mikkixx
Forum Replies Created
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"The discoloration of the iris actually is a side effect of using it as a glaucoma medication, where you are dispensing drops directly into your eye, and it can change your eye color to brown permanently. Latisse was born out of the side effect finding and it is applied very lightly to the lash line so the chances of iris discoloration is slim."
Ideally, things applied to your lashline would stay there, but given that
– bimatoprost is water soluble
– a common side effect is eye irritation
– application is recommended just before bedtime
– most people are going to accidentally put too much on at one point or another
the chance of some of it finding its way into your eye is pretty high.The incidence of it happening in clinical trials for glaucoma tend to be in the 0-1.5% region (keep in mind that this is for everyone in the trial, not just the light-eyed participants).
It seems to be a permanent side effect, and may only be noticeable for several months/years according to the Lumigan leaflet, so it's not like you can stop treatment if you see any changes happening and expect it to stay that way. Latisse was approved by the FDA in 2008.
AFAIK no large-scale, long term data on side effects have been reported for use of bimatoprost for eyelash growth.
Only approximately 5% of the amount used in an eyedrop is applied to the lashline.
Given all that, if I were a light-eyed girl and particularly attached to the colour of my eyes, I'd go for eyelash extensions until some more studies have been done, but everyone should weigh up the risks/benefits for themselves.
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I don't know… I wouldn't call gymnastics an extreme sport! 😛 It's extremely taxing on the body, but most extreme sports don't actually need that much all-round fitness, they just give you a massive adrenaline rush from height/speed/risk of death e.g. hang-gliding, bungee jumping…
But then again, my boyfriend is an aspiring basejumper/proximity flyer, so anything I do is pretty lame by comparison! 🙁
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I use Careprost, which is generic Latisse. It's worked really well for me!
I hate to linkspam, but I wrote a post on how Latisse/bimatoprost works, and it has a little bit on side effects/incidence of iris darkening, so I thought I'd link it since it's very relevant: http://www.labmuffin.com/2012/04/how-does-latisse-bimatoprost-make.html
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Argh, I had/have this problem really bad in my right hip – it's worse in winter (cold = cramped muslces) and when I sit down and cross-legged for a long time, but it's gotten so much better. I used to have to get a massage every few weeks to get it to not drive me crazy, but this works for me now:
– stretching the hip flexor (deep lunges, foam rolling)
– releasing the hip flexor every second night or so (lying on my stomach with a tennis ball about two inches inside of the hip bone)
– strengthening my glutes (backward leg lifts and holding penchées for ages, side-lying"clam" exercises)
It's a lot of hard work, but I prefer to fix it biomechanically than continue treating the symptoms only… but when the symptoms come, wheat bags are really nice.
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I'm from Bobbi's (Sydney) too, and I love it! Basically everyone's said it already – lots of focus on technique and floorwork (my technique is terrible though, damn you lack of dance background! 🙁 ). In my first class, we were taught how to do a head roll, how to roll over on the ground, and how to get back onto your feet from the ground. You get reminded constantly to point your toes. It really makes all the difference!
On the flip side, Bobbi's really concentrates on the "pretty" moves – butterfly, spins, stags – and in that sense it's a bit limiting. There's also a general philosophy of barefoot or flexed feet being anathema – they won't teach Russian splits, or the no-handed star, since you can't do them with shoes unless you're Chelle Hafner. If you can't get into and out of a move gracefully in shoes without flexing your feet, it won't be taught. I've only met a handful of girls who take classes there without shoes. Otoh, dancing in shoes all the time is probably the best way to get you used to them.
Also, since there's so much more emphasis on dance, there's less time to actually learn moves, so students at other studios probably learn harder tricks and get stronger faster than at Bobbi's – for example, the very earliest you'd learn an inversion would be after 2 months, and an Aysha would be after 8 months of pole. There are pros to this in terms of safety and strength-building, but if you're a trickster type, you'd get bored.
