[Notradaya]

I'll just add my two cents here… I was a shaver, became a waxer, did that for years until I discovered laser 4 years ago.  When I started laser I didn't have a lot of hair bc waxing really thinned it out.  I  did however spend OVER  12-months getting laser done to my pits and bits. I loved the ridiculously slow grow back and super- thinned out hair, so much that I gushed about it and recommended it to all my girlfriends.  I was an ideal candidate with pale skin and dark hair, and made sure my clinc used the best laser around, top notch treatment, and I went religiously every 5-6 week (whatever they told me to do).  I finally quit when there were just a few random stragglers and blondies on the underside left that would come back, but I was mostly bare, and my pits were empty! 

Fast forward to 3-4 months after my final treatment, some slow growth came back.  I was not prepared to sink anymore money into laser, ($70/5mins- usually took them15-20mins in the beginning, 10 mins at the end) so I just went back to shaving my underarms.  Today, they look like I NEVER touched them with the laser.  My bits had a lot of those blondies on the underside, so I knew they wouldn't go away forever, but my upper part was pretty cleaned out.  I continued to wax the blondies and the stragglers but it seems that the top has made a comeback as well.  While I know it's still not as heavy as it was pre-laser, I still have enough that I NEED a wax, although I'm feeling jaded and cheap so I stretch it out to every 2 months.  The hair is very thin and sparce, but it does get long. 

So just beware, laser, as great as it it, can just not work for everyone, even ideal candidates can fail to get good final results. And the results during treatment do not necessarily reflect on the results you'll have at the end bc during treatment I was a bare bunny most of the time after the hair fell out!   I was also told that hormone fluctuations throughout life could stimulate new growth and that obviously wouldn't have been lasered at the time you were doing it, so things like pregnancy can bring back you hair, but not necessarily in even coverage.    I couldn't do a landing strip if I wanted bc my growth is really patchy.  All that money just to ultimately be at the whim of my hormones?  Probably won't do it again 🙁  

Guess I'll just keep waxing, luckily since I have so little my waxer only charges me $20-$25 for a brazillian 🙂  it's really just a tidy up.

[Notradaya]

i had a tongue ring for 10yrs before i finally took it out. I can give you an educated but slightly biased opinion https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

Yes it hurt… yes it was swollen, yes I talked funny for a bit… but that all goes away fairly quickly. Yes I was warned about the danger of damaging my teeth, no… I didn’t believe anyone and thought it was all just a scare tactic to make me conform to boring-ness.

8 years after having no problems at all I went to dental school… you can imagine the hassle I got from my tutors… "you can’t be a dentist and expect your patients to take you seriously with that thing in your mouth!!" blah blah blah. And everyone seemed shocked I didn’t have any teeth problems. I really just never played with it and was very lucky when i accidentally chomped down on it… which wasn’t often (but it will happen). Zero damage and I still thought everytime someone told me about how bad it was for your teeth they were just trying to scare me to take it out. Damage didn’t really happen… I had mine for so long so what was the big deal?! Or so I thought…

After two years of standing firm and not taking it out, a good friend of mine in the program cracked one of her teeth on hers and needed a very expensive crown or she’d have to get her tooth pulled. She was eating a sticky chewy caramel kiss… nothing even hard! But she chomped down too hard and that was that. That’s when I decided to take mine out… I didn’t want my luck to run out!! I then had some chats with a lot of people and started to hear the horror stories about the extreme damage they caused to their teeth with their tongue rings. In fact on another pole forum one of the girls shared her and her husband’s total cost of dental work associated with the damage they had done to their teeth… it was unreal. 10’s of thousands of dollars… and here I’d never done any damage.

So… to get to the point, if you are even remotely concerned about damaging your teeth, don’t get one. It can cause receding gums (this I have seen a bit on my own lower front teeth), it can cause cracked teeth, and it can on rare occasions cause major infections (mouths are NASTY!!! and this is coming from a Dentist!!)

However, if you are still interested, be sure to research your piercer first, make sure it’s a good clean place (like you wouldn’t do this anyway https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif ) Make sure to drink lots of cool stuff to keep the swelling down, take your ibuprofen and other anti inflammatory pain killers and as soon as you can switch it to a plastic ball set. If you can get a plastic bar, even better. The damage to your teeth can be minimized that way, but remember people crack their teeth on random stuff like peppercorns and ice, so just b/c it’s plastic doesn’t make it totally safe. Oh, and I used a metal bar and balls for nearly the whole time I had mine in:oops: … so you can get lucky and not have problems with the metal, but everyone is different.

I loved it while I had it, it was pierced far enough back that it wasn’t too obvious, and at times I miss it, but 10yrs with no damage was a good run and it doesn’t really suite me anymore. Make sure it’s not pierced too far forward where it can do more damage to your front teeth (this is based on your anatomy) and just don’t over play with it…. that’s where a lot of damage is done, plus it’s annoying to see someone always playing with their tongue ring.

Hope that helped!

