$17,000

Yep. I finally decided to go into a plastic surgeons office for a consult to get an idea of what the damage is going to be to get rid of all the hanging skin on my arms and see if there is anything I can do on my way to my goal weight to aid in firming up the skin. They looked over my medical questionnaire and told me I’m not a candidate for surgery because I have high blood pressure (well controlled) and diabetes (also well controlled and unmedicated).

But, there’s good news! I am a candidate for their non-surgical treatments. The consultant went over an array of treatment options for my FACE that I did not go in for. I get it. I’m 50 years old, horrible with wearing sunscreen and even worse when it comes to pretty much any self care including taking care of my skin. But in need of $17,000 worth of skin treatments over the next year? Yeah, I don’t think so. But they were holding my ID and credit card hostage so I listened to all the options and looked at before and after photos and while I could see a big improvement in the samples, I just didn’t see where I needed $17,000 of improvements. It wasn’t going to make me look like I was 16 again and I really don’t think I look that bad for 50. (Ok, I may be delusional)

So I had a facial yesterday and I was talking to my esthetician about the $17,000 worth of work I apparently needed. She couldn’t see it either. Now I go in every other month to see her because I have been working on trying to repair some of my sun damage because honestly, I can’t stay out of the sun and I just started wearing sunscreen in the last couple years fairly regularly. She told me if I just wore sunscreen and used my moisturizer daily, actually used the red light mask I got during covid at least once a week and saw her a couple times a year I’d look great and if I every want to bump up my skin care she will help me come up with a plan that suits my needs and she will do it for WAY less than $17,000.

So this led to a discussion about all the products and procedures that are marketed to us in an effort to stay looking young when we really don’t need to go to extremes but can keep looking good with consistency. It’s like that with everything. Stay good 90% of the time and the 10% that you miss the mark will not be too bad. If you eat healthy 90% of the time that one night of pizza and beer out with friends will not make that much of a difference. If you exercise 90% of the time and take a day or two off to binge watch a TV show as long as you get back to it after it isn’t a big deal. It’s the same with my skin care. If actually took care of it and, well let’s face it if I even put any effort into it, I’d look a lot better and the vast majority of “problems” they pointed out at the plastic surgeons office would not be a problem at all.

So take care of yourself. Spend the $20 on some moisturizer and sunscreen. Use it regularly and save yourself $16,980.