Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
OK, your hair and skin problems are easily solved. Get a Brazilian blow out and conditioning treatment at your salon every 10-12 weeks and moisturizing facials as recommended by the esthetician after she treats you. I have very long hair; I blow dry it daily, often hot roll it or flat iron it, and I don't have a dry or split and, or single fly away. I get it cut like clock work every 6 weeks and get a keratin treatment every 8, and a Brazilian blowout every 12. I see my esthetician for a facial every 8 weeks. I use La Mer and a clarisonic cleansing system, but there are other good brands of moisturizers. SPF 30 at all times, and a fabulous hat , goes without saying. Hands are easy; just slather them with moisturizer and wear white cotton gloves to bed every night. Regular manicures, of course. You will be fine.
Driving, well there I can't help you. You will get used to it. Just keep your eyes peeled and you will be OK. And hey, it's better than Florida, lol.
Altitude sickness goes away gradually in about 6 months.
Nasal steroids, netipots and antihistamines are your friends! Get all of the above.
Glad you enjoyed the beauty of ABQ! It is a special place.
I've managed to stay wrinkle free into my fifties in NYC and intend to keep it that way here in ABQ. I'm a guy, but that premature, grizzled, Marlboro Man look is not my cup of tea. I am often out in the sun three or four hours at a time, wandering around with a camera. What I do is use olive oil. I make sure I have at least a couple of teaspoons in my food every day, and use it to moisturize my hair and skin. In Bible times, that is what they used in the harsh desert. A sign of hospitality back then was to grease a visitors feet, face and hair with a bit of olive oil. Seemed to work for them, so I follow a similar regimen. I use it in the shower and add it to my hair before shampoo. I add a few drops of Peppermint oil (not peppermint extract, which is mostly alcohol) to a small bottle of extra virgin olive oil to add a more pleasant scent to it. I find that moisturizing at night adds to the effectiveness during the day.
I also wear hats with a brim wide enough to keep the sun out, and long sleeved shirts (always 100% cotton) to reduce the likelihood of burn. Panama hats during the summer, fedoras in the winter. And, I drink lots of fluids. So if you see a guy wandering around ABQ with a Panama hat, khakis, crisp white shirt (long sleeved), camera, and wrinkle free skin, its probably me.
I also have sinus problems, but they manifest themselves most often when I am indoors. So I get out and walk and I'm fine. Exercise is the best cure for me. Also, I use distilled water in a neti pot occasionally to irrigate my sinuses when it becomes too bad. I also add a couple of drops of peppermint oil to my handkerchief. The menthol in peppermint does a great job of clearing my sinuses. Smells good too.
It may take a couple of months or more to adjust to the altitude. Again, I found that lots of walking made the transition much easier. Make sure that you are drinking enough fluids. Sugar laden drinks will make you feel worse. Stick to pure water for best results. I also find that eating smaller meals leaves me more energy when I am out in the sun.
ABQ is special. But you have only seen a glimpse of what is here. You have verdant meadows and thick green forests in the Jemez mountains along with high desert red rock. The other side of the Sandia mountains also tends to get more rain and is lush as well. So its not all dry and brown. I love the variety of landscapes here.
I was just in the ABQ area (Oct 20-27). I stayed out in the Cedar Crest the first couple of days and then out to Jemez Pueblo/Valley/Springs for the rest of my stay. I didn't notice a problem with my hair, but yes, my skin really dried out despite lots of moisturizer. Oddly the worst was on my lower legs--very dry and itchy. I think I will have to invest in buckets of Argon oil if/when I move here. I also had the nasal stuff, but I remember on one of my last trips someone recommended a salin rinse to take care of that. I kept meaning to pop in somewhere and buy some but there was always another hike I wanted to do!
On the whole, dry skin/eyes etc would be a very small price to pay for big, beautiful blue skies, summer like weather (compared to WI) well into October and really friendly people. I had a great time on my trip. If I could just decide WHERE I want to live. . .
Oh, and yeah, no offense to anyone, but I DO think that NM driver's are some of the worst I've ever seen. Who thinks its OK to drive 45 miles an hour on the freeway????????????