There actually isn't much emphasis on individuality until you get to higher levels, although all teachers are different. Basically, there's a "right" and a "wrong" way of doing things at Bobbi's, luckily Bobbi's "right" way is really aesthetically pleasing! Unfortunately, it does feel restrictive at times – for example, the number of Bobbi's students I've heard complaining about Carlie Hunter not pointing her toes in her "dancing grandma" performance. I mean, it was clearly an artistic choice, since in every other competition she's proven herself more than capable of pointing her toes. But to each their own.
I don't mean to sound negative, and I'm not, since as I said before, I freaking love it at Bobbi's, and I really couldn't add much more to the good things that have already been said. But I felt the need to balance out this discussion 🙂
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Haha – I happen to be a nail blogger, and I love stamping! 🙂 The results definitely vary depending on the plates you use. I only own one set of plates, the Bundle Monster 25 plate set (http://www.bundlemonster.com/nail-art-stamping-image-plates-set-25pc.html) which is $22 + shipping. It's a lot better value than Konad plates, which often cost $10 per plate… but 25 plates might be a lot to get if you're not sure yet. I've also heard that Red Angel and SHANY plates are good, and Amazon/eBay are good places to get cheap plates. The rubber stamp is usually overpriced in shops but < $3 on eBay, and old credit cards are best for scraping.
There's a massive list of polishes that work with stamping plates here: http://sassestampingstampede.wordpress.com/polish/
And some of my stamped manis:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E0sq2GhAtqw/T3v2cF0CFaI/AAAAAAAAAsY/19xyfOiLIbE/s400/DSCF6138a.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8hGUJR-62I/TxzDYXaQEJI/AAAAAAAAAbw/3lgTNkkMD6M/s400/DSCF5451a.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tuEXShkj24w/TyYpQ2MlWiI/AAAAAAAAAek/9YW735_Bl44/s1600/DSCF5508a.jpg
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Thanks everyone, so glad to know that I'm not just a weird clicky freak! I took a course of fluoroquinolone antibiotics about a year ago which made every joint in my body snap/crackle/pop, everything's slowly getting back to normal but I sometimes worry that it totally wrecked my body!
It definitely sounds like it's snapping hip with the rectus femoris tendon. I'm definitely going to work on my glutes – my weak glutes are also giving me lots of problems with piriformis syndrome as well, and I've noticed that the snapping's improved a bit since I've started taking technique classes which involve lots of butt-aching ballet-style leg lifting and arabesque exercises.
I also found this page here: http://evolutionaryathletics.com/blogs/demarco/2011/11/03/how-to-cure-snapping-hip-syndrome/ There are some interesting exercises described that might help, I've started being more careful about turning my hips out of alignment when stretching etc 🙂
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I find that the easiest way to get into butterfly is from a gemini/outside leg hang – put your outside hand under your top knee, reach your inside arm down into split grip, rotate your top leg so it's vertical against the pole and you're there!
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I am a big believer in finding the right grip aid/antiperspirant combo. At some point, the force needed to generate the friction required to keep a 50-70 kg weight on a vertical metal pole with X amount of sweat acting as a lubricant becomes superhuman.
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I've been trying to work on back bending too! A few stretches I like:
– Cobra – Alethea has a few variations on her DVD which are pretty good, I also do this with my hands on a wall… sometimes with a phone in my hand so I can multi-task 😛
– Holding onto the pole in a cup grip, slide your hands down your feet and legs backwards as far as you can while still holding onto the pole. You should basically be in a right-side-up bridge (http://www.triagedesign.co.uk/wikipole/images/thumb/2/23/Bridge_by_JennyG.jpg/200px-Bridge_by_JennyG.jpg). Get out of it by collapsing on your face.
– Stand facing the pole with your feet about a foot away. Lean forwards until your crotch is on the pole, then lean your upper body backwards.
My back used to hurt like crazy the next day, until I started doing forward bends right after each backbend.
