6 months after her first miraDry treatment, we check in with Julia to hear what’s changed for her and discuss why a second treatment is on the schedule.
After her first treatment, Julia told others about her experience and was surprised by how many friends were also
insecure about sweat and body odor. Since then, she’s found herself feeling more confident and less self-conscious.
Hear how the miraDry treatment felt, what Julia needed for pain control during and after, and what she went through in the weeks and months following as she adjusted to her results.
For anyone who simply wants to worry less about sweating and smell better, miraDry can be life-changing. Learn more about miraDry
Listen to our previous episode about miraDry here
Please request your free consultation online or call La Jolla Cosmetic, San Diego, at (858) 788-7989 for more
Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You are listening to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast.
Monique Ramsey (00:14):
Welcome to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast. I’m your hostess, Monique Ramsey. And when I say I have somebody special in the studio today, I actually mean it. No, I always mean it, but I mean it, because it’s my daughter, Julia Ramsey. Welcome Julia.
Julia Ramsey (00:29):
Hi. Thank you for having me.
Monique Ramsey (00:31):
Mom.
Julia Ramsey (00:33):
Mom.
Monique Ramsey (00:35):
So tell us why you’re here, what you’re going to talk about.
Julia Ramsey (00:38):
Well, I have my second treatment for miraDry. I got the first over the summer, and then this is the second for working on reducing sweat and odor from armpits, whether it’s stress related, physically related, or all of the above.
Monique Ramsey (00:51):
And miraDry, for everybody in the audience, it is a procedure that’s permanent that helps reduce sweat and odor in your armpits. And so really, it’s for people who might have hyperhidrosis, which is a condition where your glands are very active and you sweat a lot. But it’s also a procedure in why Julia had it… It can be a lifestyle procedure.
Julia Ramsey (01:17):
Yeah, I have stress sweat pretty bad, and there’s deodorants to combat that or what have you. But it’s really alleviating the stress of having to worry about it. After having a long day, or presentations, or interviews, or big meeting at work, you’re going to hang out with friends after, you just don’t have to worry as much about, “Do I have something in the car to change into? Did I bring deodorant with me?” You feel confident just because there’s less moisture there. So that, I’ve seen a huge difference just in the last couple months.
Monique Ramsey (01:45):
And did you also notice a difference in that stress response of the sweat? If you’re stressed and you sweat and you smell maybe more or stronger, did that decrease also?
Julia Ramsey (01:57):
Yeah. No, definitely. And that’s also one of the huge benefits of it. I just felt like I was less sticky and less … I wasn’t worried about how my arms were positioned. Again, you’re out in a social setting, you’re worried like, “Oh, if I lift my arm too high, maybe someone’s going to get a whiff.” There was none of that. And in terms of the lifestyle parts of it, you really are just getting to not have to worry anymore, or you’re worrying a lot less, and you feel a lot more prepared for, I have a long day and I’m not concerned about how it’ll go.
Monique Ramsey (02:27):
So today after our interview today, you’re going to go have your second treatment. And for most people, two is what it’s going to be. But the great part about it is that it permanently destroys those sweat and odor glands. They’re just gone. So some people will say, “Don’t you need them?” Your body has to have a way to sweat. And they say you have between two and four million sweat glands in your body, so what’ll happen is when the miraDry obliterates, let’s say, those sweat and odor glands in your armpits, you still have them all over your body. You still can sweat. Nothing bad’s going to happen. And really what’s happening is your brain will send a signal to your armpits to sweat, and there’s just nothing there to receive the signal. So it’s a safe procedure. So tell me about how it felt when you were having it done.
Julia Ramsey (03:22):
So the whole process was fabulous. Anything at La Jolla Cosmetic, I’ve always felt safe and comfortable being here. And I’m always interested in the sciencey part of things, so Anh, who was facilitating the procedure, she was always willing to answer questions I had, which was so nice. That’s just a side note. But they use a local anesthetic. And when they did the procedure, I didn’t feel anything. The only thing I felt was a little bit of poking, kind of little pokes and prods here and there as they injected the local. But even that was minimally invasive, you don’t feel much. And then they’re able to kind of do a suction to pull things out from this area. And the whole procedure, all in all, doing both armpits was under an hour, so it was super quick. You’re able to just hop back in the car. There’s no concerns because it was just a local. So I felt like I didn’t even lose my day. I was kind of preparing for, okay, well after this I might have to go home and rest or relax, stay inside. We were on the move all day afterwards. A little bit of swelling the next morning, which I think is standard for any sort of procedure like this. But yeah, very simple and very easy.
Monique Ramsey (04:27):
So when they do the local, the local stays in your body for, I don’t know, a couple hours. So you’re numb, but then when that starts to wear off, what did it feel like? Do you remember?
