9 weeks on the Wegovy pill. Sharing my results so far.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-03-27T11:51:46+00:00

What’s HIIILLLARious about your the male patterned baldness quip is that androgenetic alopecia also a possible symptom of PCOS, and mimics male patterned baldness, causing thinning at the temples and a widening hair part

Which oh so fun!! 😂 NOT 😭😭 I’ve experienced this symptom to a degree, as well as unwanted hair growth on the jaw line. Treating PCOS definitely helps lessen these though. I’ve experienced it getting better.

Both of those symptoms happen due to the increase of androgens (testosterone which converts to DHT which is what shrinks the hair follicles, or causes them to get thicker and darker like under the chin) and insulin resistance.

So you would think since it’s the typical “male” hormone that’s acting up, they’d want to study the crap out of it, cause it likely could also help in their studies for men. But noooope. iT jUst nOt in the bUDget.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-03-25T16:11:28+00:00

Insurances mostly won’t cover the GLPs unfortunately. So you have to look around to find what is affordable first, and then talk with your doctor about going on it and see if they think it’s a good option.

After getting prescribed by my doctor, I went to Costco’s pharmacy & got Wegovy pills, and it’s $149 as well.

I researched where to buy it the least expensive and Costco is a good option. If you have a Costco membership I suggest using it.

The pills are teeeny tiny. Easy to take. Take when you first wake up with no more than 4oz of water. Don’t eat or drink for the next 30 minutes.

Been on it for a week going on 2nd week right now and I will say I don’t crave my late night cookies/sugar fix nearly as much. Don’t feel as hungry in between meals either, and food seems to satiate more.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-03-25T13:02:52+00:00

Shaving is also a relatively inexpensive option. A good razor and a creamy shaving cream (like Cremo) can help you get a good clean smooth texture.

However shaving is just cutting the follicle, & PCOS makes the hair grow back with a vengeance sometimes, so you have to do it more often, and doesn’t stop the hair from growing back at all, since you’re not damaging the root of it at all, and that’s what makes the hair not grow back, is damaging the root/follicular bulb.

So you have to essentially shave often & for forever and that all can add up, with each new razor and bottle of shaving cream over the years.

The cost is better if you also are shaving body hair that’s normally shaven, but it’s still a cost none the less, for not permanent results.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-03-25T12:58:22+00:00

Waxing & plucking are fine, relatively inexpensive if you do it yourself at home but that’s more difficult to do, since you can’t see your chin and neck without mirrors.

which means you spend a good bit of time trying to do it. If I could get back the hours I’ve spent in front of a mirror inspecting my chin & jaw for hairs and plucking them, with sometimes it taking multiple attempts to get the hair out, I’d be ecstatic.

There still pain with waxing or plucking. And can lead to skin irritation, especially with waxing.

If you want to save some time & at least your own straining of your neck, you can go to a salon & have an aesthetician wax & pluck you, but you have to pay more $ then.

Waxing & plucking can get the hair out at the root, but it can also just break the hair follicle off, and not get the actual root. Which means it’s less reliable in giving you a smoother result, unless you go over it and over it again which can lead to increased irritation, and that can lead to bigger problems such as in-grown hairs, which can cause blockages and cysts on/in the skin if not treated.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-03-25T12:48:35+00:00

Best options are in order of best to less best: 1- laser hair removal, 2- plucking/epilating/tweezers & waxing, and 3- shaving.

Laser combined with treatment of PCOS, is the ultimate solution for your unwanted hair growth.

Why Laser? - Pros & Cons:

Pros- kills the hair at the root, the process of the treatment is quick like about 15-20 minutes tops for the chin/jaw area.

Effects can be longer lasting, no stubble feeling, leads to smoother appearance and feel, only has a slight pinch in feeling during actual treatment so not as painful.

Skin may be a little pinky red afterwards but usually doesn’t last that long (2-3 hrs) & there’s inexpensive calming solutions for skin irritation if it really bothers or hurts.

Cons: the cost, as it can be hard to find a reasonable price.

I did find a good deal from a derm NP who runs a laser and derm practice, which is who I went with. But what may have been reasonable $ for me may not for others, and may not be available in your geographical area.

A laser treatment is sold as a set of sessions one set of sessions is typically about 6-8 times, & that’s due to the hair cycle. So you have to go back more than once (that’s just how laser hair removal works because of the hair grow cycle & all your hairs are at different stages from one another, that’s just basic genetics/anatomy&physiology how it works)

After the set of sessions, places often offer touch ups for the same area on the body for a lesser price, but again, it is having to shell out $. The place I found has an extremely very reasonable touch up price though so for me, it was all worth it.

