Inside Marcy's Mind
Having hosted the Aging aint for Sissie's podcast for two years, I wanted to expand what I could discuss. This podcast will touch on the fun of aging and whatever has crossed my mind! Please join me as I walk through life! #retirement #travel #fun #aginggracefully Link in my bio! Listen now!
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Inside Marcy's Mind
Unveiling Beauty Secrets and Seasonal Fun
Imagine an exquisite birthday dinner at The Peninsula followed by a charming tea at the Waldorf, complete with crumpets and that unforgettable raspberry tea. That's just the beginning of an episode that flows from delightful Chicago memories to the nitty-gritty of non-surgical skin tightening procedures. As someone who must steer clear of surgery due to a high infection risk, I share my personal journey navigating the world of skincare alternatives. From the discovery of an authentic Mexican taqueria in an unexpected location to the triumph of finally curating a wardrobe that feels just right, these experiences set the stage for a thorough exploration of the cosmetic procedures that have caught my attention.
Join me as I unravel the mysteries behind dermal fillers, microdermabrasion, microneedling, and more. With each procedure, I assess the benefits, costs, and potential side effects, shedding light on how to achieve that youthful glow without going under the knife. From laser resurfacing to the art of at-home dermaplaning, I underscore the importance of choosing skilled professionals to ensure safe and effective results. As we wrap up, I share the excitement and nostalgia that Halloween pumpkin carving brings, pondering whether this beloved tradition will find its place in my home this year. Tune in for an episode packed with laughs, learnings, and the kind of warmth that makes you feel right at home in "Inside Marci's Mind.
Hello and welcome to Inside Marci's Mind. I am Marci Backus and I am your host. Well, welcome, welcome, welcome. Hope you've got something warm to drink or cold to drink or you're sitting somewhere comfortable or doing something you love. If you're driving, focus on the road. My name is Marci Backus and this is my podcast, inside Marci's Mind, and today I have something really fun to talk about.
Speaker 1:I hope you got a lot out of last week's interview with Anita, the Medicare diva. She is just a wealth of information, a wealth of knowledge. All of our information again is on my website, insidemarcysmindcom, and if you have any questions about Medicare, she's your gal and if she can't help you in your state, she'll find someone who can. And the main thing I want you to remember is it doesn't cost you a dime, okay. So there you have it and let's see we'll talk a little bit about my week. But what are what's my big information? Today? We're going to talk about things that you can do eight procedures that smooth and tighten your skin without surgery. So there has been so many developments over the years and so many things and it's so confusing and there's a lot out there. There's a few things that I do do. There's things I don't do. I'll share that while I'm sharing about all this. But I thought I'd go through eight different non-surgical wrinkle reducing things. So you get a little bit of information, may pique your curiosity and you may look into something, as my gal in California that did my Botox in California, you know. I asked her about a few things and I have the lower turkey gobble and all that lower face stuff. She was told you know, she's like you know what. You can spend all your money on a bunch of things, but at the point I'm at, it's surgery is the only thing that's gonna fix it. So, with that being said, I still do some things to try to make it not get worse. But there is a point where surgery is your only option and since I am such a high infection infection risk risk can't even say that this morning. Infection risk it's not something that I think I'll ever be able to do, so never say never, but I would love to, but my rate of infection in surgeries is not good. So that leaves it. But there's all these eight things I can do, so let's talk about those today and before we do that, we're going to get into my week.
Speaker 1:All right, my week. It was a really good week. Let me tell you something. The weather here in Chicago spectacular this week. I think today is going to be the first day that it's going to be cool, but it's going to be in the 60s, but we have been in the 70s, the 80s Spectacular weekend, no clouds, sunshine. I have not one single solitary complaint. And with that being said, what a fun week I had.
Speaker 1:Last week I went to dinner for my friend Joan's birthday and I will not say how old Joan is, that is a lady's secret to keep but we had a wonderful dinner at the Peninsula here in Chicago, at the Shanghai Terrace, very, very fancy, very, very nice and just very nice, and for me, a great little walk across the street. So you can't ask for more than that. So that's kind of how last Wednesday night went and started out with that. Also, on Friday I had tea at the Waldorf. So living my best life here in Chicago with my friends and a wonderful tea with friends and tea cakes and crumpets and all the fixings, and had the best raspberry. Oh my gosh, I have to ask Pearl, I can't remember the name of that tea. It was a raspberry tea. It was so delicious and I thought, oh, it would be good iced too. I think I might get into doing some fun iced teas. I like a hot tea at either when I'm eating Asian food or if I'm at a tea, but other than that I'm kind of an iced tea girl, and this raspberry tea would have been really, really good iced as well. So so that was fun.
