Dragon

I once saw a program about cupping, the practitioner used fist sized round glass jars. He would hold the jar with the opening down right over the spot on the persons back then would light a match and hold it inside the jar for a few moments. He then pulled the match out and quickly placed the jar down on the skin. So he wasn't heating the jar as much as the air in the jar, then as it cooled it contracted and caused suction to the skin.

solosater

That's right, I can see that clearly in my head now you mention it. I've never had it done just seen it, I believe you are correct though the air is heated or at least the inside of the cup. One way or another there is a vacuum created that pulls the tissue up into the cup.

My memory seems to work more with what I think or guess about a thing or situation than what is actually happening. I also cannot learn from watching, I have to do something then I have that skill. I wonder if my memory "glitch" and my learning style are connected?

marius

Wow - love the info about cupping. Thanks everyone.

Solo, I too cannot learn by watching. Must "do" to learn. Also can not learn by listening. Must DO something to get it to stick in the head - take notes (write), recite aloud, read, that kind of thing.

What is your memory "glitch" and how would it be connected with learning style?

marius

And, now time for another peculiarity. Will call it the "visual creepies."

Just as some foods create a physical reaction if merely thought of, there are some visuals that do the same thing to me. Would have thought I'd already know this, but didn't *really* tune in to it until the recent rash of Mr. T pics showed up! That about did me in! I can live with one or two Mr T's .... but, yikes to more! (And, if Baldur reads this ... trust he understands my pecularities are no reflection on his choice of superheroes!)

There are other visuals besides Mr. T that just kind of make my skin go wonky and almost give a nauseous feeling. With Mr. T., the problem is the hair. Seeing that hair, or thinking about it, produces an almost shudder in the body. It's the same with goatees! It doesn't matter how great a guy might look in a goatee, I can barely stand to look at or talk with men who wear goatees! The problem is that the whole time I'm talking with goatee-wearing men, I'm seeing myself with a razor shaving off the goatee and feeling very satisfied when done.

Three other visuals that are disturbing are: ballcaps worn backwards, pants worn with the crotch at the knees and that odd beard-braid Johnny Depp wore as a pirate! Could barely watch those Pirate movies because the urge to cut off that distracting chin decor was so strong. Seriously ... and go ahead and laugh. I'm crying right now! When I see those baggy pants I have to fight myself to not run up, grab the pants and pull them all the way down.

However ... some visuals work the opposite. For years I have loved seeing dread locks. I want to look and look and look. I also want to touch. So one day when spouse and I were at a festival a young man walked by with the most beautiful dread locks. It was almost as if I could not stop myself ... caught up with the guy, said I loved his hair and wanted to touch it. Spouse said to the guy, "Yeah, I'm trying to pretend I don't know her too," but the fellow was very nice and his locks were fun to touch. They reminded me of horse tail hairs, all woven together in a pretty pattern. They were springy. I also learned about how to care for dread locks, that I could grow them but mine would not look as nice nor feel springy.

Oddly enough, I can tie none of these "visual creepies" (or visual attractions) in with the crazy upbringing. No men in my family have ever had Mr. T. hair, goatees, beard-braids, much less baggy pants. My brother with paranoid schizophrenia seems to have the visual creepies too. He does not like "pictures with single animals." If you give him a nice framed picture you bought of a moose when you were in New Hampshire, he will give it back saying, "If there were two or three moose I'd take it, but I don't like just one animal in a picture."

Perhaps these visual things are genetic or maybe in a past life???? I don't know. But I can thank matthew for his challenge to draw Mr T's because if not for that, when would I have taken note of the visual creepies? And ... thinking about this, it seems there are many more than those mentioned!

Anyone else have visual creepies? What kind and what physical reactions?
This is making me shiver - truly!

Login

Spiders! To me, they are so ugly that I shudder ... and they know ... they just keep staring at me. I've just had a thought ... what if they're staring at me because I'm so ugly!?

maddyjean08

I think spiders stare because they're either afraid, or interested in this alien staring back at them.

solosater

marius, I called it a glitch but I really don't know enough about how the memory work to know if it is normal or not.

I remembered that the cups were heated but not how, the cups may in fact not be heated, it may just be the air in the cups. So I wonder if I assumed it was the cups that required heating and so remembered it that way until Dragon mentioned the match lit under the cups right before placing them on the skin. I know I remembered it wrong because I couldn't remember how they were heated until she mentioned it but in my mind I knew they were heated.

