u/srslywhatismylifenow

Hi, Friends! Long time lurker- first time poster. I’d like to start out by thanking everyone on this thread for such thoughtful guidance on DIY microneedling. Reading through all of your posts on this subreddit has been incredibly helpful!

I’ve done a TON of research on at-home microneedling for several months. I finally got the courage to order a Derminator 2 and all required supplies, my sterilization products are ready to go, and I’m gearing up to do my first microneedling experiment within the next couple of weeks. I’ve successfully managed at-home derma rolling, exosome (spicule) serums and at-home chemical peels for a few years, so I think my skin will handle microneedling just fine.

Despite obsessively researching and having many talks with Gemini and ChatGPT (which I know is always hit or miss), I still do not completely understand when it is appropriate to use Korean skin boosters* (during the session? immediately after the session? only once the channels have closed 24 hours later?)

*Let me preface this by saying that I (believe) I have only ordered sterile skin boosters: Curenex skin booster, Velatox GF11 and (once I get good at microneedling), Rejuran skin booster (it’s expensive but apparently worth it!). These are all Korean products marketed for meso and microneedling, and as far as I can tell (based off researching U.S. med spas that microneedle with some of these products, manufacturer guidance and Korean doctors discussing these products online), they certainly appear to be sterile. But then sometimes I’ll read posts by others who claim these products are NOT sterile (although I think they may just be confused?). I also see some folks who are just ordering boosters/ampoules off Amazon that definitely do not appear to even be medically sterile (including some estheticians & skincare influencers who push non-sterile boosters to a very large following). I obviously know to not believe everything I read on the internet, but all of this conflicting information certainly has me confused!

I do NOT want to take chances with my skin. I know the risks involved, which is why I want to make sure I’m only using medically sterile products.

Can the Korean boosters products I mentioned above safely be mixed with Hyaron and used as a slip DURING and directly AFTER microneedling? Or must I wait until the channels close up to use the Korean boosters I’ve ordered? I know that I could simply use sterile saline or Hyaron as a slip, but I’m getting into my 40s and looking for additional anti-aging benefits that I believe some boosters can deliver.

Again, I’m a total newbie so please be kind 🥲 Thank you so much for any clarification you can give me!

Signed,
Lost and Confused

Now, I know what you’re thinking… “This question is about being a bridesmaid!”

And I’m here to tell you: IT’S NOT. I’M NOT A BRIDESMAID.

My brother is getting married to someone I’ve never met in person before. She relocated from the east coast to the west coast to be with him, and they moved fast on their engagement. Because of that, there has not really been any family bonding time. On an unrelated note: These two fight all the time. I’ll be shocked if they actually make it down the aisle. EDITED TO ADD: These are not my own opinions. These are words that my brother repeats, often. The only reason I have included these details are because it makes it hard to take their wedding too seriously. If the situation were different, I would bend over backwards to accommodate her requests.

I have three sisters, and the future bride has asked all four of us to be her “something blue” on their wedding day. And let me be clear on this: We are not in her bridal party- she has 7 bridesmaids- all personal friends of hers.

But trying to be nice and welcoming to her, my sisters and I easily agreed to be her “something blue.” Then she proceeds to send us a very specific shade of blue, a specific fabric and a specific (cheap) website to order our wedding day dresses from.

My sisters are all between the ages of 16 and 25 without strong opinions, so of course- they have no problem with this. But I’m in my mid forties, and I would never wear a dress from this lame website unless I agreed to be a bridesmaid. The dresses are cheaply made, designed for college-aged TikTokers, show more skin than I am comfortable with and simply not my style. I have shared all of these concerns with her via text (again, we haven’t met in person but we’ve shared a few texts). However, she just doesn’t care. She wants to control every facet of this event and has alienated several others in her pursuit of the “perfect wedding day”.

I’ll also add: I don’t feel that I’m being unreasonable here, because the bride is also attempting to dictate what everyone else must wear to the wedding too. Not just the general style or vibe, but also the specific color. And nobody has been immune to her demands: not the mothers of the bride & groom, not the uncles or aunts, not the 94 year old senior citizens attending, not the babies + children, and certainly not the sisters. Wedding outfits are the tip of the iceberg of her requests— if I listed the other demands and requests, most of you would be appalled. I can assure you that I’m not the selfish one in this scenario. I know the day is not about me, and I don’t want attention on me. However, I also don’t want to be in an awkward dress that doesn’t allow me to relax.

I want to feel confident, stylish and age appropriate at my brother’s wedding. I have no issue staying with the shade she’s requested to meet her wishes, but I do NOT want to be told exactly where I’m allowed to purchase a dress and what fabric I’m allowed to purchase.

Am I being the asshole?

Additionally- if I’m not being the asshole, should I politely tell her in advance that I won’t be wearing the “assigned” dress, or should I just show up to the wedding wearing whatever I decided to purchase (as long as it’s the within the shade she requested) and deal with the “consequences” later?