PRESS RELEASE

From hot mess to hot stuff: new campaign to break the menopause taboo

A woman has launched a bright and bold hand-held fan to spark a radical shift in the way the menopause is viewed by society.

The Hot Stuff hand fan from Fan Fatale is the brain child of Louise Bowditch from Wickham in Hampshire and aims to break the social taboo surrounding the menopause as well as providing a practical solution to the hot flush.

Louise, who is a menopause coach, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com to coincide with World Menopause Day (Thursday 18^thOctober 2018) to enable more women to access the fans.

Seventy-nine per cent of women who go through the menopause will struggle with hot flushes. Yet despite huge numbers of women experiencing these and many other debilitating symptoms, the subject of the menopause is still culturally taboo causing feelings of embarrassment and shame and leaving many women wanting to hide their symptoms and suffer in silence.

Louise, 51, has been experiencing the menopause for the past four years and hopes the fan will, not only break down stigmas, but also encourage women to seek out more information and be informed about what is happening to their body.

She said: “Hot flushes can be incredibly difficult to deal with and they leave you feeling embarrassed and vulnerable. I have experienced them while in meetings and in shops. You feel like you’re burning from the inside out and it can engulf you. You can feel the beads of sweat forming and then running down your body. 

“I wanted to create a hand fan that not only keeps women cool but keeps them looking cool too and will hopefully provide some inspiration.Many women I have spoken to have said that they really didn’t know what to expect as they entered into the menopause – and I include myself in that category too. This lack of knowledge prevents women from getting the help and support they need.”

Along with the Hot Stuff fan, Louise has launched a new service to help women through the menopause. The 12-week programme will give women the tools to understand the menopause and empower them to manage their symptoms.

Louise continued:“This is the start of a movement, a sisterhood, to embrace our changing bodies, to stop us hiding and bust the myth that menopausal women are past our prime. It’s time to rebel against society’s negative view of the menopause, look at it through new eyes and make it work FOR us.  Not against us. Because who said the menopause should leave us in a hot mess.”

Bored of the many saccharine sweet designs available, Louise wanted the Fan Fatale hand fans to stand out from the crowd.  Her designs are bright and bold in the hope that they will encourage conversations between people. Made from 100% eco-friendly black cotton fabric with the words ‘HOT STUFF’ emblazoned in bold white type, these fans are meant to be seen. And so are the women who use them.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Photo in the release shows Louise with the Hot Stuff fan. More photos are available upon request.

CONTACT:  Louise Bowditch  |  M:  07779 322793  |  E:  louise@louisebowditch.com  |

I:  https://www.instagram.com/louisebowditch/  |  W:  https://louisebowditch.com