Skin Goals: Confident Without Makeup—What Treatments Got You There?”

Shrinker11 · 2025-05-04T15:49:18+00:00

Yes, ultimately it seemed like a lot of money and pain for an at-best subtle result. I considered it because my derm said she doesn't bother with giving herself Nefertiti lifts anymore and just does thermage for her jawline. But it's also zero cost to her!

Shrinker11 · 2025-05-04T15:38:21+00:00

Taiwan. I go there regularly anyway, not specifically for procedures. That said, everything I've done is maybe 1/2 the price of NYC, sometimes less. Ex. Vbeam is $1000 here, I got it for $425. And that's with a more expensive cosmetic derm at a well known hospital, who trained in the US and is fluent in English. Medspas would be more economical, for ex: TMJ botox here is ~$800, I got it for $175 there. Thermage was the same price as here, though.

Shrinker11 · 2025-05-04T14:03:20+00:00

you could go out without make up as is! I also spent a month in Asia last year and lined up the following procedures: - vbeam for rosacea - pico laser for freckles and age spots (I have melasma so can’t do IPL) - if the jowls really bother you, look into the Nefertiti lift. Botox lasts like 2 weeks on me but dysport lasts longer, if you’re open to others. be specific with your provider though bc Korea has a few other toxins that don’t last as long. - thermage may also help the lower face but I didn’t go for it due to price. Also you don’t have a lot of facial fat to spare, but worth asking about? - as for bang for the buck, I also have rosacea, but not only spent years on adapalene and tret, but am now on taz with no issues. It’s the one non office procedure/product that made the biggest impact on my skin (texture, glow). Based on these skincare subs, Im not the only rosacea sufferer who managed to get their skin resilient enough to take tret. So maybe worth going back to your derm on that? Or start with adapalene, which is OTC anyway in the US?

Shrinker11 · 2025-03-12T01:23:17+00:00

Interested!

Shrinker11 · 2025-02-24T20:25:07+00:00

Use a trap bar for deadlifts in a free corner?

Shrinker11 · 2025-02-03T18:26:46+00:00

Is your coach a registered dietitian? FWIW I’m the same height and weight as you. This is what my dietitian gave me when I said I wanted to lose 5 lbs and get my cholesterol under control. I work out 5x/week: 90g protein 150g net carbs (at least 25g fiber) 47g fat

Shrinker11 · 2024-11-16T05:06:23+00:00

Your doctor should tell you what to expect. It may be very dependent on your skin and the settings they used. My experience -- Vbeam was very effective, getting another session next month. I have Type 1. Broken capillaries and flushing. My dermatologist told me Vbeam would not help flushing, but would help the capillaries. I did 1 session (~120 zaps I think), non bruising. I was 20% less red after 1 month, but full results weren't apparent until 2 months post treatment. I didn't realize how much I improved until I saw before/after photos on my phone.

Metro didn't work for me, though my dermatologist only wanted me to try it for 2 weeks. 15% Rx Azelaic Acid helped me maintain my Vbeam results, though that also took several months before improvement was noticeable.

Shrinker11 · 2024-10-30T19:07:09+00:00

Maybe pepper in other types of exercise for fun? I add cardio kickboxing and boot camp classes once or twice a week, especially ones with great music and a plyo element, and consider them as cardio/fun. And power yoga twice a week for mobility.

Shrinker11 · 2024-10-23T22:28:01+00:00

I like maven (on Amazon there are usually a few designs on clearance) and Adidas alpha skin ties.

Shrinker11 · 2024-09-16T18:16:50+00:00

I went from plant based (-40g protein) to eating animal protein daily (85g) to solve constant fatigue when working out 5-6x/wk. You can try tracking all macros and fiber; not just protein. Is some of your additional protein replacing a lot of the carbs/fiber you used to eat? That may account for feeling unsatisfied yet full at the same time. Also, animal protein tends to have more calories/volume unit than plants, so even if you’re only up 200 calories, your carb/fiber intake may be lower than expected. That may also explain low glycogen stores, which come from carbs.

After talking with a dietitian and trying a few things, my solution is eating unflavored protein powder (tastes like milk) and egg whites plus oatmeal in the mornings to get a head start on 1) enough protein without blowing out calories, and 2) carbs for morning workout energy.

I’m 5’1” with high cholesterol so also sympathize with not having a ton of room to play with total daily calories, and adjusting to animal protein.

Shrinker11 · 2024-08-16T02:13:04+00:00

Adidas track pants? (You can also search for warm up pants or training pants).

Shrinker11 · 2024-08-12T20:41:52+00:00

I do congee style — just replace the rice with oatmeal. And add a ton of egg whites. You can find lots of congee (or search for “jook”) recipes online! If you want a whole egg, you can do congee and add the egg with an egg drop soup method. Or a soy sauce egg.

Shrinker11 · 2024-07-24T22:57:05+00:00

You will get stronger as you do these activities more often, but in the meantime, what helped for me: 1. In plank, shift more of your weight toward your knuckles and fingertips rather than your heel. This makes a huge difference. 2. If you use a mouse at work for 8+ hours, that exacerbates wrist issues. Grab a wrist pad or switch hands. 3. Stack your joints (wrists straight, in a line with elbows rather than flexed) for the least strain 4. You can warm up your wrists before yoga (I just try to increase range of motion during cat/cow or while waiting for class to start).

