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New Hampshire Women Magazine’s print publication is published by Melissa DiOrio of Gracant Communications (melissa@nhwomenmagazine.com). The name ‘New Hampshire Women Magazine’ is registered as a trade name with the State of New Hampshire by SG Communications, LLC and is used herein with its permission. The term ‘New Hampshire Women’ is registered as a trademark with the State of New Hampshire by SG Communications, LLC and is used herein with its permission.
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Happier Holidays?
Benefits of a Device-Free Dinner Celebration This holiday season may look a lot different than it did last year. With safety measures, vaccines, and advancements in treatments many families will be gathering (in person!) at the dinner table to celebrate the holiday season. Nearly two years have gone by where seeing our loved ones through the screens of tablets, phones, and computers has become a way of life - and a necessary one to keep safely connected. But, has the increase in the use of technology created a feeling of being lost without it? According to a statistic from TechRepublic, Americans open their phones an average of once every nine minutes (TechRepublic, 2020). While another statistic says 86 percent of users check their phones even when they are talking to family or friends (BankMyCell 2021). Granted, with the ability to hold a smartphone in our hand and use it as a mini-computer to work, as well as play, life has gotten more convenient in a lot of ways. But, just what are the benefits of putting down our smart devices to celebrate with only good old fashioned face-to-face conversation and no devices in sight?
sense.org, over 58 percent of us are concerned that devices are hurting our conversations. Think about all the verbal and non-verbal communication that is missed when someone’s head is buried in their phone. Putting our devices down during this special time of year builds that in-person connection we are all looking for. 2. Going phone-free during dinner makes you happier: A study by Journal of Experimental Social Psychology shows people who bring their phones to the dinner table felt more distracted and this reduced their ability to enjoy their time with family and friends. While others who did not have their phones with them at the table felt they did enjoy their time with family and friends. (Dwyer, Kuslev, Dunn, 2018). 3. Being device-free around food helps keep the germs away: According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration devices can harbor so many germs that they can become an actual health hazard when using them around and preparing food. And, a study by scientists at the University of Arizona found that cell phones carry ten times more bacteria than most toilet seats.
Did You Know?
Tips to Ditch the Devices at Dinner:
1. A device-free holiday dinner can help you feel more connected: According to Common-
So, how can we get our gatherers to ditch their devices at the dinner table this holiday season? We say make it memorable and meaning-
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ful. 1. Be the leader: Clink that champagne or sparkling cider flute and make a toast to being together in person again. Be the first one to intentionally put down your device and cheers to a night of face-toface conversation. 2. Create personalized phone boxes for guests: Think cute vintage boxes or old cigar boxes from eBay or your local antique shop that encourage guests to leave their phones inside during dinner. 3. Decorate a large festive box and leave it at your front door: Post a whimsical sign on it encouraging guests to leave the outside world at the door. 4. Let the kiddos make some DIY phone holders before the event: Got some old shoe boxes lying around? Cut a rectangle hole vertically into the lid of the shoe box. Wrap both pieces of the shoe box with holiday wrapping paper and colorful sprinkles and sparkles. Have the kids make paper signs that tell guests why a device-free dinner is important to them. 5. Create a time to express gratitude at the table: Select a meaningful object (maybe a beautiful ornament) and start with the person at the head of the table. Ask them to say a few words about what being together for the holidays means to them. This is a great way to have participation from most table members young and old.