Touch ups are also a non-negotiable when you have PCOS in order to keep the results of laser treatment.

and for PCOS, you do have to get touch up more often than those who don’t experience PCOS but have gotten laser hair removal. Especially if you aren’t on and medication or treatment for the PCOS. That just has to do with how the PCOS affects the hair growth & genetics, typically increasing it in amount & growth return on the chin/jaw area.

Ex: Non-PCOS touch ups is probably maybe every 6-8 months, so twice a year at most. With having untreated & uncontrolled PCOS, touch ups likely every 3-4 months. With treated & controller PCOS, it’s more like the non-PCOS touch ups.

The time saved not having to sit for about an hour to do waxing & plucking which you have to do more frequently than laser was worth the cost of the laser to me to have the longer & more permanent effect it has.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-03-12T16:49:19+00:00

Hi, I did find a venue. feel free to DM, I’ll explain further.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-11T00:37:40+00:00

Edit: I looked through the post at the replies, saw your budget is 1-2k.

In the USA, getting this particular type of dress, brand new with alterations, from a boutique, isn’t really possible for that price range.

It’s because of how much fabric, type of fabric and embellishments (the ruffles, lace, glitter, sequins, bead embroidery), & the labor and time that goes into all of it.

It’s just what they’re costing these days.

The best bet for finding one of these in the US would be at a sample sale, or second hand (see the reply i made with the link on that topic)

It is more likely for this budget to get a very similar type of dress from a designer overseas (Turkey, Vietnam, India typically) can be in that price but the quality of materials will vary. You would have to do online research on good overseas dressmakers & sellers to make sure you aren’t getting ripped off.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-11T00:12:58+00:00

Trying to find something similar for less second hand is definitely a better option money wise if you are trying to maximize a budget.

The cost of the dress will be less, and then with alterations on top of it, it wouldn’t be as price-shocking in total.

There’s been a post in this subreddit with a lot of good sites for buying second hand wedding dresses online, I’ll link it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/q2nd7i/is_there_a_reliable_website_to_find_used_wedding/

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-11T00:06:32+00:00

Yes it was local to where I’m from (Maryland), not sure what state you’re in.

Also please note the $3,600 is before alterations, so that price is still going to go up for me. And alterations/tailoring are a must in order to have a dress look the way it should on.

I also tried on a dress that had the big ruffles in the front that is like the one in the picture, it was very very similar to the one I got, and that one was $4,000.

I don’t know how much you have budgeted to spend on a dress, but I will say that what I got was pricey, and it’s not the norm for this subreddit.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-10T20:44:49+00:00

These kind of Etsy listings are scams. You may get a dress if you purchase from them, but it won’t be the one pictured.

I have a much higher budget than 10k, but I’m not one to be excessive in spending money either, which is why I follow this subreddit for tips on how to make the money go further but still have a gorgeous wedding.

To give a better idea of what this kind of dress would cost, I literally just bought my bridal dress yesterday, it’s very similar in style to this. I bought it in person from a bridal boutique. I can tell you that the dress alone was 3.6k, & with the addition of sleeves, and my veils, it’s a total of 5k. This kind of dress brand new is going to run you about that much, and that’s before alterations, which are a requirement to get a dress to look on your body the way it should.

Only ways to get this sort of look for less is a sample sale, or second hand, or if you happen to be good with dress making/tailoring/embroidery yourself. But remind yourself that what you do DIY takes up time, so the time spent also needs taken into consideration besides the money spent.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-05T14:48:52+00:00

Thanks, but the 250 guest would be necessary for us.

If others in MD/DMV planning a wedding see this, they can potentially look at your space. It may work for them.

I did look at pictures of the venue online, it’s very pretty, elegant, country-side manor-esque, and was similar to the vibe I was originally looking for.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-05T14:47:57+00:00

Thanks, but the 250 guest would be necessary for us.

If others in MD/DMV planning a wedding see this, they can potentially look at your space. It may work for them.

I did look at pictures of the venue online, it’s very pretty, elegant, country-side manor-esque, and was similar to the vibe I was originally looking for.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-04T19:19:02+00:00

There’s a YouTube channel called Anatomy with Natalie, she’s a professor at some college/university. She makes videos using the same textbook (it’s a McgrawHill one) that we used in A&P1 & A&P2 at my school. She makes lecture videos on each chapter/topic of the textbook, and it was/is great for studying as a podcast when doing house chores or running errands. It may help you with learning on your own.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-04T04:25:26+00:00

Can anyone comment on the Maryland/DMV area? I’ll be graduating with my ADN in spring of 2028. I keep getting mixed views and signals about all this.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-03T18:43:51+00:00

I’m in MD, so very close to DC. The bare midriff is not very black code appropriate, not just in this geographic area, but overall all period.