Speaker 1:Got to get all dressed up. It was really good iced as well, so that was fun. Got to get all dressed up. It was in honor of breast cancer, so I wore pink. I wore such a cute pink like a pink column underneath Pink top, hot pink top, hot pink pants and a black and white houndstooth check jacket.
Speaker 1:Looked super cute, loved it, loved all my outfits this week I'm doing good. Finally, finally, finally have a wardrobe that fits. It's taken me a while. I think I'm done, but getting rid of clothes that are too big and getting clothes that fit properly has been quite the chore. It's not as fun as just shopping when you have to like, replace things because I liked my other clothes. They just didn't fit. So it's a good problem to have. I'm not complaining. So got that all done, let's see.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, last night. So I've been hearing about this Mexican taqueria here in Chicago at a gas station kind of like. The gas station has like four different little restaurant places over on Halstead and Division here in Chicago and I've heard about it, heard about it and I keep meaning to go. And then my nail gal this week, oh, we went to the best taco place and I go, where is it? And she told me and I'm like, oh, I've been wanting to go there. So last night Craig and I drove over and just like a little six minute drive too far to walk, oh my gosh, so good. It was like being back in California. So we have found our taco, our taco Mexican place. So so good. And you know my dad always used to make that joke eat here and get gas. You know restaurant and with a gas station and literally eat here and get gas. But it was delicious, delicious, delicious, delicious. Very happy about that.
Speaker 1:Good street tacos. Craig loves a street taco, just taco shell meat, cilantro and onion. That's the man's favorite taco. So he got what he got three tacos that he loved, three different meats. I got a bari bari. Ok, diana, don't laugh at me Ria taco, it was not goat meat. I know traditionally it's goat meat, it was beef. It's a slow braised beef, oh, and they serve it with this sauce. That's all over the um. Tortilla too it is. I have one of those and I had a bowl of rice and beans and it was like perfect. It was like a small bowl of rice and beans half rice, half beans. Pinto beans, not smashed up, not refried, oh oh oh, can I just tell you, seasoned beautifully, great chips, great salsa was a fine, fine, fine. And if you're listening to this at lunch, I'm sorry, I just made you hungry. Oh, funny enough.
Speaker 1:The other day I was getting in the elevator to the, our parking garage. I wasn't, I was out and I was coming home and I needed to get the car to go do something. So I don't usually ride that elevator but I rode. It stopped at the fifth floor and a guy got on and he rolled kind of like a rolling briefcase, and on it was this beautiful, beautiful, not ornate, but just a plain gold box, beautiful enough to catch my eye. And he gets in and he said, oh, you're going to the seventh floor. I said, oh no, I'm going to the ninth. He goes and he pushes the seventh floor. I said, well, you have such a beautiful golden box. He says yes, my Emmy's in there. I said, oh, and he was just getting off because it was just a short. I said, well, congratulations on your Emmy. I have no idea who he is or what the Emmy was for, but that was kind of fun.
Speaker 1:You never know what's going to happen when you're in the city. Oh, speaking of never know what's going to happen when you're in the city, so Saturday I was walking to the gym and I was going past the oh God, the other hotel, the other big hotel right across the street, and they had like new silver gating kind of getting ready to put out, and I thought, ooh, somebody big is staying there or coming one or the other. So I went to the gym on Saturday, walked home, got my Chick-fil-A diet Coke which I always do and then I thought I'm going to go. Sure enough, I just turned the corner and there's cop cars everywhere, secret service, blah, blah, blah. So and then I saw a thing that said Walt's. It was Kamala, kamala. Oh my God, now I sound like him, kamala's. Shame on me, kamala's name, and Walt's name on everything. And so I know that they don't go in and out the front. So I went to the side and there weren't as many people there and I had a view right into the base. All of a sudden, the doors open, the lights go on. It was Tim Waltz, so that was exciting. I enjoyed that.
