I am low maintenance and have gotten even lower!

Pre-pandemic:
Haircut every 4-6 months
Pedicure monthly in summer
Massage maybe 1-2x a year
And I suppose I’d had a handful of facials in my life

Now:
Haven’t had a professional haircut since December 2019
(My husband cut maybe 4-6 inches off at one point and I have hacked at the front a couple times)
I miss the pedicures! I haven’t bothered to DIY them bc I’m not that good at it and the pleasure just isn’t there.

I’m upping my at-home skincare though. I have some milia that I’m trying to get rid of so I’ve started using a retinol product nightly.
And my sister and I have been doing facial masks weekly — she lives across the country so we text to coordinate a time. It’s a fun and slightly silly ritual — we’ve been dealing with some pretty heavy parental health issues over the last 4 months or so and it’s nice to connect with each other in a less fraught context.

I am intrigued by all this. Super low maintenance here, the lowest ever for me, except for one new routine.

My lockdown hair got very long, and I decided I like it that way, wild and free and messy. It got a little too wild so finally got it shaped a tad recently. That will continue every few months. No coloring, never have, so I'm getting serious streaks of gray.

I do my own pedis every 3 weeks with non toxic products. Never had a mani as I don't like to draw attention to my hands.

Stopped wearing makeup most days but about to embark on a new skincare routine to try to undo some sun damage. That will be the only new effort I make to preserve a tiny bit of youth, ha ha. Oh, and oddly, I wear a bit of lipstick around the house where I can be maskless. It makes me feel less washed out.

I have been working, allexcept the initial two month lockdown here. My habits haven't changed much. I get my hair trimmed every two months, and permed once a year. I do a face mask once a week. I give myself a pedicure about once a month, and dye my eyebrows about every three weeks. I have added a few new products, during that time though. Just things to deal better with the effects of aging. I think of myself as pretty low maintenance, but I do like my at home beauty routines. They allow me to spend less time getting ready on a daily basis.

I'm a bit intrigued by all the talk of eyebrow maintenance. I (slightly) overplucked my brows back in the 90s, so now I err on the side of not doing much with them. I pluck a stray hair that wanders out of the main brow line, and trim them with a small grooming scissor every couple of weeks. I have now reached the point in life where the hairs do not grow back as they used to, so I use a brow pencil to subtly fill in where they seem a little sparse. And that's about it. The shape is what it is, and I don't try to mess with it.

I remember the bushy Brooke Shields brow days, and I had some big ol' brows when I was young too -- I was a bit self-conscious of them so plucked a little too much from the center. But now the trend is back to fuller brows! So I'm wondering what exactly you all have done. I am guessing that most of you of my age and older are filling in, and younger pre-menopause ladies are thinning out. Maybe a separate thread. Sometimes I think I'm neglecting something when I see a lot of people talking about doing it, but I tend to think that less is more when it comes to my brows.

I'll start a separate thread in OT. I consider myself the boss of everything eyebrow related

I just cut my own hair last night. I don’t want to go to the salon yet. I’ve been avoiding everything.

Janet, I’ve never understood the whole eyebrow thing either!

ChristelJ, high 5 on the wild& free graying hair!

@ Jessikams - my brows have always been light, and swimming (chlorine) or sun exposure renders then transparent. #1 is mid pandemic, #2 is after tinting. I do keep a fuller natural shape, tweezing just a few wild stragglers.

@ Murph11 - I get it! It’s a blonde and red head thing…not everyone wants to look like Kristan McMenamy in the ‘90’s!

@ LisaP - #3 is from today - 17 days since mani (different shades of beige!) next one is next week Wednesday. You can see some grow out at the base. I’m quite careful about wearing gloves when doing washing up chores and gardening. My aesthetician swears by a topcoat called ‘Seche VIve’.

I am super-duper low-maintenance/DIY! Never a mani-pedi, waxing, brows, hair dyeing, facial or anything like that. I used to get haircuts every 6 months or so, but now I'm a DIY-er hairdresser, thanks to doing it myself during Covid and liking the results :).

My brows are naturally thick and luckily I didn't tweeze or pluck them when I was younger (beyond regular maintenance between them to avoid a uni-brow). I much prefer a natural brow look and mine really define my face, so I'm not sure what I'll do when they start thinning or going gray... My 19 year old has their finger on the pulse in terms of brow care, so I guess I'll start supplementing with whatever product they recommend when the time comes, LOL.

Hair: haircut every 4 months, no colour. Hair mask is done weekly at home.

Eyebrow: threading every 6 weeks, tinting is done at home every three or 4 weeks.

