Insert Hot Flash/Flash Sale Joke Here
November 6, 2022 8:07 PM Subscribe
I know a lot of people who have reached a certain age and regularly endure hot flashes. What kinds of things would be good gifts for them?
This group of people includes my mom, but once I started thinking about it I’ve got at least a dozen family members and friends who have complained about hot flashes and related issues to me and who might appreciate a holiday gift to help feel more comfortable when enduring them. Price range is around maybe fifty to a hundred dollars, though I’m flexible.
I thought of some kind of lightweight robe for my mom that’s extra soft and colorfully pretty but it’s super hard to tell if a garment will actually stay cool and breathable when worn. Are there gadgets and devices that help, like funky ice pack holding vests or cooling socks? I really know nothing about how people cope with hot flashes other than sweating through them, but there’s got to be plenty of products out there. Are any of them worth it?
This group of people includes my mom, but once I started thinking about it I’ve got at least a dozen family members and friends who have complained about hot flashes and related issues to me and who might appreciate a holiday gift to help feel more comfortable when enduring them. Price range is around maybe fifty to a hundred dollars, though I’m flexible.
I thought of some kind of lightweight robe for my mom that’s extra soft and colorfully pretty but it’s super hard to tell if a garment will actually stay cool and breathable when worn. Are there gadgets and devices that help, like funky ice pack holding vests or cooling socks? I really know nothing about how people cope with hot flashes other than sweating through them, but there’s got to be plenty of products out there. Are any of them worth it?
Response by poster: I'm going to take your word for it that these people might appreciate a holiday gift drawing attention to an annoying feature of aging.
Well it would be cool if some of the suggestions could be stealthy about it but yeah, basically. Nobody I’d be gifting stuff to thinks it’s bad to age, just that it sucks to be uncomfortable. Like, it’s nice to give things that people can use to feel comfortable. Also everyone in my family (chosen and genetic) is very straightforward about physical stuff. A holiday conversation is like 60% exclaiming about ailments with the other chunk a mix of bad jokes, talking about the food, and talking about ailments other people not in attendance have. So I think this would not be a concern.
posted by Mizu at 9:38 PM on November 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
Well it would be cool if some of the suggestions could be stealthy about it but yeah, basically. Nobody I’d be gifting stuff to thinks it’s bad to age, just that it sucks to be uncomfortable. Like, it’s nice to give things that people can use to feel comfortable. Also everyone in my family (chosen and genetic) is very straightforward about physical stuff. A holiday conversation is like 60% exclaiming about ailments with the other chunk a mix of bad jokes, talking about the food, and talking about ailments other people not in attendance have. So I think this would not be a concern.
posted by Mizu at 9:38 PM on November 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
Sorry, that was a bit my own feelings about me/some of my own family. I'm glad yours is more cool (so to speak....).
posted by LadyOscar at 10:04 PM on November 6, 2022
posted by LadyOscar at 10:04 PM on November 6, 2022
Speaking of cool….fans are nice, fans for every room of the house, there can’t be too many fans. (Vornados are nice.)
posted by veneer at 10:14 PM on November 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by veneer at 10:14 PM on November 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
You cope with hot flashes by dressing in layers and taking off a layer or two when you get hot. If it's too warm to be wearing more than one layer there's not much you can do other than stand by a fan or turn up the AC in the car but I find I notice hot flashes less when it's already warm. They only last a few minutes, so you wouldn't want to wear any special cooling gear. I don't know if there are products out there that are designed to help with hot flashes but if there are I can't imagine them being worth it. For me, this just isn't an issue that needs a solution more complicated than taking off my sweater.
