u/AwareOlive3369

Just wanted to come on here and say my experience which may be common! I’ve felt a lot better the past 2 months and I think I found out why I suddenly got FODMAP sensitivities in the first place.

For the past 3 years I’ve been lifting and running 5 times a week and eating lean (oats and eggs in the morning, other meals usually a meat + bulgur wheat/rice + veggies). To supplement protein I also have whey protein powder, and/or protein bars like Barbell/Quest/Builders/etc after I work out. Issue is pretty much all of the 15-20g protein bars have sugar alcohols like mannitol and erythritol syrup to advertise “sugar-free”, which can destroy your gut over time.

Looked great, but felt awful. I started to have really intense pain in response to eating even a little bit of garlic, onion, mango, lychee, watermelon, pistachios, beets, chicory root fiber, dried fruit, etc. I never had or developed a problem with any lactose or gluten in any form.

I’ve cut out whey powder entirely, only have GoMacro bars, and I think pea protein is ok but not every day. In parallel I’ve been pretty much micro-dosing garlic and onion since those are the worst for me, and I only feel a slight tightness the day after now. I’ve been waiting months for my GI appointment and it’s finally next week. But just a finding in case other people have had the same issue!

Honestly cost isn’t too much of an issue, I’ve saved up and I feel that IF it’s effective it’ll be very worth it to me. My priority is it’s thorough and safe. Interested in full face/neck, Brazilian, underarm, stomach/navel/happy trail, and legs. So essentially full body. Candela gentle max pro and Nd:YAG only.

Did a quick first free treatment on my face at Sev. Too early to see results yet but I could handle the pain and had no crazy reactions. I’m set on doing full body but will likely wait till the fall/winter so I can fully enjoy the sun this summer! Went to consults at Milan, Sev, and LaserMD Medspa. They were all great for different reasons, but want to see some testimonies specifically for Boston!

Medium-tan skin, cis woman, no PCOS but really prevalent facial hair/maybe hirsutism, dark coarse hair

I just got my Milan consult in Boston, and I’m thinking about getting the full body bundle. There are definitely a lot of posts on Milan here but the opinions seem split. General vibe is they overcharge by like 4x (even with the “60-70% off” BS tactic) BUT if you are planning on needing a lot of touch ups (transitioning, PCOS, pregnancy, etc.) and doing many large areas it’s actually a good deal. I’m cis and have not been diagnosed with PCOS but was told I might have a hormonal imbalance based on my hair growth. Not planning on being pregnant any time soon but they really get you with the lifetime angle. They were also really kind and professional at the consult. People who have gotten treatments have said they were knowledgeable, medically professional, and safe.

The risks to me are:
A) I actually won’t end up needing a lot of touch ups. I’m interested in face/neck, Brazilian, legs, underarm. The hormonal areas apparently need 10-12 sessions and 2 touch-ups a year. If other places quote that at $250/session, over the next 8 years (and I’ve waxed/shaved/threaded/bleached/tweezed for 10 years now) it could be around $7k anyway. Full body with Milan means I can also do unlimited navel, lower back, full stomach… But do any of these really need touch ups?

B) The other risk is they close up shop before I get my money’s worth. People were saying they’re a big chain but $11k for a full body bundle means you’d need like 40-50 sessions on large areas before getting close to worth it.

I might just be ranting but I’m trying to crunch the numbers and wondering if anyone’s in the same boat? Am I crazy for seriously considering it?