Facial: weekly at home but professionally once a year.

Mani: weekly at home, if anybody has some tips on keeping the cuticles at bay, I'd be very grateful!

Pedi: also at home and medical pedicure once a year (well overdue)

Same as Bj1111, I do a professional (mani, haircut, eyebrows, the lot) when visiting my mum.

My grooming routine has not changed much. I am pretty limited here in Muskoka. I do get medical foot care from the foot nurse once a month. She removes callouses, trims nails and massages my feet. My feet do look nice afterwards, but it is not the same as a pedicure. I use to get pedicures once a month, but about two years ago, I started to see a foot nurse—game changer. I have problem feet, and the foot nurse has helped a lot.

If I can get an appointment with someone, I will get my eyelashes and brows tinted. I have decent eyebrows, but they are blonde. I didn't do much plucking, so I have brows.

I get a manicure whenever I can. That does not happen very often.
I get my haircut about every 3 months. I often cut it myself. I haven't found anyone here who cuts my hair the way I like it.

I am careful about skincare because I have very sensitive skin. I never neglect my skin. I always wash my face before bed and apply my products. And I always wash my face in the morning and apply my products.

I wash my hair every three days, and I style it every day. I rarely blow dry my hair, but I run a hot air brush through it when it is almost dry, so it looks smooth.

That is about it.

On the hair removal; my son’s favorite hotel’s spa does an amazing job of waxing legs/bikini area—you lie on the heated massage table and there is zero pain—so I’ve done it there a couple times. Tried it in Tampa, ouch, so no more. Many years ago, my Libyan friends’ mom sugared my body hair. I’ve been thinking of finding a place to do that here. I’ve seen Brazilian places, but not Arab. Don’t know what differences are.

My facial hair has gotten darker in recent years. The pattern has changed too—less at the base of my neck, more on my chin & upper lip. My son wants me to shave it, but I’m afraid that would make it stiffer. I’ve had it waxed twice this year. First time went fine. Second time she ripped some skin off too.

Neither of these are things I’m likely to ever do on the regular, but if I’m going to have professional photos taken, I’ll have the facial hair done. Before I see a certain old friend (assuming this pandemic ever ends), I’ll have it all done. Probably would do the same if I started dating—but over time he’d have to deal with the hair.

Style Fan, I know someone in Boston who vehemently defends pedicures as a way to avoid going to the podiatrist, so your post is an interesting counterpoint.

Sarah08, what a great long-distance ritual! I’ve pretty much given up on my fam being able to converse across the miles, much less do any kind of fun thing like that. Sorry to hear about the parental health issues.

Fash, you can shave your whole face with a special facial razor - defuzzer. I get mine from Amazon or Sephora. And no, facial hair doesn’t grow back stiffer, it’s a common misconception. A lot of YouTube videos on how to and opinions from dermatologists (all positive) on it.

17 days??!! I'm lucky to get 2 with no chips :/

Thanks, Irine! I haven’t heard of that, had been considering an epilator.

Forgot to add, and since it's just been mentioned, Fash & Irina, I use the "Finishing Touch Flawless Facial Hair Remover." Just a battery-operated razor. I got mine off Amazon. I use it for my upper lip and stray chin fuzzies. Nope - no coarser grow-backs!

I've never been very high-maintenance - haircuts maybe every 8 - 12 weeks (haven't had one since Covid), home pedis, no manis and pretty basic skincare.

I first got a wax before my Dh's and my 20th anniversary trip. I was hooked. I now have a standing appointment every 6 weeks to have a full Brazilian and my lower legs waxed (I have no visible hair on my upper legs). I couldn't live without it, and I'm kicking myself for not starting sooner. My hair grows back lighter and sparser, and it is a game-changer not to have to shave in the morning. I wax my underarms and any facial hair at home. I just cannot do the bikini and legs without making an absolute mess.

I intend to have my hair cut shorter before school starts, so that will require more maintenance. But home pedis will continue. I've also increased the products and the cost of said products for my facial care routine. But that's about it except for a regular workout routine (which is free, since I do that at home, too). I figure that I can justify the cost of my waxing and skincare given how low-maintenance I tend to be overall.

Sloper, there seem to be a lot of razors for “fuzzies”. Might work for my upper lip, but the hairs on my chin are tough & wirey, so I’m less sure about that, am going through reviews carefully. Some of them take an aggressive stance on peach fuzz that I can’t relate to.