Did that make even a little bit of sense?

I have a weird visual that I see every time I cut a man's hair. When I take the guard off of my straight razor to shave the back of his neck and sideburns, I see my hand using the razor to cut a guideline in the skin of his neck. I've never done it but it is almost overwhelming, the need to do it, like it is simply the next step in the process.

I used to compete in mens haircutting, I'm quite good at it and rarely even nick a neck or ear. This has been with me from day one. It is quite visceral, my mouth waters and I see blood for just a moment. I get over it.

Can't imagine where it came from, never witnessed anyone doing it, never read it. I just see it clearly.

I also see something else that has never happened to me, I see my own rape. I feel the fear and the desperation, the sick. I see this almost like a flashback. It comes very quickly and is gone again like it never was and in fact it wasn't. I believe I first dreamed it and actually have a sort of PTSD related to the dream. I imagine most women fear rape like death. I've never worried overmuch about it, I certainly hope I never have to go through it. I find it really strange though that it is something fully in my mind but that I get dizzy and my chest seizes up for a minute, I get short of breath and see spots.

These are different than what you are talking about though as I am reacting to something not seen but imagined.

maddyjean08

I didn't read any of that.

solosater

That's probably for the best...

I cannot think of you as a child maddy and I'm sorry for that, I was often treated like an adult when I was very young and I know that while it can at times be a good thing it is not nice to be expected to act that way all the time.

Please forgive me for forgetting your tender ears.

How's your stomach doing? Feeling better?

marius

Solo - your explanation of the glitch made perfect sense. Thanks.

That is a wild (and possibly scary) visual about what happens when you are cutting a man's hair. (Maybe in a past life you were a pathologist?) As for seeing the blood when you are cutting hair ... there was a story I read about a woman who, poor thing, was hit on the head by a hammer that fell from a scaffold. After that she smelled blood all the time. The doctors sent her to psychiatrists. After several years she finally ended up with a neurologist who explained that smelling blood is VERY common with some brain injuries. Not thinking you've been hit in the head ... but life is so mysterious and amazing, there might be a perfectly rational explanation for that visual ... you just don't know what it is yet.

As for your possible dream that has caused flashbacks in a PTSD sort of way - I've actually heard of this. You wrote: "I find it really strange though that it is something fully in my mind but that I get dizzy and my chest seizes up for a minute, I get short of breath and see spots." That does not seem strange to me. Maybe I missed your point? Guess I'm thinking of movies ... sometimes I'll cry, laugh, whatever and my body responds to what I'm seeing in the movie as if it is real, even though none of it is. This is one reason I cannot watch any movie that is too graphic. In fact, I rarely watch news anymore for exactly that reason.

What I want to know about now is cutting men's hair and competitions. Have never heard of such a thing. And, why not women's hair? How did you get into this, how long did you do it, what kind of awards? This is a whole new thing to me. : )

solosater

marius, I'm currently smelling blood all the time! Allergic Rhinitis. Ain't life grand?!

I competed in school, cosmetology, way back when...

We received certificates and such, sometimes $$ though not much, and there is a vague memory of a "Hair Show" competition though I cannot seem to bring it forward.

I like the challenge of the precision cuts required in men's haircutting. I like the tools - the razor, the clippers, it is all so orderly. I also find that men are easier to work with.

I find that women are not often able to communicate their desires to me and I find that when I've done precisely what a woman has asked me to do to her hair she is not happy, she either explained it wrong or she just didn't know what she was really after (I'm sure I could have misunderstood too but I am very careful to make sure we are on the same page before I begin).

Men will most often leave it up to you. The will say, "I like it short." or "I like a little length." I cut it to their specs and it is exactly what they wanted. They are happy. I am happy.

I am a woman. I know that women are great communicators in general but for the most part when it comes to their hair women are clueless.

I too refuse to watch the "News" but it isn't the graphic nature I have trouble with, it is the hype. A couple of my girlfriends are like you and cannot handle the graphic violence or even the speed and noise of movies these days. I enjoy graphic action films and scifi always has some gore, that really doesn't bother me much. I read quite graphic novels and am very interested in true crime stories which can be very violent. I don't ever have the reaction to these as I do to those flashes.