It’s important to remember that according to a study from Verywell.com, 21 percent of people feel loneliness during the holiday season (Morin, Ingalls, 2021). Coming together for a special holiday meal and expressing gratitude for being together can warm the hearts of those who are struggling. Whatever your holiday traditions are, we’re certain they are filled with love and laughter. From our family to yours, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Continued on Next Page
Written for New Hampshire Women Magazine
Courtesy photos provided by Rita Castonguay-Hunt
MEET RITA CASTONGUAY-HUNT: PILOTING IN THE SKY AND FROM THE GROUND
Somewhere thousands of feet above the ground, Rita Castonguay-Hunt is skimming across the clouds or racing the sunrise across the horizon in her small fixed wing aircraft. For this seasoned commercial pilot, flying still opens doors to questions of deep meaning and profound thought, as well as gifting an internal quietude found nowhere else. “There is an ethereal peace to flying and the way it makes you wonder about the universe,” she says. Castonguay-Hunt has been flying for twenty years. She holds Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) single and multi-engine (land) commercial certificates with instrument ratings, a FAA flight instructor certification with instrument rating, a FAA remote pilot certificate, and is a certified Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) instructor. She also sits on the boards for the Concord Airport Advisory Committee, the Hera Avia-
tion Group, NH Aerospace and Defense Consortium, and the Granite State Airport Management Association. Surprisingly, CastonguayHunt did not grow up in a household of aviation buffs. Her passion grew from a childhood dream of wanting to become an astronaut. “I grew up in a very rural town in Maine where when you looked up in the night sky, it felt like you could lose yourself in the Milky Way band that crossed the sky,” she explains. “It made an impression on me. It made me want to see and experience everything that this world has to offer, even if that experience was from the outside of the planet looking in.” With no clear direction on how to follow her dreams of space exploration, it wasn’t until a friend asked her why she couldn’t become a pilot. “My friend asked, ‘why don’t you just go become a pilot and see what happens,’” she says. “My reply was, ‘you can just do that?’.” Castonguay-Hunt says at the time she thought all pilots came from the military. “I didn’t know a single person who flew airplanes and didn’t know where to start. I ended up doing some research and found Daniel Webster College in New Hampshire,” she explains. “I applied, got accepted, and just went. I had only ever been on a commercial airplane once in my life prior to
applying. My first time in a small airplane was at college when I started my training. It was just what I wanted to do.” Throughout her training and career, Castonguay-Hunt has had unparalleled flying experiences. “I have had the privilege to fly [World War] II aircraft and [World War] II trainers, bombers, and jets,” she says. “I have flown gliders and was in the right place at the right time to climb into to a glider and fly over Mount Washington with a world record holding glider pilot. I even got to fly aerobatics with one of the most decorated aerobatic champions in the world. He is the only person, to this day, who I have asked to ‘please land us as soon as possible’ because I thought I was going to be sick in the airplane.” As it turns out, she did not. It’s been said that experience is the best teacher. So, it’s easy to believe this is why CastonguayHunt made a positive impression on her students as a flight instructor. She feels deeply that finding an instructor that has your best interest at heart is critical to students’ success. “It is so important to find a flight instructor you trust and who has your best interests at heart,” she explains. “Aviation can be very intimidating. Humility is not a thing you found often in aviation twenty years ago. The acceptance of asking questions has improved. I have had some fabulous flight instructors and some terrible ones. I learned a lot from both. I always tried being accepting of each student and their level of experience and aviation knowledge when they came to me. My goal was to get them to where they needed to be and not
have unrealistic expectations.” That didn’t mean she was soft. “I am a very strict instructor though,” she says. “I expect every student to come to the lesson prepared. Aviation is inherently dangerous. If you don’t come prepared and are not respectful of the level of safety necessary for each flight then you shouldn’t be flying.” Castonguay-Hunt’s attention to safety and detail led her to becoming an FAA-certified airport safety instructor for the state of New Hampshire. In the role, she inspected each public-use, non-commercial airport annually. “Non-commercial means I didn’t inspect [Manchester-BostonRegional Airport] or [Pease International Airport] because they have airline services, so those inspections have to be done by specific FAA employees,” she explains. “So, each year, I inspected twenty three of the twenty five public use airports in the state. I was responsible for identifying safety issues at the airport and in the approach paths. I would identify trees or obstructions that might interfere with an aircraft’s ability to land or takeoff safely. I made sure that airports’ infrastructure complied with FAA policies and regulations. I also made suggestions to help the airports, state, and FAA plan for capital improvements and airport development.” Within her career, she has also seen the realities of how dangerous flying can be. “I Continued on Page 8
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Courtesy photos provided by Rita Castonguay-Hunt Continued from Page 6
was a small portion of her job that was badged, flip case and dealt with an emerging aviation all, and responded to aircraft technology: Uncrewed Aircraft accidents for the state and Systems (UAS). UAS are comsometimes on behalf of the monly known as drones. “When I FAA when their inspectors started [at the state], maybe five could not get to the scene in percent of my time was spent on a reasonable amount of time,” UAS operations,” she says. “Fast she says. “My first accident forward four years and thirty to [inspection] was a dual fatal. I forty percent of my time was was not trained as a first aid spent on UAS operations.” responder, but it was still awful. This is when a new aviation I was glad that I could be a opportunity came to her that source of information for the she couldn’t pass by. Argenpolice and fire [departments]. Tech Solutions, a small New I helped secure the aircraft Hampshire-based business with to make sure the fuel and extensive expertise in managing power was disconnected and “complex technical services” for put them in touch with aviaUAS offered her a job and the tion resources as necessary.” opportunity to do something Castonguay-Hunt says a lot of unique in aviation. “As much as I the pilots’ statements she took love manned aviation, I couldn’t said everything they needed to turn down the opportunity to be say with, “I should have known part of the UAS industry. It is too better.” new, too exciting, and far from While working for the state, reaching its potential,” she exCastonguay-Hunt says there plains. “Manned aviation is mature.