I'm on Team Low Maintenance! I'm in the minority, and have never enjoyed having beauty procedures done to me. Haircut, mani/pedi, whatever -- might as well be doctor or dentist appointments! At least the dentist doesn't try to make small talk. So I DIY everything and keep it quite minimal. Nail polish never looks good on me after the first day or two so I rarely bother. I trim my hair when I feel like it -- not very often these days! I did add some layers/shaping in the spring and will probably refresh it in the fall.

As far as hair removal goes -- I've tried sugaring at home (using these directions), but it's time-consuming and doesn't work well if the hairs are too long, which means it doesn't eliminate shaving entirely for me. I don't shave at all during the colder months (Nov - Mar), and usually have a couple chunks of time during the warmer months when I don't bother (backcountry trips). I've been on the same pack of Dollar Shave Club blades for what seems like an eternity, and I could see skipping shaving altogether going forward. My skin is so much happier when I don't shave, and it's not an altogether uncommon look around here.

All the brow talk is interesting. Mine are full and dark to begin with, but I like to brush some pomade through them most days. It holds them in place, keeps them aligned and tidy, and adds extra oomph if the pomade is pigmented. I don't wear eyeliner or mascara regularly because every single one I've tried makes my eyes itch and water, if not turn red, so doing brows is just a way to add some emphasis to the upper half of my face without actually doing anything to my eyes.

I've had to really up my skincare game during the pandemic since mask-wearing has wreaked havoc on my sensitive skin: increased redness and irritation, acne for the first time in my adult life... I'm more consistent about all the steps (cleanse, serums, moisturize) so that I can tweak the routine as needed and be more aware of what effect those changes have. The products I use now are working well, but it's taken a lot of trial and error, even with guidance from a dermatologist.

LaPed, how nice to have a dentist who doesn’t try to make small talk! I agree with you on the other appointments.

Most of my life, I’ve been a very occasional shaver on my legs. Didn’t do it at all (with occasional exceptions that required serious planning for the waste) in my 20s & 30s. I started doing it more frequently when we lived in Florida—probably every couple weeks. Depending on body chemistry, I can sometimes do that with my arms, but usually not. I’m pretty hirsute, so there’s a lot to catch the odor. Getting more high maintenance for me means shaving legs every week or two during months when I wear shorts or skirts without tights/leg covering.

I’m way lower maintenance in terms of hair and nails. I grew my hair during quarantine and stopped getting manis and pedis. Not sure I’ll go back. Brow and lash tints are must-haves, however.

My grooming routine has not changed since Covid, but I appreciate that given my State has only had short and sharp lockdowns whenever a Covid case breaks out - I have been very fortunate.

I have my hair cut and coloured (streaked - alternating between a full head and half-head of foils) every 8 weeks. That is the only thing I have done and I have been going to the same hairdresser for 12 years and really enjoy catching up with her. I maintain a simple daily skincare and make up routine.

I don't like getting my nails done in a salon as I hate the smell of the chemicals. I wear nail polish on my toenails which is self applied. Whatever spare time I have, I like to spend it exercising. I exercise for at least an hour a day and consider this my 'me' time.

I am SUPER low maintenance since Covid. I have not had my hair cut or colored since 2 mo the before lockdown, or Dec/Jan 2019/20. So now I have a lot of natural brown with grey( or white actually), and I have chopped away at my own hair at least 5-6 times. Even though I used to get a cut and color every 3 months, I’m okay with it all.

For what it’s worth, here I am with my mom, who has moved in with us-au naturel!

Interesting topic. Low maintenance to much lower is how my past few years have gone. No make up now except a smidge of eye shadow and lip balm occasionally. I stopped wearing mascara the year my parents died over 20 years ago and I found myself crying the entire drive to work or anywhere.

I’m rigorous on hair and skin care, particularly dermatologist visits. I gave up on mani pedis and get an Olive and June box about every six months and DIY on that front.

Speaking of Olive and June, I saw an ad for this ombré kit and would love to do this for fall or winter.

Interesting to see who considers what to be high or low maintenance. Likewise for whom this stuff is pleasurable vs who thinks of it as tasks to do/things to sit still while submitting to.

I’ve been tempted by that Olive & June box too . I copied that same “ ombré “ at one point. I have a man/ped appt on Tuesday and am toying with a fall colour version of this !

I’ve had a few ombré or rainbow mani’s, and Mel (my lovely aesthetician) says they are fun to do! The cool thing is that if you somehow mess up a finger between appointments, you can do it over at home in a colour you have on hand!

My last mani was based on the pic below. Today I chipped my left index finger fiddling with the metal spout on the box of dishwasher soap. I brushed over the nail with transparent polish with gold flecks. Bob’s your uncle! I’m good until my next mani on Wednesday!