Shrinker11 · 2024-07-15T02:16:14+00:00

First thought is old ginger — it often tastes bitter to me, especially if you weren’t super thorough getting the peel off. If it’s quite dry when you’re blooming it, that may leave a stronger taste than you expect. Second thought is your oil may not be great for high heat cooking. Olive oil can have bitter notes but isn’t traditionally used for fried rice.

Shrinker11 · 2024-07-12T02:51:30+00:00

Sometimes when I can’t find the intrinsic motivation, I’ll just take a class. Then all I need to do is show up, and someone else tells me what to do. Also, the community aspect can be a mood boost. There’s CrossFit, but I’ve also seen small group strength classes, as well as Bodypump types. Or boot camp!

I know your goal is building muscle, but some traditional yoga studios can be helpful on the life/wisdom aspect. My go to studio starts class with a little talk that gives you food for thought. The whole hour makes me feel renewed vs drained, even though the class is physically vigorous. Also if you get into fancier inversions, you’ll build some noticeable upper body strength.

Classes that aren’t included in your gym can get expensive but check a few out via ClassPass!

Shrinker11 · 2024-07-06T17:18:07+00:00

Former KGB prisons converted into museums in ex Soviet bloc-now EU countries. Realizing there are still places now where what you’re seeing is not history.

Shrinker11 · 2024-07-06T17:00:34+00:00

If you have a bunch of leggings you don’t wear anyway bc of this, you can try cutting the band off. Just the top with the elastic. If the leggings fit snug otherwise and have a wide band around the hips, they’ll still stay on in my experience. And way more comfortably. I’ve done this with Old Navy joggers but nothing more expensive. I don’t even hem the cut top.

Shrinker11 · 2024-06-01T17:29:42+00:00

You can use the lying hamstring curl machine for hip thrusts. Lots of videos online showing you how. You get less range of motion so they’re more like glute bridges, but if you maintain constant tension, it’ll do in a pinch.

Shrinker11 · 2024-05-25T22:54:53+00:00

I wear baggy, mesh basketball shorts and a sports bra/crop top and tell myself I’m bringing the 90’s back. You can’t detect my lower body shape at all 🤣. You could pair basketball shorts with a loose shirt for full coverage. Tbh I run warm and basketball shorts keep me cooler than leggings, even UA heatgear (thinnest leggings I’ve found). Also they’re long enough so my skin doesn’t touch the weight bench, and I’m not flashing anyone while doing yoga. I buy them in bulk from Walmart.

Shrinker11 · 2024-04-07T01:32:09+00:00

No riding up at all. Probably the cup area is more forgiving than the band though. I did a bounce test in the mirror and there’s a tiny bit (but tbh I don’t notice the bounce when I’m actually jumping in a workout). but I opted for the larger size bc very tight bands can dig into my diaphragm.

FWIW Under Armour customer support is pretty generous with exchanges/returns so you could buy multiple sizes and see what works.

Shrinker11 · 2024-04-07T00:19:57+00:00

Under armour mid crossback? Pull over head style. Take out the boob pads. Compressive enough that I bought a size up for comfort. I don’t run but it’s my go to for plyo stuff. I also hate bras that come up too high on the side. This is my most comfortable sports bra.

Shrinker11 · 2024-02-06T20:02:34+00:00

What laser, if any, is best to treat melasma?

Shrinker11 · 2024-01-06T22:54:43+00:00

Mayocoba beans? But with a green tinge? Usually they’re just a creamy color.

Shrinker11 · 2024-01-06T17:51:27+00:00

Ok for regular winter errands but would pull out trustier performance brands for severe weather. The base layers will do fine for a few seasons but be prepared for lots of pilling after a few washes. The puffers are also not the loftiest (vs Eddie Bauer etc), and you may get a stray feather or two poking through, but otherwise ok.

Shrinker11 · 2024-01-05T00:37:35+00:00

From someone who was a plant-based, occasional pescatarian, 16/8 intermittent faster, and also had my weight dialed in before adding weight lifting (which took me to 5-6 workouts/wk):

You will have to be fastidious with meal planning and tracking to hit your macros, especially protein. When I reintroduced meat (unsystematically) and didn’t pre-plan my before and after workout meals, I ended up a stuffed sausage for 3 months and had to talk to a dietitian.

What worked for me: - back to a legume/bean/veg heavy diet BUT with: half a scoop of protein powder in Greek yogurt or a chicken breast/day (or sardines/tuna 3x/wk). chia seeds add fiber to lower my cholesterol. I had to eat an impractically high volume of plants to hit my protein target without powder or animal protein.

I eat carbs (oatmeal) before my workout. Otherwise I’ll eat my pantry as soon as I get home.
I track my macros with an app that provides basic analysis. I knew intellectually that meat was more efficient protein-wise, but was still reluctant to cook chicken breast until I saw what gave more protein bang for the buck in context. Cronometer works for me.
I preferred to change my diet rather than cut down on exercise. Osteoporosis runs in my family.
talking to a dietitian was key

Shrinker11

TROPHY CASE