‘Princessing’ but for my own wedding

[Lomondstripe]

Style and Beauty gurus...would anyone care to help me devise a 12 month plan for princessing for my own wedding?! I have had a quick google and apart from the rather hilarious round up from Emily Weiss on Into the Gloss (we’re talking tens of thousands...) I haven’t come across anything.

I need tips on how to get my PCOS fuelled cystic acne under control (can’t do roaccutane again!) so that by then it is...ok? That’s really the best I can hope for.

Also tips for stopping chewing the skin around my nails (a lifetime habit), tooth bonding for a gap if anyone hasn’t had it, anything else for someone who loves buying and reading about beauty and wellness but not so good with keeping up with things! Do pro-princessers schedule these things weekly?

Hit me with supplements, things you tried, things you want to try...help get me get glowy please and obviously if anyone cares to join then please do!

I’d love to join you! I’m not in it for any particular event or occasion- I’m just a mess and could do with developing some good habits

I’d already decided that 2019 will be the hear that I sort myself out. Main things I’m aiming for are:

1. Stop smoking It aged me, there’s no doubt about it!
2. Exercise (Leads on from number 1 - I’m nowhere near as fit as I should be!)
3. General grooming (I’ve got lazy with it and as a result often feel a bit bleurg)
4. Diet and water intake (water intake is shocking! Diet not so bad but could be improved)

This time next year I’d like to be a fitter, more groomed, more energetic version of me!

I think people often forget the skin on their back- if your dress shows it and you’re having your hair up you want it to look good. So use whatever you’re using on your face up your upper back and shoulders as well.

My PCOS acne was massively cleared up by a myo-inositol and folic acid supplement called My Ova. I get it from Amazon, it’s not cheap but I couldn’t go without it now and if I miss a day I can tell in my skin!

I'm in too! Had baby 7 months ago and finally got fed up of not looking after myself too...e.g spending lots of money on dd but not on myself! So being a bit selfish and got gel nails last week and next appointment booked, as well as a haircut tomorrow. Skin-wise I always find less sugar, more water to work very quickly no matter what my hormonal situation so worth a try? It certainly can't hurt...

@MessyHouse91 I got through 2 bottles of MyOba but didn’t really notice a difference and it’s too pricy (esp with wedding!) to keep going for nothing...how long before you saw results, just out of interest?

@Doobigetta yes! My dress has quite an open back - luckily my acne doesn’t affect my back as much as my neck but definitely on my list to keep an eye on!

@Cantchoosenickname and @motherdemeter - more water less crap is definitely to be my 2019 motto. I used to be brill with water, if anything I think I maybe drank a little much but the past year or so it has completely dropped off and I feel I can go for such a long time without ‘needing’ any enough to get off my bum and walk to the water cooler. Doesn’t stop me having umpteen reusable bottles in order to gee myself on!

@Lomondstripe I take 4 a day (so get through a £30 bottle of 120 every month) and I saw results very gradually after about a month. It wasn’t until I forgot them when I went on holiday that I realised what I difference they were making!

@MessyHouse91 I might give it another shot - looked on amazon it I actually ordered twice so 4 months total and didn’t feel a huge difference but I had just had Mirena cool inserted a month or so before starting and took nearly a year to settle down so that wouldn’t have helped I imagine. Willing to give it another shot if it helps!

For hormonal acne, I recommend a drug called spirolactanone . You need to talk to your GP about a prescription, but it's a wonder drug for me - I noticed a big difference within 2 days of starting it

One of the side effects is that it can be a diuretic, which may or may not be helpful with your ambition to drink more water (It doesn't have that effect on me, so no accidental weight lose either)

Metformin has completely fixed my cystic acne. But drastic but I'm not overweight and eat reasonably well so GP wasn't sure what else might help me.

Thanks @OlennasWimple - I have asked for it in past at GP after doing a lot of reading f and was told that they have never prescribed it for this and so wouldn’t write me a script for it! @OrcinusOrca that’s interesting - I’ve read about its use for weight in PCOS but not acne. I am, after a lot of work, now at a normal (albeit the top end...) BMI so not sure if this would affect the likelihood of being ‘allowed’ it?

