u/VSCC8

TLDR: Is there any way I can reduce solar heat but preserve visibility/light transmission through my (not ground floor, historic, very much a rental) apartment's (double pane) windows? I've been researching in circles for months. thank you!

Hello! I've seen some older threads on here but wanted to make a new one (commenting on a 4 year old post seems ineffective). It's been in the 100s for a week and we have a gigantic, south-facing window in our main living area. Blackout curtains are only helping so much, and it being so dark inside is starting to screw with our mental health. I saw another post on here warning against interior reflective film if you have double pane windows (we do), so I'm glad I saw that!

Many people recommended solar screens, but that'll be the same issue as the curtains. Plus, I don't feel confident putting anything outside the windows. I'm a renter in an apartment and there's no chance of me installing any hardware outside. Even inside, I have plaster walls so it'd be a whole thing. I could maybe apply an exterior film. (I'm on an elevated first floor, so it might require a ladder). I live someplace with heavy summer rains, so I'm not sure if that'd be an issue.

I thought window film was my answer because it could preserve visibility but reduce heat. My biggest issue was finding the right one with the best VLT, heat reduction, correct sizes, material, etc. Now I'm not sure how to approach the whole thing! Am I overlooking anything? I know our power bill is going to be absolutely miserable.

types of products as well as brands are all of interest! I'm planning to do everything myself, of course. I don't have easy access to tools at the moment but I'm down for a bit of a challenge.

Hey fam... I've had a freak thing happen twice now. My best guess is it being EDS related, so I want to see if anyone else has had this experience.

The same thing happened both times in similar circumstances: Sudden, severe pain in a finger joint (or joint capsule, bc it's not a skeletal pain). Within a minute, a deep purple bruise. The pain lessens but still hurts to the touch for several days (even a bit after the bruise fades). First time it was my ring finger (left hand i think?), just now it was middle finger on my right hand. Both times it wasn't even being touched! First time I was washing dishes, second time I was just talking (standing up).

Both times it happened it was really hot, and I do have POTS (of course) so there was a lot of blood pooling in my hands. My theory at the moment is that the increased volume is straight up bursting my (more fragile) blood vessels.

I've tried some light research and the ONLY thing coming up is Achenbach syndrome, but that's SO rarely reported and it's not that bad (yet?). Therefore:

anyone else?

TLDR my mixed texture hair is finally happy and so is my TLDR my mixed texture hair is finally happy and so is my hypersensitive scalp! It took a mix of changing techniques, researching, trial and error, DIY, a couple haircuts, and patience.

I finally, finally found a hair process and products that work for my curly, mixed texture hair and is HYPOALLERGENIC!!!! It's hard enough being mixed (Ashkenazi and Latino/mestizo) and figuring out your hair texture when neither parent has it the same. Then I have so many allergies & hypersensitivities that even products that work for my texture cause, at best, a flaky and relentlessly itchy scalp.

For your reference, those allergens are wheat, pumpkin, mango, avocado, banana, macadamia, (all common in natural hair products), oat (common in hypoallergenic products), pecan, pine nut, celery, cherry, coffee and a few more that have never come up (like shrimp). My hair responds really well to many of these, but my scalp does NOT. (Note I'm not gluten free, so my recs may not be either).

Today I put the last piece of the puzzle in place, so now I'm sharing what I learned after many frustrating years.

1: your hair might never look how you want. I always wanted my hair to look like my family members, but I'm mixed and I eventually accepted my hair was gonna look how it looked. Letting go of wanting my hair to basically be as curly as possible was a crucial step on my journey (and what do ya know, it ended up curly as hell!)

2: The process is just as important. It takes experimenting to figure out your porosity, your friendly ingredients, your allergen triggers, and your wash schedule. 

3: HAIRCUT MATTERS. Get a dry cut (that's right! NOT WET!). I did my own with a couple pinterest videos and haircut scissors. I did my own wolf cut/curly hair cut, and I'm REALLY happy with it. The layers allow my curls to pop and the addition of front pieces/bangs makes me feel pretty!

Here's the rundown:

On wash days: Shampoo, condition, then while still dripping wet, put leave in moisturizer followed by a sealing product (anti frizz, curl gel, etc). then no touching! less work is better. leave it as wet as you can tolerate and move on. No scrunching, finger coiling, or stressing. let it do its thing. I'm still waiting for a will bonnet in the mail...

my own routine:

I wash every 2–3 days, shampoo only the roots and top and condition all over (yes including scalp!). I let the conditioner sit while I do the rest of the washing. I use Monday repair shampoo and conditioner (from Marshalls lol) because it has moisturizing ingredients that are molecularly small (good for low porosity hair) and not allergenic for me (like shea butter, my beloved). INCI Decoder is an invaluable tool for checking products for potential allergens ("translates" the ingredients list to the common names)

When I'm done, I moisturize it still sopping wet with a homemade moisturizer (I also use it on my face). 

how i make it: pure aloe vera gel, jojoba oil (substitute any oil/fat that works for your skin/hair type, including cooking oils!) and tea tree oil. I shake it up in an oil pill bottle to emulsify until it's an opaque white gel.

After moisturizing today, I smoothed in a small amount of Vanicream hair gel (using the "praying hands method"). Then I let it dry. 

I will add a pic if I can :)

Hey, I'm finally addressing head on how my mixed heritage and racialization have long impacted my self image and esteem, and I want to connect w others experiences.

If you have recs (or personal experience!) related to my background, even better! That's the only reason I'm going to specify details.

Latino:

- Chicano (Los Angeles)

- Mestizo, Mexico (Sonora, Hermosillo)

European:

- Spanish (Galecia)

- Portuguese

- Poland (Ashkenazi Jewish)

- English

- Scottish (Glasgow)

I want to learn more about the history and cultures of these places as well as connect w others from any of all of those backgrounds. My primary culture/identity growing up (in the U.S.) was Chicano/Mexican (and Southern WASP).

I've noticed that mixed people often have the most shame about our identities, never feeling like enough, etc. I want to start having more conversations about it.

Ty!