Oh, and yeah, no offense to anyone, but I DO think that NM driver's are some of the worst I've ever seen. Who thinks its OK to drive 45 miles an hour on the freeway????????????
No offense taken... I use to drive a contract tow truck for the Florida Highway Patrol in the 70's. I saw more body parts than, never mind, I won't go on with my three reasons why I drive the speed limit, or why you have to leave my vehicle if you don't buckle up. (My mother was excluded, because I buckled her in.)
Yes, I believe New Mexico has a vehicle crash problem, I try very hard to protect my family from it...
I just found it odd how variable the speed was on the freeway. You had people driving 15 miles an hour UNDER the speed limit and then on the other side of the spectrum, people going 15 miles over. Very hard to do the "just stay in the flow of traffic" maneuver when the speeds are SO VARIABLE. I was also constantly looking for posted speed limits as you couldn't tell at all from the traffic around you what the speed limit might possibly be!
Regarding your sinus issue: I naively thought coming from NYC that dry air here would be better for allergies and sinus clogging, but to my consternation the dry air can be trying. Allergies are not uncommon (for me in the summer) and right now with the bone dry air, my sinuses are perpetually clogged and need irrigating. At least there are remedies!
Sun is good for you as long as you don't overdo it. More people around the world get sick and die from too little sun exposure than too much. Just don't burn. Build up to it gradually. Skin cancers apparently have more to do with genetics and sunburns suffered during childhood which you can't do anything about. Sun exposure in adulthood does not seem to correlate with cancers.
If I get more wrinkles by the time I'm 60 than someone from Seattle, so be it. I'll probably be healthier and happier for it.
Hey I forgot to come back here to the thread I started!
Been to Cookeville TN and Chattanooga TN and Pensacola FL. Nowhere is as good as the ABQ!
Husband says he will look to transfer so we can be there as early as spring.
I am happy and content now that I DID see the other places and am making an informed decision.
I've been practicing here at home for the best moisturizing, I tried natural and drugstore stuff. And the ONE thing that works best for me is Cerave moisturizing cream. So I hope that translates well. I've also decided before moving I am getting a Pixie cut, like what Winona Ryder used to wear. And that will be some transformation as I have below shoulder hair! I'm getting enough silver in my temples I think I'm gonna look cool. Or I'm gonna cry an awful lot for a week lol.
Anywho, I thank eveyone for their ready advice! Especially about the beauty skin/hair!
I have an idea myself. I really hate sunscreen. And I see how in ABQ there is needed protection. So I'm gonna make me the Driver Sleeve. A sleeve with gathered elastic at both ends that I can wear on my left arm when driving that I keep in the car. Clever huh?
I continue to be amazed at how much moisture my skin needs out here, especially since I had oily skin back in FL for so many years. I've spent a small fortune on moisturizers: face, body, hands, lips, you name it. Easier to deal with than oily skin anyway, so I welcome the change.
Nose issues? Yep. Either really dry or really runny as you said. The climate in FL however, caused never-ending battles with sinusitis, something I do not encounter out here. Again, I welcome the change.
Hair issues? Yep, and that's the one thing I can't seem to fix. My baby fine, wavy hair thrived in heat and humidity, but out here it just falls flat, limp and very dry. I've been trying various hair masks and leaving them in overnight, which helps a little.
Spent a great deal of time in Santa Fe, and never experienced even a hint of altitude sickness, but my husband and I are always very careful to drink lots of water. Along with lip balm and sunscreen, it is a must-have whenever we leave the house.
Love everything about living here. The positives far outweigh any negatives, from my point of view.
Hey I forgot to come back here to the thread I started!
Thanks for coming back!
Skin lotion, it various for us (I'm a male), I like the Walmart oatmeal lotion or the Gold Bond products.
I don't use bar soap to shower, got accustomed to the liquid soaps when we lived in Europe over 20 years ago. There are a few which have the buzzwords "Hydrating" which seem pleasant.
Get a snazzy cheap driving jacket, like a wind breaker etc...
Rich
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
, goes without saying. Hands are easy; just slather them with moisturizer and wear white cotton gloves to bed every night. Regular manicures, of course. You will be fine.