I also have to say that I can't imagine anything I would hate more than a gift meant to help me with hot flashes. Maybe your relatives really have no problem with aging but they might start feeling differently about that if people around them act like their symptoms of aging are the most important thing going on in their life. Sorry if this comes across as unhelpful and unnecessarily grumpy but as someone who actually experiences hot flashes, I think you might want to focus your gift giving in a different direction.
posted by Redstart at 10:51 PM on November 6, 2022 [5 favorites]
I also have to say that I can't imagine anything I would hate more than a gift meant to help me with hot flashes. Maybe your relatives really have no problem with aging but they might start feeling differently about that if people around them act like their symptoms of aging are the most important thing going on in their life. Sorry if this comes across as unhelpful and unnecessarily grumpy but as someone who actually experiences hot flashes, I think you might want to focus your gift giving in a different direction.
posted by Redstart at 10:51 PM on November 6, 2022 [5 favorites]
You need to get them Embr Waves. Its a wrist device with a cooling plate that tricks your body into thinking it's cooler. It completely cured my mom's severe hot flashes. This is such a popular use for this device that all their advertising now focuses on it as a hot flash remedy.
posted by ananci at 12:36 AM on November 7, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by ananci at 12:36 AM on November 7, 2022 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Soma Cool Nights pajamas are very breathable, are great for hot flashes, and come in a ton of colors and styles.
posted by champers at 5:29 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by champers at 5:29 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
I've heard that clothes & bedsheets made of bamboo can help with hot flashes - it's even better at moisture wicking than cotton, and keeps more of the moisture away from the skin compared with cotton.
posted by terretu at 5:32 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by terretu at 5:32 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
When I started getting them, I got this little desk fan and really enjoy having it. It sits on my desk at work.
posted by PussKillian at 7:00 AM on November 7, 2022
posted by PussKillian at 7:00 AM on November 7, 2022
Best answer: Fans, yes - but hand fans for those times standing in line, on a bus, train, or other public transport. There are so many to choose from, surely some would be giftable?
posted by dbmcd at 7:13 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dbmcd at 7:13 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding sturdy folding hand fans. I've several friends who swear by them.
posted by mumkin at 8:00 AM on November 7, 2022
posted by mumkin at 8:00 AM on November 7, 2022
Best answer: Silk pillowcases! I found that my previously lovely and comfortable cotton pillowcases held and even bounced back heat. Silk remains cool and when you’re hit by a flash it’s wonderful to flip the pillow and it’s like the other side has been in a cooler - delicious! And they are gentle on you hair and skin, come in a huge range of colours, so more of a useful, lovely treat than just a hot flash product.
posted by MissyMonster at 9:31 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by MissyMonster at 9:31 AM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
I swore by my Chillow for several years until it finally began to leak. It looks like cooling pillow technology has advanced considerably in the past few years so there are probably a lot of better choices out there now.
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:16 PM on November 7, 2022
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:16 PM on November 7, 2022
Oh and nthing the hand fans! A cousin gave me an elegant one from Spain and I swear I wore that thing out.
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:17 PM on November 7, 2022
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:17 PM on November 7, 2022
As someone who's just chronically overheated, I agree with fans. Desk fans, pretty hand fans.
When it's miserably hot out, I like Arctic Cool shirts. They have a nice silky texture, and they come in pretty colors. They run a little small around the bust/shoulders, I find, so going a size up might be wise.
Also, buckwheat hot/cold packs are nice. I've mostly gotten mine at local craft fairs. You stick them in the microwave or the freezer, and then put them on the part that needs relief.
The hot option is nice for sore muscles, and the cold option is nice for lowering core body temperature without being all drippy and wet. I have one in the freezer at work. It's easier than sticking my entire head in the freezer.
posted by SaharaRose at 2:38 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
When it's miserably hot out, I like Arctic Cool shirts. They have a nice silky texture, and they come in pretty colors. They run a little small around the bust/shoulders, I find, so going a size up might be wise.
Also, buckwheat hot/cold packs are nice. I've mostly gotten mine at local craft fairs. You stick them in the microwave or the freezer, and then put them on the part that needs relief.
The hot option is nice for sore muscles, and the cold option is nice for lowering core body temperature without being all drippy and wet. I have one in the freezer at work. It's easier than sticking my entire head in the freezer.
posted by SaharaRose at 2:38 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
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What I like as a lightweight robe is a 100% cotton yukata. It's airy, it's pretty to look at (I prefer a more classic indigo/white design, but there are many choices), it's washable, and even in my hot, humid climate waking up in a hot, humid state, it does a nice job of keeping me from sticking to things when I can't sleep and wander out to the living room.
posted by LadyOscar at 9:05 PM on November 6, 2022