[Notradaya]

my dance name is Ruby since it’s my birthstone and I LOVE the colour red. precious/semi precious stones and gems are good… Jade, Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby, Onyx or Ebony if you have black hair, Pearl, etc

I did the name generator and didn’t really like any of my results… my real name (Nickname then full name) got me:
Celeste Cassidy or Jessica Valentine- Pop
Codi Criss or Jordan Winter– Rock
Da Doll or Labella Velvet — Rap

hmmm… actually labella velvet isn’t too bad… did a lot of combos though, nickname alone, nickname +last name, full first name and then full first and last… certainly gives you a lot to choose from!

[Notradaya]

Reading these stories has me all teary eyed…

Caramel, you were a beautiful girl… with the limited times that I got to chat to you I could sense that you were such a sweet person…. you’re funny and caring, and I pray for your family that they receive the rest and strength that they need to get through this time of sorrow. Bless you my sweet, I know that you’re Home now, and it’ll be amazing to meet you there someday…

So much Love,
Bree

[Notradaya]

Just saw this thread tonight on PJs… totally made me tear up, what a beautiful concept! I LOVE IT! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_compress.gif

[Notradaya]

Easy… back flexy things:
rubber pencil/daryll hannah
crescent moon
layback
gemeni fold over scorpio
twisted grip aysha
extended butterfly/DVD cover

Hard… anything requiring hip flexibility:
Pike handstand/headstand lift up mount (not kick up)
boomerang spin (can’t get legs to raise any more than parallel to the ground https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif
air shouldermount – my nemesis
knee hold
the thing that looks like the brass monkey, but off the pole and from an aysha… don’t know the name -great for a bendy back but my back is TOO bendy, i can’t control it and it’s dangerous !!
pole splits since i’ve totally lost my flexibility https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

and for some reason just a simple air invert from up the pole has been very challenging for me all along, i can’t do it very nicely, and it’s not very pretty after i’ve had to do a couple https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

[Notradaya]

Wow! i just looked at Lilbit’s profile… one hot mama!! you look PHENOMENAL for 54… clearly your healthy eating is helping!

I’m getting married in march and trying to convince myself to start the workout/eating right. didn’t do so well today:

BF (at 1pm)- coco pops with skim milk
L (at 4:30ish) – bircher museli (actually pretty darn healthy)
snack- 3 pieces of chocolate (flattie is doing a truffle promotion and brought home KILOS of truffles- must remember to steer clear)
D(about 7pm) – 3 small pieces of homemade pizza and a can of pepsi (I RARELY drink this, maybe once a month or so)- wholegrain base, smoked salmon, chicken and capers with pesto, roasted capsicum, onions, olives and artichokes. yummmy
Dessert- about 4 chocolate scotchfinger biscuits (damn)

Drank some H2O, but not enough. need more water, less sugar and more veggies. tomorrow I’ll try to eat clean and have that bircher museli for brekky, then something HEALTHY for the rest of the day!

[Notradaya]

http://www.youtube.com/rkaraben

she did this move a few times in one of her vids, although I can’t remember exactly which one, i watched a bunch the other night so they’re all blurring together, but i did noticed she had variations on the legs. maybe it was on of hers? She’s a phenomenal dancer BTW. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

hope this helps!

[Notradaya]

I agree, that would be awesome… it’s so easy for the comments to get lost… or to feel kinda desperate https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif always looking at your own vids to see if someone’s commented… i don’t need to watch them again, i danced them, but i do want to know if’ someone’s said something! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif

[Notradaya]

$120 for all 5 is not unreasonable at all, that’s less than $25 each DVD, and they are some of the best instructional DVD’s on the market, you won’t regret your purchase- Jamilla is a FANTASTIC teacher. Enjoy them girls!

[Notradaya]

where in Oz are you? i’m in Sydney at Bobbi’s! Welcome to the forum!!

[Notradaya]

I did silly stuff like put on a whole ton of make-up and wear a little crop top and say, "I’m a hoookkerrrr!" with like a deep Polish accent… BUT I DID IT HOME! lol And I didn’t really know the impact or meaning of a lot of words until I was older. So yeah… *loooks away*

That’s so funny! Totally reminded me about the one year when i was about 10 or so and I INSISTED on being a "hooker!" for halloween. My mother kept saying No, how about you be a punk rock chick, like Jem and the Holograms (remember her girls!?)… I went along with it but in my mind, I was being a hooker… hahaha, I had NO IDEA at the time what a hooker was.

[Notradaya]

Oh! Nevermind, I answered my own question, it is the same Shadow I was thinking about… i knew that bar looked familar! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif Lucky you, she’s like the spin queen!

[Notradaya]

Was that Shadow as in Shadow Pole Queen? Just seeing her shoes made me wonder if it’s the same girl on youtube… similar shoes.. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif looks like you had fun! thanks for sharing!

[Notradaya]

Bobbi’s classes are $230AUD for 8 one hour classes, everyone gets their own pole. every additional class is 50% off, unless it’s a non-pole class (stretch, SLAP, burlesque, etc, which are only discounted to ~$150 or so).

[Notradaya]

I agree… go at your own pace… you’ll be keen to get moving fast, but just make sure you don’t rush through the basics.