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| Inspiring Women
It is constantly being fine tuned, but it is well established. The UAS industry is a juggernaut. My goal in the UAS industry is to take my background in manned aviation, safety, and airspace and have a part in making the UAS industry safe, organized, and an efficient part of people’s everyday lives someday. But, why is UAS an important part of aviation? Isn’t aviation about humans
being in the planes? “Think about anything that humans do that is considered dull, dirty, or dangerous. Those are the tasks where we want to use UAS,” she says. “The interesting thing about the UAS industry right now is although there are a few well-defined paths, beyond visual line of sight operations, [remote identification], and air mobility being a few, we are still very much in the [research and development] phase of this industry and small businesses are playing a huge role in its development.” CastonguayHunt says a great example of small businesses like ArgenTech play such a large role in the UAS arena. “A great example of this is two years
NHWM | Inspiring Women
ago, ArgenTech was awarded the Department of Interior contract for emergency and wildfire monitoring. We wanted to purchase a UAS from a manufacturer, but at the last minute they pulled out of the agreement because their new focus was the military market and they didn’t have time to fulfill the order,” she explains. “Because of this setback, ArgenTech now manufactures our own UAS platform. We call it the FireEye and it is specifically built for emergency and wildfire operations.” Today, only five percent of United States airline pilots and one percent of airline captains identify themselves as female. According to the FAA, in today’s industry the share of women with active pilot certificates has not increased over eight percent in more than ten years. “There
has been a significant push in the past couple of years in the aviation industry to recruit more women,” she says. “Women are fifty one percent of the population after all. The recruitment is performing marginally at best, but the most significant issue is retaining female pilots. In order to keep professional female pilots, the aviation industry has to address the industry’s inability to support caregivers. The FAA’s database reports a seventy five percent reduction in active commercial pilot certificates held by women from ages 25 to 29 to ages 45 to 49 years. Of all the female pilots I know in aviation, who are also caregivers, only a few are still flying professionally. Most of them have taken jobs that are more flexible with family obligations. I am one of those female pilots who, despite the love of flying, wasn’t willing to give up the time spent with my kids, especially while they
are little.” When asked if Castonguay-Hunt has had a tough time being one of a small group of women in the industry, she answers confidently that she has not. “I have a pretty outgoing personality and am extremely stubborn, which surprisingly has served me well in the aviation industry,” she laughs. “The vast majority of people I have interacted with in aviation are fantastic,” she explains. “I love to go to the airport and give the guys a hard time. There have been instances where it has been harder than it would have been
for a man. There is no denying that fact, but my story is not the same as the next female pilot. I don’t assume to have had the same experiences as
Continued on Page 10
| NHWM
anyone else because everyone is different from different backgrounds and with different experiences. That being said, there are plenty of female pilots who are not as fortunate as me. I have heard some awful stories from other female pilots. The tough moments that stick out in my experiences are the ones where flight instructors made it perfectly clear they had no interest in teaching me because I wasn’t going to make it anyway, clients who would ask me repeatedly if I was the flight attendant, those who assumed I was a student pilot even when I was the most senior
pilot in the room, those who told me that I chose to have babies so it was my fault that I couldn’t fly professional anymore.” It is obvious that Castonguay-Hunt has used these experiences to build a strong sense of self and character. “I know when I walk into a room and take a seat at the table that is mostly adults males in the UAS industry that people who don’t know me are already thinking I am inexperienced. It gets exhausting, but I also like to look at it as a challenge,” she says. “I enjoy the slight look of surprise on a new face when I finally open my mouth and contribute to the conversation. I like to think that I have taken the bad
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experiences and turned them into a-ha moments. Ones that have led me to try and figure out why someone might have said that to me, how to prevent it from happening in the future, and how [we can] make sure it doesn’t happen to female pilots in the future. Aviation may seem like an improbable career or pastime for many of us. It’s intimidating and, in some ways, down right scary, but there are a multitude of opportunities in the industry even if you want to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. CastonguayHunt says the best way to learn about all the opportunities in aviation is to get involved. “I would recommend aviation career camps, internships, and job shadow opportunities. Join
a committee, participate in the Pilots and Drivers Golf Tournament held annually at the Pease golf course, attend a Wings and Wheels event, go to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry or one of their many public events,” she says. “I strongly believe in mentorships. Find an aviation mentor who can help you, introduce you, and answer questions. The Hera Aviation Group and the ENE Chapter of the 99s are great options for mentorships.”
