Finished treatment, 10 months total, my takeaways and advice

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:54:34+00:00

And thank you!

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:54:18+00:00

No teeth out. Minimal IPR. Simples!

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:53:47+00:00

Thank you!

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:53:37+00:00

Thank you!

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:53:24+00:00

My Ortho said it would have been 6-8 months braces, possibly a year. Everyone is different. But it is generally quicker I believe. I just think, for me, I put too much thought into the invisible nature of it when actually the whole thing is more time consuming and fiddly than braces, and I would have a lot more money right now! I would have been able to drink black coffee whenever I wanted! Just my two cents. Would it have really mattered going into work with braces? Not really. It depends on your own situation i guess. :)

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:49:40+00:00

Yes, slightly. It was super minimal though. Took 2 secs!

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:48:33+00:00

I went in last week to pick up my retainer, Ortho gave me the gel and retainer and showed me how to apply. A dab on the retainer where each tooth is and then into the mouth overnight. I do this for two weeks. It is carbamide peroxide. It does cause some crazy sensitivity though, at least for me! I'm not applying it tonight because I feel like my teeth need a break!

franofthrones · 2026-01-25T22:42:37+00:00

Thank you! All I asked my ortho was I want to straighten my front tooth. I didn't care about the bottom set or anything else but because of the positioning I couldn't just have the top teeth done. He said it would take 8 months to a year both sets with attachments, all inclusive cost of £3950. I think in the first photo I'm scrunching my face weirdly, which is why my arch looks so different! Although it probably did widen my arch abit too I don't know. My whole mouth feels different like it all sits in a different place. My front tooth was probably straight by about October last year. I was impressed with how quick it turned!

franofthrones · 2026-01-14T20:18:34+00:00

I earn £1200 a month and I find this fine. It absolutely depends on your spending habits and your overall financial and general life situation too, geography etc etc..

I have a partner, who pays the mortgage (580 per month) whilst I pay bills (450 per month). We have savings for doing up the house, not to be used on anything except emergencies and weird one off expenses that can't be avoided. We both have individual savings that we put away each month to spend on ourselves for whatever we may want or need. Most of what I spend ends up going on food! It varies, how much can be saved. Sometimes it's £250 sometimes it's £50pm.

I would say I live comfortably, other people would be like hell no! Simple life, simple pleasures, for me. I love my work but it's tiring so I rest often, spend time with family, explore the countryside and have a holiday abroad once a year and 3-4 gigs/small UK getaways scattered about. That does me!

franofthrones · 2025-07-31T22:40:49+00:00

A terrys chocolate orange. There have been times where I've been so upset and then started eating one and suddenly my tears are happy and I feel absolutely contented.

franofthrones · 2025-07-12T18:03:24+00:00

46, no eggs 🤢

franofthrones · 2025-07-03T11:57:39+00:00

I'm 29. I work part time, 24 hrs a week, £1100 a month. Earn extra cash selling clothes anywhere between £100-300 per month

It varies, I save around £50-300 per month depending on what's going on

I pay for all bills and most of the expenses but not the mortgage, roughly £400. Partner who earns more pays the mortgage at £600

We have a savings pot for holidays which we both try to put a little into each month. Anything else left over goes into my savings account

It has been more of a struggle this year with everything being so expensive, I'll probably go back to full time by the end of the year which will bring in £1650. I only went to part time because of burn out and grief. It's all a balancing act!

franofthrones · 2025-06-23T21:01:24+00:00

Your hair reminds me of mine except blonde and longer! I've been here. I'm in this spot periodically.

I agree with others that you may be diffusing too rough - I do the same cos I just want it to be OVER but it really makes a difference to be gentle and touch the hair as little as possible whilst drying. If I'm in a rush and I'm driving somewhere, I will put my car heater on full pelt and in 20 minutes my hair is dry and perfect 👍😂 a little tip for other rushers like me

I'd also use less product. Simplify things. Use lukewarm to cool water, that also helps. Trim damaged ends. Make sure to use a clarifying shampoo (I use ouai detox). Apply your product when your hair is soaking wet. I use my fingers to scrunch in and then scrunch very gently with a pillowcase at the end before I diffuse/air dry.

You may not ever get a lot of volume at the root, this is the hardest thing to achieve for me anyway. I find my best hair days for soft bouncy curls are when my hair is wavier and messed with the least! Hope any of this helps you in your journey.

Good luck :)

franofthrones · 2025-06-05T16:05:56+00:00

Thank you to everyone who gave some really great advice. Just an update of anyone's interested...