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My first shoes were these Ellie Juliets (http://www.attractivewear.net/images/el-08/678-Juliet-ellie-shoes-08-.jpg) – unfortunately they just did not fit my feet AT ALL. The bit over the toes was too narrow to keep my feet in place – eventually my toes just kept coming out. Additionally, the sole of the platform is really curvy, which made me constantly feel off-balance on hard floors.
My second pair were these Pleaser Delights (http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/41954071/Pleaser_Delight_609_r_5.75_inch_heel.jpg) – these have a front strap that covers more of the foot, and the sole has a much bigger "flat" section before curving at the front. These were incredibly easy to walk in on wooden floors compared to the old shoes and they fit my feet well.
Higher shoes can be prettier and make your lines nicer, but they're also heavier, which means you often have to use more calf and ankle strength to keep your feet pointed and un-sickled. It also makes it more obvious when your feet are flexed or sickled, ruining your lines. Moves that require a flexed foot look a million times better barefoot, in my opinion. Heavy shoes are actually really useful for me since I have a terrible flexed/sickled foot problem – it reminds me that my feet are there and to fix them up! It's also more difficult to do some moves with them if you're not super flexible (e.g. press-up handstand, anything where you need to touch the ground with your hands without bending your legs).
If I'm doing a difficult class, I usually use my 6" Pleaser Delights, and when I'm doing an easier class, I take my 7" Pleaser Adores. The Adores are also heavier to lug around in my bag after a hard class!
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Mine is pretty bad, but a few things that helped:
– For some reason trying it from a climb is easier than trying it from the floor
– It's easier for me to have the bottom hand in a pinky-to-the-floor grip rather than index-to-the-floor for some reason, try both grips if you're stuck
– To get your body in a position where you can actually move your legs, make sure you reach over your head sideways (like you're going into a cartwheel) with your bottom hand rather than in front of your chest
My biggest problem is sliding that bottom hand down too, half the time I tried it I ended up in an aysha with my lower hand under my chin haha :\
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I was just wondering about various superman dismounts too, thanks! 🙂 Going to try Tiffany's crazy drop ASAP!
Superman into cradle is my favourite 🙂
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Cleo is amazing, such perfect technique (toes always pointed, extension always perfect, even when she's mucking about with new moves) and so powerful! I don't mean to brag but I have 3 classes with her a week 🙂
She's an excellent teacher, and a really nice person – she's the only teacher I have who remembers everyone's names and what you're good at. Hope you have a great workshop with her!
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Pointing your front foot towards the ground gives the move a different look which I think is equally pretty:
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"For nice straight legs when dancing, try not to think about squeezing your quads only (some ppl tighten/flex without fully extending) try thinking of extending through the back of the knee to maintain a nice straight leg line."
Thanks Veena, this works really well for me!
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It took me forever to get it too… hand placement is crucial, so is sticking your butt out with a bit of a backbend rather than having a "hollow" body. It's a really weird feeling handstand, it definitely isn't as symmetrical as the other handstands (back to pole, belly on pole). Doing it while facing a mirror also helps a lot, and don't worry too much about getting your legs symmetrical – mine are still kind of askew (in my scorpio my right leg is on the pole – in the handstand, my right leg is pointing more forwards and my left leg is further out to the side) but it's not all that noticeable.
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I have really bad stretch marks on my outer hips from puberty, none on the inner thighs though… I think I'm especially stretch mark prone.
Anyway, I think I've gotten one extra stretch mark – just one, about an inch long – on the front of my right thigh from the Jade (my right leg is in front). It's really bizarre…
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Have you considered grip aids? It sounds like your skin is too dry to stick, rather than there being a strength problem, if you could do it easily in summer…
I use shaving cream on my legs as a grip aid. Spraying your legs with a light mist of water might work if you're not keen on shaving cream. Moisturising on the days when you don't pole, or moisturising with a water-based moisturiser that is largely glycerin (I find mineral oil and shea/cocoa butter are the slippery ones) should help as well!
