My name is Mischel and I am HAIRSTRONG!
I pride myself on being Strong and being a Giver!
I am a 3-time Open Heart Surgery Survivor who nearly died in 2011. I have faced many obstacles in my life that have made me strong. I am a very spiritual person and my faith is very important to me. My promise to God in 2011 was, that if He spared my life, I would pay it forward. After I recovered from my third heart surgery, I became a Health & Wellness Advocate, Speaker, and Volunteer in my local community. I am a licensed Cosmetologist and a woman who is not only a survivor but also faced chronic illness. I know the challenges that it brings.
I remember very well the days I struggled. Nothing hit me harder than when I suffered hair loss after heart surgery. It literally brought me to my knees. I will never forget standing in the mirror, looking at my brush full of hair, weeping. My heart was fixed, and I was finally better, but my outside didn’t reflect that at all.
So I kicked it up a notch with my diet and did some research. What I found was, not all product ingredients are good for you. They may be marketed that way… but sadly that is not always the case. I discovered some amazing products and started trying them. I love science-backed products that actually do what they promise! Products that give me great results are keepers. They are must-haves and must-shares!
To find my keepers, I started by googling and researching award-winning, eco-friendly and non-toxic products. As a person who has faced Chronic Illness, I wanted products that were free of Parabens, Sulfates and Petroleum. As an animal lover, it was also important that the formulas not be tested on animals. I always look for ingredients coming from nature, like avocado, coconut, and aloe. I strongly believe that ingredients from nature have a positive healing effect on the mind, body and spirit.
Over time I began to see that my outside finally matched my inside. I felt pretty! People began telling me how much better I looked. This inspired me to want to help others achieve that too. If you look better, you feel better! I noticed on days of struggle, if I got up and penciled in my brows and added some lip gloss, I actually felt better.
As I slowly began to recover and regain my strength, I noticed that I felt so much better on the days I sat at my vanity and did my hair and makeup. Even on the tough days, just a little brow, some lip gloss and a cute ponytail made a world of difference. Getting ready was a big part of my daily routine when I was well and I wanted so much to be well again. So doing this helped a lot! There was an incredibly positive shift in how I viewed my circumstances on the days that I applied makeup and did my hair. It was great medicine, and it gave me a boost!
It was so powerful that I wanted to give that feeling to others. So now, I tell anyone facing illness to get up and do something special for yourself today! Put on your favorite shirt, listen to your favorite music, dance in your pajamas. If you can't do it all, pick at least one thing and do that. Do whatever it takes to feel like you again. Positive actions and thoughts will take you far.
I then decided to kick it up another notch, and share my favorite products with other people like me, who struggle with illness. I made the decision to offer beauty services to people with illness… free of charge.
I have had the honor to help some really HAIRSTRONG people who have Chronic Illness. I have shaved the heads of amazing women with breast cancer. I once went to the bedside of a woman, by the request of her family, right before she had brain surgery, to assist her. I have given free haircuts to a friend’s son who has had nonverbal Autism since he was 9 months old because going to a salon would be overwhelming for him. He will be 13 in June. I am always sharing all my keeper products with these amazing people whenever I can. There is healing when we love each other through the bumps in life.
I have learned that connecting with others who have also faced illness, strengthens us. It is comforting to know that someone has walked in your shoes. There is an unspoken type of healing that takes place when we meet. Sometimes, no words have to be spoken... it is just understood. A simple gesture, a smile, a wave, a door held open, lending a helping hand. LOVE one another!
If you take away anything from my story, let it be this…when you bless others, it blesses you! When you give, you get! I get so much more than I give. It is truly the best feeling on earth.
Thank you, AQUIS, for being one of my KEEPERS, and for helping me in keeping my promise to GOD. I am so excited and happy to share my story. I hope it will inspire others to be HAIRSTRONG and HEARTSMART, and to spread kindness.
We are HAIRSTRONG TOGETHER!
Love & Light,
Mischel xox