Take 2 sachets of infolic a day if you can’t get Metformin (you need a gaenocologist’s prescription to get this). It has a similar effect and with a lower calorie diet could help your acne. Also, moderate intensity weight bearing exercise will really help. PCOS means we don’t burn nearly as much as normal women in aerobic exercise — so that means we should try and boost our metobolic rate by creating bigger muscles. The good thing is that combined with a good diet we can often lean up faster this way as some types of PCOS allows slightly faster muscle growth.

We are also TTC but my GP happily let me try the metformin, and I feel a lot better since I have been on it. I had been given some cream for acne but did nothing except bleach everything I touched! I tried everything for the cystic acne, it only started about six months after I came off the pill and was so, so painful. Even a few months in the old lumps in my face would come to the service and explode violently if I squished them. I tried drinking 3-3.5l of fluid a day and I think that helped a little but nowhere near like the metformin has.

*surface!

Thanks @OrcinusOrca - weight training and diet have helped to a point but there seems to be nothing that tames the dreaded bumps. You’re right it really is so painful and there’s so little that can be done to cover them, I dread the thought of adding that to wedding stress!

Would the GP write you a private prescription for spiro? Would be more expensive than regular NHS prescription, but it's not an expensive drug to buy out of your own pocket

@OlennasWimple signed off work just now but have popped it into my diary to look at in new year!

I know it doesn't help for everyone but cutting out ALL diary really helped my hormonal acne.

I also got one of those acne lamp things - it seemed to help although I couldn't be certain

Not sure about the acne but I did the following things in the year leading up to my wedding

1. at least 2lts if water a day. Carry a water bottle round with you/have it on desk at work etc. More likely to drink before being thirsty and can keep track of how much you have had. Give it three months for body to adjust and not need to pee every 2 minutes!

2. exercised well. I exercise anyway but I signed up for an event to keep me motivated. I also did weight training as I wore a backless dress and I like it when my back looks a little toned.

3. speaking if backless dresses...I had a ‘back facial’ about 4 weeks before the wedding at my beauty lounge. It was bloody lovely! Highly recommend and gets the skin in tip top condition.

4. keep exfoliating gloves in the shower. Exfoliate weekly to keep skin looking healthy.

5. if you don’t already take a multi vitamin help keep your energy levels high and skin looking good.

6. regular and patterned sleep where possible. I NEED sleep and the first thing that will tell you I haven’t had enough is my eyes! I know I need 9 hours to look human. (I know it’s a lot!) and so tried to make sure I got that where ever possible.

7. share with your hairdresser what you want your hair to be like on the day. If it needs colouring growing etc they can keep you on track.

8. I kept a photo of my dress in my purse. Sad I know but it was a good motivator to keep at the exercise and keep away as much as possibly from the chocolate!

Good luck with the wedding a year will fly by in no time! I wish I could do it all over again I loved it!!

Thank you all! @whatsnewchoochoo dairy is already gone and I have just invested my boots points in the neutrogena mask!

@fridgepants thanks to weight training I am down to a healthy BMI - I’ve had people comment recently about looking a bit unwell and gaunt (v skinny face/chest and arms and legs, they wouldn’t be saying the same if they saw my apple belly!) so not keen to lose too much more tbh but low carb looks to be the way to go for PCOS (my downfall).

@whatelsecouldibecalled my biggest downfalls of your list are gonna be water and sleep! I plan on literally diarising all these things in the new year! Dress is bought, not too bothered about that as they can adjust either way! I have photo on my phone though to remind me that it’s waiting there for me...

Thank the lord my bridesmaid is my hair dresser so I am under strict instructions for zero bleach and maximum hair masks during the next year! Supplements and vitamins are part of this one too, really need to keep up with these because if I miss my evening primrose and have sore boobs that can’t even abide a T-shirt touching them then a strappy braless dress is gonna be a disaster!

Love an exclamation mark, clearly - sorry! (Oh ffs...)

I would really recommend that you see a dermatologist, if you have the money -privately if necessary. It will most likely be the best investment in terms of increasing your confidence (as well as the health of your skin). I live in the US and it is normal that most women have a dermatologist that they see as part of their beauty/health/wellness routine. Also if you are already a patient and you get a sudden flair-up close to the wedding you can usually get in quickly for a rescue remedy in an emergency situation! My own derma told my teen daughter one time that she had a bride coming in for an emergency appointment immediately after seeing her. Drs will usually only do this for established patients.