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In Sydney, most people my age (mid-20s), when they find out I pole dance, say something like, "Oh yeah! That's cool, also does it, it requires a lot of strength right?" There are sometimes jokes about my "new career" and stuff, but I haven't gotten any serious criticism, except for at the beginning from my sister – and she's enrolling for classes next term 😀
It's relatively mainstream here now I think, kind of like zumba or bellydancing or yoga. I'm also lucky to be around open-minded people. My online friends from the UK and US are generally waaayyy more suspicious of it. There are probably girls from Sydney who have had negative reactions but most girls I know are very open about their pole dancing hobby to their coworkers, parents etc.
It helps that Bobbi's is such a huge studio, so everyone knows someone who pole dances already and aren't shocked, and pole dancing gets quite a lot of mainstream public exposure (morning shows, newspapers etc).
I think this is why Australians tend to be less fussed about getting pole dancing into the Olympics/"pole fitness not dance" for widespread acceptance – Aussie pole dancers have possibly the "raunchiest" style, but they also seem to run into the least problems with being stigmatised. It's hard to think of something as "slutty" when you know a bunch of otherwise quite normal people who do it.
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Shimmy does one from a climb here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOZD9hTbwOY, also at 0:40 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNDL4XSHOu0 It's a bit of a phoenix/deadlift hybrid though I think, like Amy said, I can't imagine you could do it without being able to deadlift without using momentum.
She's ridiculously strong!
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I think most normal non-folding chairs are pretty good for dancing.
The real challenge is finding a folding chair (for ease of transport) that:
– doesn't collapse easily (the ones that are only held open by a dent in the underside of a seat are REALLY BAD – I was in a chair class with those and in an hour, three girls' chairs collapsed on them, for our performance we duct taped them)
– doesn't slide around (the silicone idea is great! we duct taped ours for that as well)
– has side hinges back far enough so that when you sit backwards on the chair, your butt doesn't hang off too far
– has a horizontal-ish seat so you can get up easily and not slide into the chair in certain moves and have to scramble out
– has a square, not rounded, back (mainly personal preference, easier to balance on)
– is heavy enough that it doesn't feel flimsy and unsafe, but is still light enough to lift up in a routine if necessary and for ease of transport
– is not shiny-plastic, so you don't get the red blotches when you sit in one position for too long
– comes in a variety of colours
That's my wishlist so far…
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I'm from Bobbi's so of course I'm going to say 38 mm brass https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif I have a 42 mm X-Pole at home and it just feels… big.
It's nice for me because I have small hands, but I agree with those who said thicker gives a more secure (or at least, safer feeling) leg grip – I got things like CAR at home first.
The people selling the 38 mm R-Pole often quote a physiotherapist (Dr Stephen Deadman – apparently he judged Miss Pole Dance UK 2009) who endorsed their pole:
Based on my experience as a registered osteopath and chartered physiotherapist the 38mm pole as adverse to the 50mm is a safer pole because of less physiological and biomechanical stresses and strains which are placed upon the user’s carpal row of bones and ligaments in the wrist where the 38mm pole offers a safer grip.
If you have a safer hand grip it takes less time to build up your core strength without picking up minor injuries, which is essential to this sport and your personal fitness.
It would be nice to know what more physios think! I personally think it mainly depends on individual hand/thigh size…
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When I was trying really hard to get into the splits at the beginning, I found that I was super sore and tight in the muscles the next day, and my flexibility would actually be worse – I'm pretty sure I was injuring my muscles by overstretching and the pain was the resulting inflammation and damage. Now I concentrate on relaxing into stretches instead of pushing myself down into them, and that helps a LOT. I haven't been sore the day after stretching for about a year now. Focusing on breathing yoga-style helps a lot with relaxing.
Also, PNF helped me finally get my front splits, and ballistic has never done much for me. I think I'm too enthusiastic in ballistic and end up injured instead https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif
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Forgot to mention – the other thing you want to think about is diameter. Again I would personally go for the standard in your area, but there are other considerations e.g. fat poles are good for developing hand strength, but if your hands are small a skinnier pole might help prevent injury. Leg grip moves are generally easier on fat poles.
