Special Offers | Clairol Pro

Clairol Professional Lead Color Master and Educator, Anita Gutierrez, shares the personal experience that first motivated her to join the fight against the No. 1 killer of women—heart disease

It is heartfelt stories like Anita's that encourage women everywhere to "Go Red." Clairol Professional's True Color From the Heart program supports the American Heart Association's "Go Red For Women" campaign by raising awareness within the salon community to help eliminate heart disease among women. Anita is in the salon everyday talking to women and hopes that by communicating her story behind the chair she will help women take precautions to avoid this No. 1 killer of women in America.

"My mother suffered from a heart attack (myocardial infarction) ten years ago. There weren't any dramatic symptoms that I've seen exaggerated in movies. My mom experienced discomfort and indigestion for three whole days and despite pleading with her to go to a doctor, she thought she could alleviate her symptoms with over-the-counter drugs for indigestion. When she finally did allow me to take her to the doctor we soon discovered that she had suffered a full blown heart attack. An ambulance rushed her to the hospital, where she was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 18 days…

Because of this experience, I am extremely passionate about Go Red For Women and will do my part to increase awareness. Many more women die from their first heart attack than men because they commonly underestimate their symptoms. If I can touch at least one person with my story, and it can potentially help save one life, I feel I have done my duty."

It's never too late to put heart health in your own hands! There are a range of factors that can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke, but many are preventable if you learn to lower them. No better time than the present to share this valuable information with family, friends, colleagues, and clients! Get the word out by hosting a Wear Red Day get-together at your salon. It's a great way to get the conversation started about heart health and also to let stylists and clients know how they can give back together through the True Color From the Heart contest and program. Visit the Go Red For Women website for more information.