Wellness Wednesdays – 4/11/18

WELLNESS TIP OF THE WEEK

Winter Weather is Finally Almost Over, So It’s Time to Change Up Your Skin Care Routine

by Kristina Dudley of All Care Laser Center

It’s hard to believe winter technically ended weeks ago given that we’ve had several instances of freezing weather and snow in April, but the changes of the season really are just around the corner … which is why it’s time to make some changes to your skin care routine accordingly. Dermatologists recommend doing the following as the snow melts away and we move into the warm season:

1. Start moisturizing with lotion instead of cream

There’s nothing wrong with moisturizing in the spring — even though the weather gets more humid, your skin might still need a little help staying out of the dry zone. Unfortunately, creams (which tend to be heavier) can actually cause you to break out due to over-moisturizing. Try lighter lotions instead!

2. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.

Winter dries out your skin, leaving you with a lot of dead cells on your body. Exfoliation helps you rid yourself of this dead skin, leaving it looking brighter and healthier. If home remedies don’t seem to be working, we offer microdermabrasion that can really freshen you up!

3. Start using sunscreen.

No, you probably won’t be going to the beach in April and May, but just because the sun isn’t as hot in the spring as it is in the summer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect yourself from its rays. Dermatologists note that, contrary to popular belief, people are at relatively high risk for skin damage from the sun in springtime.

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HEALTH IN THE VALLEY

Lowell Community Health Center CEO Susan West Levine.

Health Center to Host Community Grand Opening Celebration

The community is invited to join in a grand opening celebration to mark the completion of Lowell Community Health Center’s new 101 Jackson Street expansion. The project adds dental and eye care services while increasing access to primary care and behavioral health services. The event is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 24, on the 6th floor of the Jackson Street location. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas will be the featured speaker. Festivities will include music by the Lowell Community Charter Public School choir, Tunefoolery Music, brief remarks and a light breakfast.

“We are excited to welcome the community into our new space,” said Susan West Levine, CEO of Lowell CHC. “The transformation is amazing. We look forward to the opportunity to showcase our new services and to publicly thank Congresswoman Tsongas for her years of support, which helped make our Jackson Street complex a reality and strengthened health centers nationwide.”

The health center is close to completing its $3 million Building Bridges Capital Campaign for the $25.6 million project. “We are looking to close a $250,000 gap and feel confident we will do so any day now,” West Levine said. “This expansion is all about health care access for our community. We are experiencing an overwhelming need in Greater Lowell for affordable dental and eye care and are thrilled to be locating those services under the same roof as primary care and other vital services.”

The Grand Opening Celebration is free and open to the public. However, due to room capacity, attendees are asked to RSVP to christinawa@lchealth.org by Thursday, April 19. For questions about the Building Bridges campaign and how to get involved, or to learn about naming opportunities, call Clare Gunther at (978) 746-7891.

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WELLNESS AROUND THE WEB

Research Now Shows Another Benefit to Meditation: Reducing the Effects of Aging

Everyone gets old, but not everyone enjoys the process. And we’ve been talking about meditation a lot lately in Wellness Wednesdays, but if you need a compelling reason to make the practice a part of your regular routine, how about the fact that research has discovered it can protect you from some of the less-thrilling aspects of aging? Business Insider reports that meditating can help reduce the effects of stress on the body, improve focus and even make one’s overall mental health better. The key to making sure this stuff sticks, of course, is keeping up with it — unfortunately, trying once and giving up every few months isn’t going to cut it. But remember, according to what we looked at in last week’s WW, getting frustrated with the process of meditation is perfectly normal!

Even if You Don’t Technically Make It, Trying a Digital Detox Can Help You Make Important Realizations

Matt Charnock of Medium’s The Bold Italic attempted to have a digital-free weekend, only to fail due to “a single weak-in-the-knee moment.” But was it really a failure if he still came away with an important realization from taking time away from his computer and smart devices? “I realized I need to set at least some boundaries around technology on a personal or professional level, making a concentrated effort to put the phone down more,” he writes. “Maybe not a full weekend, but a couple of hours each night, or waiting until 9:00 a.m. to reach for it.” Throughout the article, Charnock refers to tech users as “addicts” — which, given our behavior patterns, many of us are. Even if today’s world doesn’t allow us to totally get the tech out of our lives, trying a digital detox can help one realize the problem areas that we can strive to improve by reducing our usage.

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LOCAL HEALTH HAPPENINGS

April 15

Do you love taking pictures as you travel? Join Lowell National Historical Park rangers for Wellness on the Walkways: Family Photography Walk, a family-focused exploration of some fascinating downtown locations from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This walk is designed for kids and adults looking for for a fun event during school vacation week. Lowell, Mass. | NPS.gov

April 19

Gentry Thatcher, a board certified ENT from New England Ear, Nose, Throat & Facial Plastic Surgery, will be offering free head and neck cancer screenings at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Ground Floor Outpatient Clinic. To schedule your free appointment, call Jill or Nancy at (978) 687-0151, ext. 2101. Methuen, Mass. | HolyFamily-Hospital.org

April 22

Soleil Salon and Spa will be doing a Service-A-Thon from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise money for clean water charities. Among the offerings are $20 facials, $15 massages and $12 manicures. Windham, N.H. | MVMag.net

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