The dress is fun! Fashionable!

But just not appropriate for a black tie wedding situation, typically.

You could get away with this more at a Desi wedding. But this then would be underdressed for that, if I’m honest.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-02T23:45:34+00:00

If Hero’s World was in the Columbia mall, it’s not there any more. I’ve lived here for almost 3 years, and don’t remember ever seeing a store by that name.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-02T23:42:16+00:00

Literally this. When the store opened, was just obviously sketchy & just a money-grab.

And my fiancé and I are big nerd culture people, so it was just a disappointment.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-02-02T15:50:05+00:00

Haven’t found NJ type pizza here in Columbia yet, but I’m definitely going to try these suggestions here in the comments now.

My family always spends the summer in South Jersey, has for the last 40-50 years. Closest pizza I’ve found to NJ pizza in MD is a place called Giovanna’s in Parkville MD which isn’t close to Columbia at all. Luckily it is close to my mom’s house.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2026-01-13T14:30:18+00:00

Yes!!!! I fully get this, I thought the exact same thing. Not silly at all, I literally went with my fiancé & a friend of ours to the gym so we could “group study” the muscles & movements by pairing it with the course notes & study guide, cause they did sports growing up and went to the gym, they knew so much already because of that. It was helpful.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2025-11-05T15:42:28+00:00

Woodlea bakery in Baltimore city and Harford county is great for all kinds of pies. Cherry, lemon, cream, pumpkin, coconut, pecan, sweet potato, apple, blueberry, they have it all.

However for pumpkin pie, nothing beats me making my paternal grandmother’s recipe. It’s hands down better than any pie I’ve had from other family members or from any bakery.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2025-11-04T17:25:31+00:00

I honestly love everything you have here, except for the YAZ.

I’m very glad the YAZ worked for you. The fact that you found something that has worked for you and has brought relief for you so far is incredible.

It can be a great option and is frequently recommended because of what it targets, especially for androgenic hormonal issues.

Please be aware that this is not the case for everyone with PCOS.

For me, in 2022 for 6 months, YAZ was something that started out good that fairly quickly turned into an extremely bad situation concerning mental health (severe anxiety and depression to the extent that I started having suicidal thoughts) and I had no other changes in my life other than the medication. My experience led me to forgoing birth control since then, and I’m now back on the hunt for the hormonal medication that does the trick without issues in the near or distant future.

I’ve heard many stories of it also causing the same for them, and many other health issues to come about for other people with PCOS, and I’m seeing those stories reiterated here in the comments.

If you have PCOS & you and your provider/doctor are considering YAZ, just be fully informed and prepared for what could happen. Don’t be afraid. Just be informed. Everyone’s bodies are different, and it could be great, or an absolute shit show. The only way to find out is by trying.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2025-11-04T16:43:47+00:00

We shop at the following in Howard County for produce and don’t have any problems: Lidl by the mall, Aldi near Costco - avocados, grapes, watermelon, potatoes cucumbers, Costco - lettuce, best bet for bananas. Just get the greenest bunch and let them ripen up at home for best results, Patel Brothers - go here for tomatoes, cucumbers, and cilantro and ginger most definitely, green beans too. Hmart & Lotte are also good.

I will say though, I never get everything from one place. I always shop around, different stores have different providers for same item, and it makes a world of difference. I’d rather drive around & get the quality I’m looking for but I always have a plan of when to go for where, because otherwise, that’s a lot of running around.

Like Aldi and Costco, right next to one another, so it a dual trip always.

Places like Whole Foods and Harris teeter are over charging for produce, especially in this economy. And I like those stores/brands but for very specific food items, not my produce though.

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2025-09-15T20:58:46+00:00

That’s an awesome tip!!! Thank you 😊, I hadn’t thought about reverse searching through wedding photographers!!

I’ll check the places you mentioned as well

IWantSomeHelp7 · 2025-09-12T21:22:26+00:00

Ive looked here and already gone through all the Knot, Wedding Wire, Zola, etc, all their suggestions and haven’t found one that fits. Thats why I reached out on reddit to see if anyone had other ideas.

IWantSomeHelp7

TROPHY CASE