My "flashbacks" to this dream are less graphic and more almost physical. I mean that I feel it more than see it. I'm not sure I ever saw it in fact, I just know it and feel it, I taste it, I smell it.

I do see the razor and my bloody hands. The funny thing about the whole razoring thing is that it is a mistake. In my "vision" I see myself doing it and then quickly trying to fix it, "Oops!" "What was I thinking?" "I'll fix this!" I imagine it is just an anxious reaction to something. I've told my guys about it and they now joke with me when I pull out my razor. I've seen, less frequently, me cutting an ear off or slicing into an eyeball. I sometimes have to step back a minute but it is somehow funny when I see these things.

The other is not.

Perhaps I have been hit in the head;-)

marius

Solo, Ohh - sorry about the blood smelling. That does not sound fun. Is there anything you can use to overcome it? Burn incense, take meds? ??

That is so interesting about your hair cutting experience. I cut hair on my four younger brothers with good success for years. Now cut spouse's hair and he likes it. That is funny what you wrote about women. Knew a hairdresser that said women will come in with photos of some hollywood star wanting that same look. Problem is, the customer has extremely thin and limp hair whereas the hollywood star has tons of hair volume and body. Apparently customers have a hard time understanding that you can only work with the hair they have! : )

As for the news, the hype gets to me too. They report something as if it is THE most important thing in your life and you will die if you don't stay around 20 more minutes to hear it. Yeah, well ... I'm still alive.

Am glad you can laugh about the visuals with the razor and your guys can laugh too. Have heard of stuff like this and think I would find it most unnerving. Earlier in this thread I told about my house cat nightmares. Well, we have two cats and every now and then when I'm petting them I get the feeling, or the thought, of how much damage they can do. It's a kind of flashback from those dreams I think. When it happens I just keep petting the cats and say, "Yeah, I know you have claws and I know what they can do. You have nothing but my respect." That seems to help.

As for you odd dream/flashback thing ... got no clue about that. I'll just send prayers and peaceful thoughts. Believe in both.

Dreams are calling ... it's been fun to talk and btw, you are funny with your "perhaps I have been hit in the head." : )

solosater

I don't worry about it much, I mostly find it interesting as it is not real.

The bloody smell should go away in a few weeks after the weather settles.

Have a good night and pleasant dreams.

Dragon

I do find it hard to communicate what I want in a hairstyle. I hate it when a stylist says 'do you want to look at some magazines?' because I always feel like there's a lot of do's out there that look great on models and starlets that just won't look good on me. I go long periods of time between hair cuts and I try to know exactly what I want and how to ask for it before going in.

Robindcr8l

I just walk in and tell my stylist to do whatever she feels like doing. I figure it's only hair, it'll grow back if it's ugly! I sometimes look at styles in a magazine, but tell her I only want them if it will give me the model's body, too!

solosater

I should say that some women are very good at knowing what they want and explaining it, it's the unreal expectations that some women seem to have that make me crazy along with the certainty that what they want is achievable.

The sad fact is that while a skilled stylist can cut hair that will easily do what it is supposed to do the hair itself is a major factor as is the skill of the person styling it at home. I can make anyone look like a million bucks at the salon, that is no great skill. Giving them a haircut they can care for at home and look like a million bucks themselves is.

If I have a client who has course, stick straight hair who wants a short, wavy shag I can do that. It is my job however to let her know that her hair is going to require a lot of work every day to get the look she desire. It isn't the cut it's the hair. Sure we can perm it but that is an iffy proposition, her hair will need constant upkeep and more chemicals every month just to maintain the look. If she hates the chemicals she has to grow it out and cut it off. We could instead give her a good cut that she will then have to curl (not easy on this type of hair) and whatnot every day. If she fully understands that and feels she can do the work, I'm happy to do the cut. I'd be happier if she would let me cut her hair in a more manageable style she wouldn't have to work so hard for. Mind, on hair that is naturally wavy this is a most flattering style that most women can wear for years.

I personally only do my hair once or twice a year. I mean once or twice a year I'll pull out my curling iron and hair spray and blow it out and really DO it. Every other day of the year I wash it, comb it, and I'm done. I like to give haircuts that make a person look good that are flattering and that are manageable for that person.

If you have found a skilled stylist, give them some ground rules and let them give you a style fit for you and your hair and your life.

I say again, "IF you have found a SKILLED stylist..."

