products.
I dropped the items at the counter and turned towards the right, so the 16 year old clerk with acne and beard growth couldn’t see the right side of my chin. He was so embarrassed to have to ring up the tampons that he didn’t look me in the face I was safe, or so I thought. The register tape ran out and he had to call over a manager, a woman slightly older than me. While the boy changed the register tape, she bagged my items. She looked me straight in the face and asked, “Did you mean to buy two different kinds of tweezers?” “Yes, thank you,” I said. Then she gave me a knowing look. I was horrified and embarrassed and pledged never to return to that drugstore.
I quickly ran up the stairs to my bathroom and selected the tweezers with the rubber grip. I knew I was going to need a firm grip to yank this baby out. Out it came, and as much as the hair was long that I saw growing on my chin, what grew beneath the skin was incredible. What a sense of accomplishment I had. I was like David slaying Goliath. It was gone, that is until next month when out of the blue there it was again.
My Hair Lesson and Then Some
That summer, I spend at week at The Body Shop Spa in St. Georges Utah. (Now called Fitness Ridge and promoted by the Biggest Loser) I had inexplicably gained 20 lbs. and I wanted to go to a spa that worked me out and helped address my weight issues. Each evening, there was an expert that spoke with participants on different topics. One evening a local doctor was going to speak about women, aging, and menopause. I was only 41, but I figured, I might as well go and learn about what was to come.
The expert started the lecture, “How many of you have a hair growing on your chin that comes back every 4-6 weeks?” No one knew about my battle with my chin hair, not even my husband. How did this doc find out? Was he speaking directly to me? I noticed other women raising their hand. I tentatively raised mine too. How many of you suddenly gained weight around your mid-section? We all raised our hand. “Congratulations, you are in peri-menopause and you have some of the first signs.”
I was flabbergasted. I helped women with diet, nutrition, and exercise so that going through per-menopause would be easier. How did I miss my first signs? Did I think I was immune from these symptoms? I knew that women could experience peri-menopause in their early 40s and this could last right through to menopause, which can be up to 15 years. Wait, did I have other symptoms as well that I just hadn’t thought about?
The doctor asked if my sleep had changed. Was I finding it harder to fall asleep and did I wake up in the middle night all drenched in sweat? Bingo! Night sweats. I thought I had put too many blankets on since my room was cold. Did I often find myself taking off layers of clothing while others in the room were cold? Yes, that’s me. Hot flashes. Then the doc asked the dreaded question, “How’s your sex life? Has it changed?” Sex hurt a little. I was dry inside. I lost interest. That’s peri-menopause too. “Well I’m glad I have an answer for that,” I told the doctor.
I had been experiencing this for the last several months and never attributed it to peri-menopause. I knew about all these symptoms, but I guess I was in denial that it would happen to me; that I would be older. Now it all made sense: my chin hair, hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness. I was in the full throes of menopause. I had joined the secret society of menopausal women.
It happened in the spring of 2005. The gargantuan, long, dark black hair protruded from my chin. It was on the lower right side and thankfully it was all alone. Where did it come from? Why was it there? Why did it go from not noticeable to a feature attraction of epic proportions?
Well I needed to pluck that thing right away, but where were my tweezers. They were nowhere to be found. So my first order of the day was to get dressed and go to the drug store for tweezers. Everything else that day had to be put on hold. Nothing was more important that removing this hair. I put on concealer, foundation, and powder for fear of what if anyone saw this vine coming out of my chin? What would they think?
Out I went. Baseball cap. Check. Sunglasses. Check. Hair long, messy, and hanging in my face. Check. People might think I am a celebrity or about to rob a bank, BUT they would not see the beanstalk growing out of my chin. I picked out two styles of tweezers and so not to call attention to my purchase I grabbed some tissues, a magazine, and feminine products.
I dropped the items at the counter and turned towards the right, so the 16 year old clerk with acne and beard growth couldn’t see the right side of my chin. He was so embarrassed to have to ring up the tampons that he didn’t look me in the face I was safe, or so I thought. The register tape ran out and he had to call over a manager, a woman slightly older than me. While the boy changed the register tape, she bagged my items. She looked me straight in the face and asked, “Did you mean to buy two different kinds of tweezers?” “Yes, thank you,” I said. Then she gave me a knowing look. I was horrified and embarrassed and pledged never to return to that drugstore.
I quickly ran up the stairs to my bathroom and selected the tweezers with the rubber grip. I knew I was going to need a firm grip to yank this baby out. Out it came, and as much as the hair was long that I saw growing on my chin, what grew beneath the skin was incredible. What a sense of accomplishment I had. I was like David slaying Goliath. It was gone, that is until next month when out of the blue there it was again.
My Hair Lesson and Then Some
That summer, I spend at week at The Body Shop Spa in St. Georges Utah. (Now called Fitness Ridge and promoted by the Biggest Loser) I had inexplicably gained 20 lbs. and I wanted to go to a spa that worked me out and helped address my weight issues. Each evening, there was an expert that spoke with participants on different topics. One evening a local doctor was going to speak about women, aging, and menopause. I was only 41, but I figured, I might as well go and learn about what was to come.
The expert started the lecture, “How many of you have a hair growing on your chin that comes back every 4-6 weeks?” No one knew about my battle with my chin hair, not even my husband. How did this doc find out? Was he speaking directly to me? I noticed other women raising their hand. I tentatively raised mine too. How many of you suddenly gained weight around your mid-section? We all raised our hand. “Congratulations, you are in peri-menopause and you have some of the first signs.”
I was flabbergasted. I helped women with diet, nutrition, and exercise so that going through per-menopause would be easier. How did I miss my first signs? Did I think I was immune from these symptoms? I knew that women could experience peri-menopause in their early 40s and this could last right through to menopause, which can be up to 15 years. Wait, did I have other symptoms as well that I just hadn’t thought about?
The doctor asked if my sleep had changed. Was I finding it harder to fall asleep and did I wake up in the middle night all drenched in sweat? Bingo! Night sweats. I thought I had put too many blankets on since my room was cold. Did I often find myself taking off layers of clothing while others in the room were cold? Yes, that’s me. Hot flashes. Then the doc asked the dreaded question, “How’s your sex life? Has it changed?” Sex hurt a little. I was dry inside. I lost interest. That’s peri-menopause too. “Well I’m glad I have an answer for that,” I told the doctor.
I had been experiencing this for the last several months and never attributed it to peri-menopause. I knew about all these symptoms, but I guess I was in denial that it would happen to me; that I would be older. Now it all made sense: my chin hair, hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness. I was in the full throes of menopause. I had joined the secret society of menopausal women.
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