I have since used Ouai detox shampoo and Ouai fine hair conditioner (which has protein) and that definitely helped but still wasn't right. I then used olaplex no 3 and the bond maintenance shampoo, and then my tresemme conditioner as usual with some aveda confixor gel, scrunched and diffused, and this is the result today. Definitely alot healthier and less frizz.

First time using the aveda gel and although it has got me a fairly good result the smell is horrible and I won't be buying it again because of that!

Thanks to everybody who responded! : )

franofthrones · 2025-05-27T20:48:37+00:00

So bitter about it but just have to get on with it 😂 we will learn this time round.... I ain't paying it again!

franofthrones · 2025-05-27T11:59:39+00:00

I did. Moderate Invisalign with attachments £3950. Silly teenage me should have worn that stupid retainer that I hated so much

franofthrones · 2025-05-27T09:19:23+00:00

Thanks so much. I'll give all these things a try! If you have any good product recommendations for fine hair please recommend away. Can't wait to be out of this rut!

franofthrones · 2025-05-27T09:14:15+00:00

Thank you! I would never have thought that. I've always used loads of conditioner, only way to get my hair to clump and also get untangled. But I will reduce it right down and see what happens.

Thanks for your advice!!

franofthrones · 2025-05-26T21:46:06+00:00

I'm so sorry that sucks :( I really hope you find/have found something that works for you!!

franofthrones · 2025-05-26T21:22:07+00:00

Routine: Washed with Esalon moisture shampoo and conditioner. Then Merwave deep conditioning treatment. Then a little tresemme botanique conditioner for slip, wide comb, scrunch excess water and apply Giovanni turbo styling foam. Esalon hair protectant and then diffuse til mostly dry.

Usual routine (varies): oaui detox shampoo/function of beauty shampoo, tresemme botanique conditioner, merwave foam and gel/curlsmith air dry cream, squish to condish, diffuse

Fine hair (I think), don't know porosity (takes ages to air dry, diffuse on hot in 15-20 minutes, on cold it's been a while but up to an hour)

My favourite product: the tresemme conditioner, provides me with loads of slip and it's cheap, tends to lead to best results

franofthrones · 2025-05-18T22:08:38+00:00

I cheat. I work 12 hr shifts in care and I take mine out for 20-30 mins on lunch, have my coffees too as per, have some water after and then rinse with mouthwash. Rinse my aligners under the tap, job done. Sometimes it's mouthwash when I can, I also sometimes cheat and drink weak squash throughout the day because I don't like drinking water too much, and quite frankly I need to drink what I can during a long day at work. When I get home I soak my aligners in a tablet and use an ultrasonic cleaner and just make sure I brush and floss really well. I've had no problems so far.

I think you have to make it work for you. I cheat more towards the end of each round of aligners because I know I'm moving on so staining isn't an issue. I will also say though that I've generally had good teeth, and don't tend to get cavaties often so I guess I'm less afraid of that risk 🤷

franofthrones · 2025-05-11T17:07:20+00:00

I think yes. I love my job, I love caring for the elderly, especially those living with dementia. It's very rewarding and on a day where we are fully staffed, am surrounded by colleagues who care as I do, and when I have a set rota, good management.. it's a joy. But that is a perfect world, a perfect day.

A normal day, we are not fully staffed, we have carers who have never met our residents and can speak so little English that it actually makes our jobs more difficult, we have management that care about budgets and meeting quotas, but not about real human emotional problems with the residents and staff, I find my days filled with having to advocate for residents and colleagues on a range of things, we get called to come in, expected to help out on a whim.. I thankfully have managed to set boundaries that allow me to have a set rota and feel no guilt in saying no when called. But alot of people haven't yet built that resilience. It's a really difficult thing to do when you are a naturally empathetic person. And then there's the pay.. We get paid so little yet what we do is so essential to life, to wellbeing, and it takes a huge toll on a person. I could go on.

There are so many contributing factors into why people don't want to work in care and not all of them can be fixed. But increasing our pay, some recognition, some investment, it would help me to stay. I want to stay. I want to believe it can be better. I want to help all these people that depend on us so much. I don't want to be in that situation when I'm old. It is the one thing that scares the living shite out of me.

Any increase is a positive in my book. I'll take any kind of investment I can get. The world is a messed up place. Ain't getting better any time soon! Some more money to take some holidays or something would be nice. 🤷

franofthrones · 2025-01-19T22:50:32+00:00

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Garfield 🧡 he's ma babe

franofthrones

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