An illuminated nighttime bike ride on Friday, and possibly a record-breaking cha cha slide dance event on Saturday, is what Melanin in Motion has planned for the community this weekend.

“When we started doing this experience called a ‘Glow Roll,’ we just found that adults have an amazing time, it’s more fun to dress your bike up and ride at sunset,” says event organizer Anthony Taylor.

The free “Glow Roll” event starts at 6 p.m. Friday with a bike ride around Midtown Greenway and ends with a community meal and music by KMOJ’s Q Bear.

Saturday’s sickle cell awareness event, “Ride Roll Rumba Rahda for Sickle Cell,” begins with the riders’ choice of a 40-mile bike ride at 8 a.m. or a conversationally paced ride at 9 a.m.

Zumba, yoga, dancing and a community meal are some of the other planned activities for the day, which ends at 12:30 p.m.

“We wanted to do a variety of things so that families and young people living with sickle cell that have a limited capacity can participate as well, and also set a progression and a goal to normalize movement in those communities,” Taylor said. “That idea of not dying from sickle cell, but living with sickle cell.”

Melanin in Motion focuses on connecting the BIPOC community to the outdoors, movement and well-being. Components of the “Slow Roll” bike rides include encouraging people to learn a new name, share a meal and take breaks during rides for educational talks led by Taylor.

“What slow roll does is place people in the geography that they live in already but because they’re on a bike they really have an experience of the changing neighborhoods,” Taylor said.

Looking ahead, Taylor said he is excited about the upcoming ride partnered with the Minneapolis Institute of Art, “The Housing is a Human Right edition” on Thursday Aug. 1, which highlights housing disparities and how they affect Minnesotans.

For more information and to sign up for events visit eventbrite.com/o/the-cultural-wellness-centermelanin-in-motion-32101604185.

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Are young people losing their hair earlier than past generations?

New research shows anxiety and poor diet may be a factor in the early onset of hair loss in millennials and 20-somethings.

At the same time, men and women older than 50 are experiencing hair loss and hair thinning, either due to genetics, hormone changes or the aging process.

Together, these have triggered a skyrocketing demand for therapies and drugs to prevent and treat hair loss. So far, the FDA has approved only topical minoxidil and finasteride as pharmacological treatments. No other drug has been FDA-approved for the most common form of hair loss in almost 30 years. But that soon may change.

A least a half dozen medications and cell-based therapies are advancing in clinical trials, and Florida dermatologists see hope on the horizon.

“It’s an exciting time,” said Dr. Joshua Berlin, a Boynton Beach dermatologist who treats patients for hair loss. “We are seeing a resurgence of companies looking at solutions for this condition. Although it’s nothing life-threatening, it affects a significant part of the population, and it’s upsetting for them.”

Berlin said the increased advertising for hair loss products has created more awareness — and interest in solutions. “I am definitely seeing more people coming to my office specifically for hair loss.”

Dr. Brett King, an associate professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, specializes in hair loss. He is jazzed about the advancements and attention on the most common form of hair loss called androgenetic alopecia, also known as female and male pattern hair loss. He recently discovered something for his patients that is working.

King is getting great results by prescribing oral minoxidil, a well-known hair-loss treatment drug typically applied to the scalp. Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Rogaine, a lotion or foam that is rubbed on the scalp, and is now generic. It has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for oral use for hair loss. However, a rising number of hair-loss dermatologists recently have been giving the low-dose pills to patients, and like King, they report success.

“Oral minoxidil is so much better for many reasons,” he said. “Topical only works where you put it, while oral treats all the parts of your scalp.”

Two new medications approved in the last year and a half also show results in people who have alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss. Alopecia areata is the second most common type of hair loss. The medications allow users to regrow their hair again.

“Now hair loss is something that when someone walks into a dermatology office, the doctor doesn’t just throw up their hands and say ‘I don’t know, go get Rogaine,’” King said. “Now we have new treatments for the two most common forms of hair loss.”

Those advancements are just the start, he believes.

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Some drugs in clinical trials show promise for the early stages of hair loss and hair shedding, while others exhibit the potential to stimulate existing hair folicles and create new hair growth. In addition, progress also is coming unintentionally in some cases as medications intended for other health conditions are repurposed as hair growth stimulators. Another field of research and development is cell-based therapies that stimulate hair growth by injecting stem cells into the scalp.

“I think in the next decade we will see the new development of medicines that truly grow hair … medicines that do not just do a reasonably good job, but doing a great job of treating severe hair loss at younger and younger ages,” King said.

Biotech researchers believe that people with hair loss will turn to convenient, direct-to-consumer, treatments — pills, lotions, injections — they can use in their homes.