Speaker 1:It's fun living in the city. You never know what's going to happen. It's just. I'm telling you if you've never been to Chicago, this is a beautiful city. It doesn't have trash all over it Like New York. There's no trash on our streets. They're just beautifully. They're just. It's just beautiful. It's just a beautiful city. Anyway, that was kind of fun.
Speaker 1:What else happened this week? Oh, craig and I had the best day in the city on Thursday. We had several things to do. We had to go to our lawyer's office, we had to go to the bank. I needed to vote. So we went and walked over and we did all this without a car. This is my point, this is why I love the city. So we walked to our lawyer's office, left there, walked a block to the bank, walked another block to early voting. I got my voting done because I'm going to be flying to California on November 5th, so got my early voting done Super well, organized, very big place, lots of people early voting I was glad to see that Finished up with that and, of course, craig wants to eat. So we found a great place to eat and went and had a really good lunch and then we walked home over the river another beautiful day here and we happened to be walking by a hairdresser and Craig needed a haircut and I peeked in and she had time, so Craig got a haircut and then we went home and we did all of that.
Speaker 1:People without a car. I love the city. After living my whole life living in places where you have to drive, drive, drive, drive, drive, drive, drive, I can't tell you what a joy it is to live in a city where you can walk everywhere. Oh, last thing, I was watching the news this morning. Now I have this, this issue with like fairness, like I hate walking up to somewhere where there's not a line and nobody knows who's going next. I want it, I want a line. I want to know when McDonald's now y'all know I love a fast food, especially Diet Coke when McDonald's put in these double lines, it upsets me to no end If I pick the wrong one and then I don't know, it's just something in me and it's my thing. I don't know if it's your thing, but it's definitely my thing.
Speaker 1:So, with that being said, I know it bothers everyone when we get on a plane and people don't follow their boarding groups. Now, thankfully, when I'm with Craig, we are always in. Unless we're first class, we're always boarding group two and with my status, I'm always boarding group three. So we're always right up there one, two and three, and I hate when people crowd it number one and then when they get in line and you know that that's not their boarding group. Now, to be honest, status is something that's important. Craig has flown over 3 million miles on American. He deserves to get on the plane when he they call him. And, and me too, I have status now too because I fly so much. I'll be flying this Friday to Portland, oregon, by the way, and going to a wedding and then going to visit my brother and his wife. So just a quick little four day trip.
Speaker 1:But I just saw on the news this morning that American Airlines going to publicly shame people that go before their group, which thrills me to no end. So if you go before your group and they scan your boarding pass. And your group seven. And they're doing group three. It's going to make a really loud sound. And they're doing group three, it's going to make a really loud sound. And I was watching the morning show this morning and Craig Melvin goes. I think the more that you do it, the louder your sound should get. I thought that was pretty funny.
Speaker 1:Anyways, in the, in the world of Marcy fairness, I love nothing more than a public shaming like this. So judge me all you want, don't care, I still am going to love it. When that sound goes up, I think a light should go off too, personally. But uh, and then my biggest fear is that you know the person that does. It's going to have a thousand and one excuses and then they're going to slow down the line. Hopefully they got a procedure to just like take a giant hook and grab them out of line. I don't know, but I'm here for it. And again, judge me all you want, but probably because I'm always in group three, two or one. But anyway, judge me all you want. Have a great day. No, just kidding, stick around.
Speaker 1:We've got eight procedures that smooth and tighten your skin. So have you ever thought? Have you looked in the mirror and sucked your face up. Hold your, I got. I do all of it. You know, in this day and time there are so many new things that we can do that will help smooth our skin and I thought it'd be really fun to share it. So let's get started, because we've got eight of them to get through.
Speaker 1:So the first one is derma filler. I've done fillers. I haven't done them. I think all the fillers I have now have dissolved. These are injections to plump the skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles or subtly alter face structure. Hyaluronic acid is commonly used. This is something that you'll see and if you watch like housewives and all these things, they overdo the fillers. Don't be scared of fillers. Fillers done really well can make you look refreshed. Take away, maybe, some lines in your, your H, in your forehead lip lines. I've had it done there. I've had it done in my forehead and I've done had it done on the tops of my cheeks to kind of you get kind of hollow there. Uh, again, all of mine have worn out and they're not cheap, so I haven't done them. They last six months to two years, depending on which one you get. They're generally safe and low risk. You can get temporary bruising and swelling and may cause a facial imbalance and lumps under the skin if it's done improperly. My feeling is, any of these procedures that you do, you need to go to a plastic surgeon. I've always had mine done by a board certified plastic surgeon. Average cost is a thousand to fourteen hundred and that's for one to one vial, and one vial is very little. So usually you need to just to say microdermabrasion I have had that done. I haven't had it done in a long time. It's probably time that I do it.