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Intentionality During the Winter Season Written for New Hampshire Women Magazine Intentionality. It’s a word we hear and see often, perhaps on a morning talk show or on an inspirational quote on social media. It may be a hot topic right now, but we shouldn’t take it lightly. Per its meaning, intentionality means to do things purposefully. And, there’s a season right around the corner where many of us can benefit with some intentional planning. Winter can be hard for many of us who can’t always get outside and enjoy sunshine and mild air. With ice, snow, and freezing temperatures - coupled with limited daylight - it’s easy to get swept up in the never-ending blah of the season. But, what if we could set our intentions for this upcoming season before it starts? When you look outside, you see the squirrels burying their acorns and goodies for the preparation of the cold weather ahead, the birds taking flight to warmer climates, and wild animals preparing for hibernation. What if we took time before the snow starts to fly to prepare ourselves for the winter ahead of us? Here are a few ideas for intentionally planning the winter season. 1.Talk with Your Doctor Make sure you are up to date on your wellness appointments and screenings before the season starts. And, if you are prone to Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD), talk to your doctor to make sure you are doing everything you can to keep yourself healthy over the winter season. For more information about SAD, visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s website at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder. 2. Lighting - We can look at daylight dwindling during the winter season in two ways, either we dread every second of it or we embrace it. Let’s hunker down in our homes with lighting changes made especially for the long(er) winter nights. Look at the color of your light bulbs. Bluish-hued bulbs that mimic daylight can be harsh at night. Try some warm white bulbs to create a cozier atmosphere. Add some additional table lamps or decor lighting instead of increasing the brightness of overhead lighting. Keep the twinkle lights and battery-operated tealight season long after the holidays by keeping extra strings hanging and tiny lights internationally placed on window sills and around fireplaces to give a magical feel to a cold night. 3.Create a Winter Ritual Come up with a special ritual saved especially for the winter season. Perhaps you have a cozy reading chair you can move to a place especially for winter that has better lighting during the colder months. Maybe there is a special winter scent you can incorporate into your surroundings through a specific bed linen spray or fresh bundles of winter
herbs like peppermint or sage you only use during these times. What about a special sunset walk you can take once or twice a week when you are bundled up in your favorite scarf and puffy jacket? Grab a journal and write about the way your surroundings look during this season. Don’t forget snow and ice grips for your shoes or boots! 4. Soothing the Soul with Hydration - It’s easy to know when you’re thirsty during the hot summer months, but recognizing your hydration level during wintertime can be tough. Use or purchase a water bottle that helps you track your water intake during the season. Another way to embrace the season is to look into different teas to curl up with and watch a movie or read a favorite book. There are so many featuring caffeinated and non-caffeinated blends. Types of winter teas can include flavors like refreshing peppermint and chamomile. You could also look at expanding your tastes to flavors like ginger and cinnamon spice. Note: Talk to your doctor about allergies or drug interactions before trying unfamiliar teas and blends. 5. Set Up a Social Calendar Before Winter Starts - While considering all Covid-19 safety protocols to keep everyone safe, pre-planning some fun events for the season is a nice way to keep positive during the darker months. Make some plans with friends and family and mark them down in a calendar you can see and access easily. Hey, why not put some
glitter or stickers around the date! Have fun with it and give yourself and family something to look forward to. 6. Practice Healthy Living for Mind and Body - It’s easy to sit in a chair all day and rummage through social media when the snow is falling and there’s nowhere to go. That’s a recipe for negative thinking! Come up with a plan (pre-storm) that will keep your body and mind moving in a positive direction for however long you’re inside. Gather some information and videos for winter-specific yoga, get a family-sized puzzle or board game you can pull out especially for that winter storm day, or discover some special homemade recipes you can have on hand and ready to make to warm all the tummies in your home. Let’s prepare for the winter season and make it a time for opportunity. By practicing being intentional, we can not only survive the winter season, but thrive in it.