Of course, hair transplants remain popular, too.

Berlin says the best way to know the right choice is to see a dermatologist. They can examine your scalp and order blood work to check for possible underlying causes.

If a nutrient deficiency is an issue, taking specific supplements may remedy the situation. Berlin is a fan of a biotin as well as a nutritional supplement called Nutrafol — a blend of vitamins, minerals, and botanical ingredients. One study found Nutrafol decreases hair shedding in women before during and after menopause. “They work to some degree, no question,” he said.

“Hair loss is a condition where we have had nothing new for many years and all of a sudden there are breakthroughs,” he said. “The goal is more novel threatments, and I know many people would like see that.”

Sourh Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet

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The term “self-care” might conjure images of relaxing bubble baths or massages. But true self-care encompasses your finances, too.

“Self-care is about taking care of yourself so you can look better, feel better and be prepared for the future,” says Stacy Miller, a certified financial planner and founder of BayView Financial Planning in Tampa, Florida. “Financial self-care is an aspect of that. You’re giving your bank accounts a facial.”

Money experts say financial self-care starts with looking at your current money practices, then continues toward developing a solid plan for the future. And just like a skincare routine, everyone’s approach looks a little different.

Reflect on your past

Taking time to consider your “money story,” or how you grew up thinking about money, can be a good place to start, says Lindsey Konchar, a financial therapist in Minnesota. “Were your parents open about it? Were you taught anything about money?” she suggests asking yourself.

From there, you can try to shift the way you talk to yourself about money, such as by moving from an attitude of “I am bad with money” to “I am learning about money and am excited to be on this new financial self-care journey,” Konchar adds.

Mykail James, a financial educator in Washington, D.C., known to her social media followers as “the Boujie Budgeter,” says cultivating a sense of gratitude can also be beneficial. “Affirmations can help overcome negative thought patterns,” she says. She suggests ones such as, “I deserve the money I receive for work” or “I am worthy of being financially secure.”

(Kimberly Palmer shares how she practices financial self-care.)

Let your goals inform your habits

James likes to pick a few specific goals to focus on at any one time and then brainstorm about how to achieve them. For example, she likes to scroll through million-dollar home listings posted online and then calculate how much she would need to earn to be able to afford one. “That kind of thought experiment helps me formulate my goals,” she says.

Taking tangible steps toward your goals helps reduce stress and worry, says Robert Stromberg, a CFP and founder of Mountain River Financial in Abington, Pennsylvania. Since goals vary so much by person, those steps also differ, but they often start with a close review of your overall financial picture, including current spending and saving behavior.

Track spending

Budgeting apps can assist with that kind of financial review, says Maggie Klokkenga, a CFP and financial planner at Abundo Wealth in Morton, Illinois. “The first step is to just track your expenses. It’s like stepping on the scale. No one wants to look at it, but then you can become aware of your numbers,” she says.

Getting “financially naked” in that way can inspire some shifts in your spending to better align with your goals, she adds. Using apps that automatically sort your spending into different categories and flag subscriptions or unusually high amounts can also help.

“When people are aware of their numbers and start to take action with intention, they feel more in control,” Klokkenga says.

Ramp up savings

Stromberg notes that “the vast majority of clients I work with are under-saving.” He suggests prioritizing an emergency fund, which ideally holds three to six months’ worth of expenses, as well as saving for any known large expenses, such as a new car.

Being aggressive about savings “gives people a tremendous amount of comfort,” he says, because you know you are prepared for different scenarios. Keeping the money in a high-yield savings account insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. allows it to continue to grow until you need it.

Save what you can, even if it’s less than the recommended amount, James recommends. “Saving a little money is better than no money, so start wherever you are, and you can always grow it over time,” she says.

Automating your savings so a certain amount is transferred from your checking account or paycheck into your high-yield savings account each month can reduce stress, Konchar says. Anything you can do to reduce the mental load of managing your money allows you to spend that mental energy on other things, she says.

Take advantage of employee benefits

Contributing money to an employer-sponsored retirement plan like a 401(k); funding tax-advantaged flexible spending accounts for health care and child care expenses; and signing up for any other employee benefits like disability and life insurance can also contribute to your overall financial self-care, says Kevin Keller, CEO at CFP Board, a financial planner association.

“Consumers can enjoy life today and feel more comfortable, knowing they are on track to achieve their life goals,” he says.

Any good self-care routine also involves smaller daily pleasures, too, which is why James suggests giving yourself some kind of reward, such as a leisurely walk or an ice cream, after working on your finances. “Positive reinforcement gets people to continue to do something good,” she says.

Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer.

The article 5 Ways to Practice Financial Self-Care originally appeared on NerdWallet.