Speaker 1:It's a gentle exfoliating action to remove dead skin cells, refined texture and even skin tone. It lasts about a month. The pros are it's non-invasive, generally safe and relatively quick. You can get it done usually with a facial. I think it lasts a little longer than that, though Can take a few treatments to see optimal results. There's also a risk of damaging the skin barrier. You have to have somebody that really knows what they're doing. This runs between $75 to $300 per session. Again, prices are going to vary in your area.
Speaker 1:Microneedling this is another one. This is a tool that pierces the skin with ultra fine needles to stimulate collagen production. It lasts four to six weeks. It's minimally invasive, strengthens the skin barrier and minimizes scars and wrinkles. Pain, sensitivity, redness, patchiness and bruising may occur. It runs about a hundred to 700. You can also get an over the counter one. You can buy that from like Sephora or Ulta. They have one. I have one. I never use it. This is my problem. I'm just really bad at that. So here's one that's kind of interesting.
Speaker 1:This is called dermaplaning and this is a scalpel or an instrument similar to an electric shaver that scrapes the skin to remove dead skin cells, sun damaged skin and peach fuzz. How long it lasts Three to four weeks Pros non-invasive, brighter and smoother skin can be seen immediately. It may take a few sessions to see reduction in dark spots and other signs of aging. It's 100 to 200 per session. You can get it a lot cheaper than that. You can actually buy dermaplaning tools. You'll see them. They look like a one-edged razor. You can do it yourself. Go online and watch how to do it. I do my own. Now I've had it done. I don't use a scalpel. So let's just be real. I mean, I, the scalpel is like that's something I've never seen. So maybe I've had my facialist do it, but I just have my own and I use a spray that's kind of like a powder, like a dry powder, and it makes the hair kind of stand up all the peach fuzz and you're able to get it off really easy. So that's something you can do at home. Here's one. This is a little bit more serious. The next four that I'm going to talk about. The other four are minor and less invasive.
Speaker 1:So laser resurfacing what is it? It's a controlled laser injury that smooths and plumps the skin by triggering the body's natural healing process. This will last three to five years. Pros it can reduce acne and improve skin texture. Cons may cause redness, sensitivity, flaking, peeling. It's going to FYI you laser your skin, you're going to flake and peel. It may not be safe for people with darker skin tones because it's basically burning you with a laser. Let's be real, but it works well. I've seen the results on people. The average cost is $500 to $2,500.
Speaker 1:The next one is a chemical peel. So a chemical exfoliant is applied to break down dead skin cells and reveal a fresher skin. So basically, you're chemically burning off the top layer of your skin. Let's say it like it is. This will last months to year, depending on how deep your peel is can reveal a brighter complexion and address acne aging and uneven skin tone. The cons are its burning, redness and sensitivity. It's $150 to $800.
Speaker 1:So again, again, I'm going to reiterate any of these things done, you want to make sure you're going to a professional that is trained in this. If you're going to have something done, I don't even care if it's microdermabrasion. How long have you been doing it? I personally have extremely. My top skin layer is getting very thin. I have to be very careful with what I do. Everybody says they have thin skin. I think it's part of my connective tissue disorder. My skin is really thin. If they pull that off, that microdermabrasion, it's sucking. If they do it and they don't cut it off before they try to pull it off my skin, they bruise me. Make sure that these people, no matter what I'm talking about, are a professional in their field.
Speaker 1:Radio frequency this is a really easy thing to do. You can get these at home. I think this one's talking about a much higher radiofrequency than the home ones. What it is? It's electromagnetic radiation yeah, it is stronger than the home ones Delivered to the dermal layer to stimulate collagen production and tighten the skin.
Speaker 1:It lasts one to three years can reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It may not be suitable for people with darker skin tones. Again, your skin is your skin and you know it. So research everything before you do it. Skin burning can also occur. I am not a well, I am a professional. I am a licensed cosmetologist, am a professional, I am a licensed cosmetologist, which, if you're a cosmetologist, you have a license in everything from skin, all of it, it's the whole kit and caboodle. But again, don't you know, I talk to your people that are going to be doing this.