Another thing to keep in mind along the same lines, and this goes for every pole dancer at every level… just learning the moves doesn’t do you any good. You want to learn how to make them look good from before you go into it, to after you finish it. This is something you often see missing from pole dance vids… if you try to make every move you make look graceful and finished, you will find your moves look nicer. That’s more for after you’ve got the basics of the moves though, so don’t stress about it at first, just keep it in mind once you start moving on to new and different moves. you’ll want to move on and learn lots of new stuff, but don’t forget to polish what you already do know. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

Also, expect it to hurt. it will. you probably already know about the bruises… do expect them and embrace them! and then take arnica to banish them https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif you can buy it in cremes, ointments or even little caplets that you chew up or let dissolve under your tongue. health food stores will have them.

Most importantly have fun!!! I’m sure you’ll become as addicted as all the rest of us are!

[Notradaya]

awwwwww….. i wish i could dance right now!!!! no pole or exercise for me for another 4 weeks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif i had started to chorey a routine to Billie Jean for amateur night a few months back but i chickened out at the last minute and pulled out… never finished it. I would love to do this, maybe i’ll pick it up again when i can dance. it’ll just be a late post. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif have fun everyone that does theirs!!

[Notradaya]

I used WMM until just recently and then i was naughty and downloaded a copy of Vegas…. I’m also still working my way around it, but so far it’s capable of so much more that WMM. honestly, if you spent the money on it take some time to play with it- maybe search youtube for some tutorials to get a handle on the basics. It’s good software.
https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[Notradaya]

I know it’s probably not what you want to hear so take a deep breath…

maybe all these struggles with this pole are a sign that you shouldn’t use it! it could be the universe trying to save your poor little body from some unknown pending doom on the suicide pole. okay, it’s not that bad, but it really is an unsafe pole. i know i know i know… you really really want to get on the pole, but I’m hoping by now you’ve read the reviews of that pole… bad bad news… even for a newbie… especially considering that if you really like pole as much as you seem to so far you’ll want to get better fast, and you’ll really be limited with the moves you’ll be able to safely do on the peekaboo pole. so… try not to hate me and my opinion https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif, and maybe consider saving your dollars for a bit to get an xpole, or a platinum stages pole. SOOOO much safer babe…

i wish you the best of luck in your frustration, i know how irritating it can be when you just want the damn thing up! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif

[Notradaya]

Wow… so i downloaded a torrent of the Vegas Pro 9 (naughty i know) and WOW… that is an awesome editing program!!!

I was as far zoomed in as I could get on the WMM timeline, and i still couldn’t match up the audio right, it was so frustrating.

Tried Vegas and OMG, it was so easy and perfect to match… really good. The first time i downloaded it i did something wrong so it was an incomplete version and i couldn’t access the transition effects, so i didn’t publish my first attempt and i reinstalled it. now that i have it working fully I’m gonna view a few online tutorials to see how to quickly navigate around the program to get the full benefits, then i’m off and running… i’ll have some new vids up shortly now b/c i did a session yesterday that i can’t wait to upload, but i’ve got an exam tomorrow so must focus on boring things for just a little while longer… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_shaking2.gif

i’ll post some more feed back once i’ve played around with it for a bit. for those that are tech savvy, and don’t mind the torrent options with cracks and keygens, this is a good one. if that’s a foreign language to you newbies, don’t worry, WMM will do you fine until you find that you need something more complex- and if you don’t, just stick with WMM!!

[Notradaya]

Yeah, wow. Doris is beautiful to watch… what an amazing figure… i love her muscular legs… Go muscular girls!!

[Notradaya]

oooh… exdiva gave a good tutorial on YT for this one, I remember seeing it a while back, i think she did it for PoledanceFan… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxYSscEm82A

that might help too… i think she explains it very well

[Notradaya]

squeeze the mighty daylight out of that pole with your thighs! I tighten my bum to help remind me ! that ‘s what i can give ya.. and you need to be secure… if i’m sweaty in my upper thigh region, forget it… so be careful….

try tipping your legs up toward the ceiling first, THEN release one arm or both… try to stay up… this will activate your abs…

then with control you can start to lower yourself down. you can alway put your hands behind/beneath you and take hold of the pole there until you feel secure enough to go all the way back.

hope that helps!!! you’ll get it!!

[Notradaya]

welcome!! where ya taking class at ?? I’m a bobbi’s City girl…

lots of helpful info here!!! don’t worry, your friends don’t need to get the awesomeness of pole, you make new ones who do get it!

[Notradaya]

Felix trained (and taught) at Bobbi’s when she lived in Australia, hence the reason the styles are similar… interestingly so did Jamilla back in the day, as did Suzie Q…. now they both own their own studios.

A lot of amazing dancers come out of Bobbi’s, she definitely has a recognizable style… not that there aren’t other amazing places in Australia, but i tend to find that some of the most fluid and well trained dancers have come from her training.

I think that style is very similar to the BeSpun girls… something about that movement is very familiar… LeighAnn and Alethea are great!