Don't assume that a licensed stylist has skill, the license is basically an indication that they won't infect you with lice or slice your neck.

When I say ground rules I mean length (Do you need to be able to get it all up in a pony tail? Do you like to have a little fringe around the neckline?), bangs or no bangs, chemicals or not and how much time you are willing to spend every day to get it to look good enough to walk out the front door.

If you are concerned about length, ask to see their comb, there is likely a ruler of sorts, most combs are six inch styling combs, make sure that your idea of half an inch is the same idea they have for a half an inch.

It is your hair and you have a right to get a good haircut without stress, if your stylist is unwilling to follow your rules, find a new stylist. On the other hand if your stylist says a particular style isn't a good choice for your hair, listen to them.

Also, I'm a great hair cutter; I cannot color hair to save my life. No amount of theory will make up for talent. If your stylist is great at cutting your hair but you don't like your color, make an appointment with a colorist. This goes for perms too (btw,I'm great at perms but I really don't like them). If your stylist gets upset, find a new stylist. It's YOUR hair and your money.

Dragon

So true about finding a stylist you like and trust. I know a woman who flies to Toronto to have her hair done because that's where her stylist is. (Of course I always think her hair looks awful but appearantly that's the look she's going for and can only get by spending hundreds of dollars to fly across the country)

solosater

Sometimes it's therapeutic. People share things with their stylist they wouldn't share with a doctor. I was forever telling my clients to see a doctor for things they would tell me about. Having a stylist in another city may be a safety net for her, or perhaps you are right and she is getting exactly what she wants.

There is no accounting for taste.

solosater

So I was talking to a friend who's hair I cut the other night and relaying part of our thread to him and got on the cupping topic and my apparent memory glitch. I explained how I'd remembered the heating of the cups when in fact there was a match lit under the cup for just a second.

He says "Hum, to eat up all the oxygen?"

I'm betting that is exactly it! If you eat up the oxygen you create a vacuum.

How did we miss that? I need to do some research but I think that's it.

solosater

On a completely different note...

If ever I have so much money I can afford such I will have my bras custom made! Likely most of my wardrobe as well, I'm nearly six foot tall and have a shape that is not what the clothing industry makes product for. Oh but the bras! You know, they just don't make bras for large breasted women. Even if you can find the size, the support isn't there. If you happen to find one that actually does support you it is likely like wearing a straight jacket.

Bras, bathing suits, gloves, slacks, oh yeah, the whole wardrobe.

I deal with wealthy clients quite often and I see what they spend their money on. I've never understood the Louis Vuitton, the Cadillac, the $500 cell phone that works just like mine, etc etc.

If I had that kind of money to spend yeah, I'd have a housekeeper but more importantly I'd have a masseuse! I don't mean a live in but a twice weekly full body going over.

I'd drive a good car, but I don't like the Escalade now so I imagine I wouldn't just because I could afford one. No, I'd look around of course but I'd likely end up with a Prius, perhaps a BMW or even a Lexus but really, I love my Scion. LOVE IT!

I'd perhaps have a nanny, if I had kids, but she/he'd have to speak Spanish and English and perhaps French and do more than "watch the kids". I can care for my own kids and if I need a sitter then I'll call a sitter but if I'm going to have a person there most of the time I'd want my kids to benefit by learning a second language before starting school, perhaps learn about different cultures and have a real head start in life. Private school? Montessori for sure but I don't like the "values" of the private schools I've seen, I wouldn't want my kids in that atmosphere.

I cannot watch the HD TVs now so I'd likely have to spend some serious cash on a "vintage" TV. (I'm rather worried about that now as my old RCA is getting a green spot in the corner, Where will I find a TV I can watch?) Some of my clients have the Home theater systems with the projector and the drop down screen (I can watch that for some reason), but the remote is so complicated and it doesn't do all the things the separate remotes do, adjusting the volume is not a problem but anything more than that gets a little iffy. Even if I had the money I would not want a system I could not figure out. Why own something you have to have someone come in and program when you could have something that works every bit as well that you can work all by your self?

I would have a gardener not a landscaper.

I would own all the tools to clean my pool even though someone would come every week to do it.

I shake my head in disbelief sometimes at the utter nonsense I see in these people's lives. I like these people too, but I think they are more than a little nuts and I think, "Does having money make you dumb?" Sometimes I think it does.

Definitely the Bras.

What would you do differently, could you afford to?