Speaker 1:Now, this is an interesting one platelet-rich plasma injections what is it also known as the vampire? Facial plasma from the patient's own blood is injected into the face to accelerate skin healing and boost the production of collagen. It lasts one to two years, can smooth and plump skin, reducing acne scars, and it requires a blood draw 500 to 200, 2500. So obviously, if you're going to have a blood draw 500 to 200, 2,500. So, obviously, if you're going to have a blood draw, this needs to be done in a professional doctor's office. Now, microdermabrasion, microneedling and dermaplaning can be done by a facialist.
Speaker 1:However, fillers, botox I get Botox. I actually missed a Botox appointment yesterday. I woke up at two in the morning this morning realizing I missed it. It was my follow-up appointment from my appointment a couple weeks ago. I don't miss appointments. I just blew it yesterday and I had time. I was home. Wish they would have called me. It's just up the block but nonetheless I got to call them today.
Speaker 1:But these types of things, you know you can do things besides a facial. You have to be realistic about your results is what I'm going to tell you. Do not expect to come out looking like you have had a facelift, because it's not going to happen. Will you look better? Will you look brighter? Yeah, I know, when I get filler under my eyes, people will just say positive things to me. You know, and it's because the filler makes me look lighter and brighter. Again, I haven't done it for a long time. Don't know if I'm going to do it anymore.
Speaker 1:You can get filler in your puppet lines. The ones in my creases are getting worse Again, I had it there. You can get it in your lips. You can get it in the age between your forehead. There's a lot of things you can do. Talk to your professionals and there is nothing wrong with doing it. You know there are a lot of procedures that can be done now. They're less invasive, just like these eight that I've shared with you today.
Speaker 1:Don't let anybody shame you out of doing things. If you do something and it makes you feel better, all you should do in this life is be your best self Now. Are these expensive? Yes, spend money you don't have, no, but do what makes you feel good. And I've kind of just I've settled into Botox and I found someone here in Chicago. I love my person in California, but I just can't always be there when I need it.
Speaker 1:So I hope this gave you a little little snippet of something that you can do to make yourself feel better. If nothing else, just go get a facial with a good scrub. Get that. I need to do that. Get that summer skin off of my face. Get a good body scrub. Those two things will make your skin. Body scrub is great. They go in and they just you know they body scrub you. It's awesome. You do it in a wet room and then they rinse you off. It's fabulous. And a good facial scrub, you know, get that layer off and it refreshes your skin. That's my opinion, that's my suggestions. I hope you learned a little bit today. And so now we're going to have a.
Speaker 1:What are Marci's fun facts? Did you know? All right, let's do a seasonal fun fact Jack-o'-lanterns. Do you know where jack-o'-lanterns came from? Do you know where the tradition came from? Do you know what group of people brought it to the United States? Well, sit back and you're going to find out.
Speaker 1:Jack-o'-lanterns the tradition of carving a jack-o'-lantern, originated in Ireland and Scotland, where they were originally made from turnips, beets or potatoes. The tradition was brought to the United States by immigrants who began using pumpkins instead. So there you have it. Who knew we had the Scots and the Irishmen to thank for jack-o'-lanterns? I never would have guessed it.
Speaker 1:Are you going to carve a pumpkin this year? Are you going to go out and get one? We always love Craig has always loved carving a pumpkin. Until we moved here, we have not carved one. Well, the first Halloween I was in the hospital, so that kind of shot that. Last year we were in Pennsylvania. It was so fun, but we didn't do it. I don't know, maybe this year I'm not sure if he's going to be home for Halloween or if he's going to be in Georgia. So we'll see if we're going to do a pumpkin, but he always loved doing it. I'll have to check in with him.
Speaker 1:I hope you have a great week. I hope you've learned something today. I hope you've enjoyed the episode. If you have, share it with your friends. Again, you can email me at insidemarcysmind at gmailcom. You can get all episodes and everything. Anywhere where you download your podcasts Apple, spotify, google, you name it, any of the odd little ones. I'm out there on everything I heart radio. You can also just go to my website, inside Marcy's mindcom, and all of them are there. So enjoy we are. This is episode 24 of inside Marcy's mind, so we're moving right along in my new podcast and I'm enjoying it very much. I hope you are have a great week and go out and do something positive.