MEDICAL SPA | SPECIAL SECTION
UNDERSTANDING THE NON-SURGICAL NOSE JOB Dr. Lisa Vuich is a graduate of Tufts University (1988) and Tufts University School of Medicine (1992). She opened Renew MediSpa in 2006 and has worked steadily since then to ensure that Renew MediSpa remains at the cutting edge of the latest advancements in nonsurgical aesthetics. She is a nationally recognized injector, a member of numerous aesthetic organizations, a Key Opinion Leader for several aesthetic companies, and a Master Clinical instructor for Specialty Med Training. She is board certified by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and regularly instructs physicians and other providers on injection technique, platelet-rich plasma therapies and other aesthetic procedures through the Renew MediSpa Training Institute.
either to avoid the cost and/ or downtime and/or risk associated with the surgical approach, or because the degree of correction they are seeking may not worth having an all-out surgical procedure performed.
Your nose is one of the most prominent features of your face, and it helps bring balance to your facial profile. Not surprisingly, rhinoplasty, which is surgical reshaping of the nose, generally ranks among the top 5 plastic surgery procedures yearly, although there has been a slight downward trend in the number of procedures performed over the years. The cost for this procedure can easily approach $10,000 to $12,000 once you factor in surgeon’s fee, anesthesia fee and operating room fees, and the downtime can be several weeks with full healing possibly taking six to 12 months. In many cases, patients are interested in non-surgical options for several reasons-
What is a Liquid Rhinoplasty? In the non-surgical facial aesthetic arena, approaches to nasal contouring/ reshaping are nothing new. Often referred to as “liquid rhinoplasty”it typically involves the injection of small amounts of dermal filler mostly along the nasal bridge. It can be used to address issues such as a dorsal hump (small bump) or drooping nasal tip. In general, the filler is temporarily altering contour and changing how light shadows on the nose. The filler dissolves gradually over a handful of months, and as it does so the benefit will be lost and the nasal appearance will return to its pre-treatment form. What are the Risks and Limitations of a Liquid Rhinoplasty? Dermal filler in the region of the nose is not without risk and should be performed only by experienced injectors with a firm knowledge of
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facial anatomy and proper injection technique. There are blood vessels in this region which communicate with the blood flow to the back of the eye, and misplaced filler can result in irreversible blindness. Misplaced filler can also interrupt blood flow to the tip of the nose or to the area in between the brows, which would lead to skin necrosis and scarring if left untreated. If an injector sees signs of abnormal blood flow in the nasal region while injecting, they would need to immediately institute measures to dissolve the filler in order to restore blood perfusion to the skin. The ocular complication of blindness however is not reversible. It is important to note that a “liquid rhinoplasty” cannot make a large nose smaller or a wide nose narrower. What about “Botox” for the Nose? Small doses of botulinum toxin can be placed to slightly lift the tip of the nose, or to make the nares look temporarily
less wide. The latter technique may result in some restriction of airflow that is noticeable during exercise, because your nares can not “flare out” during heavy breathing. Results for nasal botulinum toxin typically last three months, but sometimes longer. These techniques cannot however mask a nasal bump or improve nasal asymmetry. Newer Techniques- PDO Nasal Threads! Recent advances in PDO thread
design have led to the development of specialty threads called “Nose Threads”. These have a design and length which is appropriate to address nasal contours, and they can be placed without risk of blood vessel occlusion which gives them a safety advantage over dermal fillers. The threads will dissolve gradually over the course of months, but during their presence a significant amount of collagen will be stimulated. This new collagen can outlive the PDO threads themselves and potentially last for years. Who is (and is not) a Good Candidate for a Non-surgical Nose Job?
In general the best candidates are those who are generally healthy and have “less than major” imperfections, realistic expectations, desire to avoid surgery, and have not had surgical rhinoplasty in the past. Prior surgical intervention is disruptive to the blood circulation of the nose. Therefore, those who have undergone surgical correction in the past have a higher risk of complications even with nonsurgical approaches such as dermal filler or nose threads. In my opinion, if you have had a surgical rhinoplasty in the past and wish to have further nasal reshaping of any form, you should
see a plastic surgeon. Otherwise, you can certainly consider these non-surgical interventions if performed by experienced hands. For more information on the Non Surgical Nose Job, feel free to contact us at www. renewmedispa.com / 603-894-0070
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