Julia Ramsey (04:40):
I really don’t remember too much discomfort. I think it was a little bit tender in these areas, because there’s a little bit more that you’re working with. So they gave me a whole little to-go bag, a kit of all these things I might need, some wipes, and I think I was over-prepared for any sort of discomfort after the fact. So swelling was probably the worst the day after, which again is totally expected, knowing how the body reacts to certain things. And I loved the ice packs they had. I actually hope I get more today, because they’re reusable. I don’t know who you guys use, but they were awesome. Perfect size too.
Monique Ramsey (05:12):
Yay.
Julia Ramsey (05:12):
It was easy. It was nice.
Monique Ramsey (05:14):
That’s good. So how old are you Julia? I know, but I’m going to let you tell the audience.
Julia Ramsey (05:20):
I’m 22.
Monique Ramsey (05:20):
You’re 22.
Julia Ramsey (05:21):
Oh, the audience, I’m 22. Barreling towards 23.
Monique Ramsey (05:25):
Oh really? Hurdling. Hurdling you through space towards 23. No.
Julia Ramsey (05:29):
Mm-hmm.
Monique Ramsey (05:29):
But I think what’s cool, and I think for you when you’re having a procedure like this that’s permanent, you have the whole rest of your life to enjoy it. Which if you get miraDry in your 50s, that’s great. You still have a long time to enjoy it. But I was thinking about graduating from college, going to job interviews, the stress of launching into life and having something like this that, like you said, takes the stress out of certain things during your day. If you know that you’re not going to smell or you’re not going to have extra stickiness.
Julia Ramsey (06:04):
That’s the last thing you want to worry about when you’re trying to prepare for something big, no matter where you are. And I talked to all my friends, and it’s pretty common once you start talking to people about it. I said, “Oh yeah, I had this procedure done. Here’s why.” And so many of my friends are like, “Oh, I completely get that.” Or, “I’ve worried about this too.” Or, “I have a kit in my car for just in case I feel like I need to change, or throw on new deodorant, or wipe myself down.” And I had no idea how common it was, especially in young females too. I don’t know if we’re necessarily the demographic where you think miraDry, you think maybe men who have hypohidrosis, or older women. I don’t know what you would think. But yeah, so it is really common.
Monique Ramsey (06:46):
I can’t tell you how many times I would leave the house to go to work and forget to put the deodorant on, or antiperspirant on and you’re like, “Oh god, now I got to go to the grocery store. Now I got to go pick something up.”
Julia Ramsey (07:00):
Yeah, and then your whole day you’re all frazzled. Yeah.
Monique Ramsey (07:02):
Yeah. So it’s nice. But yeah, that’s true. I think to me it’s a procedure that’s great because like I said, everybody has armpits. Everybody has this issue. Whether it’s an extreme issue or not, everybody has it to some degree.
(07:16):
And so it’s one of our top procedures, and we started doing it in 2017. We’re one of the top practices in the country doing miraDry, and it’s amazing how many people haven’t heard of it. For people who have hyperhidrosis, you guys can listen to … Amy did a podcast for us on the procedure itself and how it works, and who’s a candidate.
Julia Ramsey (07:40):
Oh wow. Yeah.
Monique Ramsey (07:41):
Yeah. So we’ll have that in the show notes. So your first treatments in the summer, now we’re in December. Now do you remember your first impressions when you talked to … So Anh Bridgewater is your technician, I guess we’ll call it. Your miraDry technician, your provider. And so what were your first impressions of that when you met her and the process of being a patient, not just being Monique’s daughter?
Julia Ramsey (08:09):
Well, I was going to say I’ve been here a lot. So I’ve been in the back. I know everyone, I know all the staff for now all these years. But being on the patient side, it does change your perspective a little bit. And it’s exciting to see the care that surrounds La Jolla Cosmetic. And of course you know that because we’ve been involved with the company for so long. But you walk in, you’re greeted, there’s smiles, you feel comfortable. And I think that’s really big, because this is kind of scary. “Okay, well I don’t really know how a local anesthetic works. I don’t really know what this is going to be, how long it’ll take.” So all of that is immediately … You’re like, “Okay.” It’s like a little sigh of relief when you walk in.
(08:44):
And Anh is so technically knowledgeable and she’s so hospitable too. It’s like she’s welcoming you into her home when you go into her room, in the room we’ve worked in. So that was fabulous. And I remember we threw on some Netflix, I had all these blankets, people giving me water. I felt like I was having a spa day, to be completely honest. And then again on the way out you’re given all of these sheets, if you have any questions you’re giving people’s phone numbers in the office, extensions, for if you have any questions, “Let us know. We’re here to help.” So the cushion of the, you have on both sides is fabulous, and then it makes the procedure that much easier. So if anyone hasn’t worked with Anh, I highly recommend it, because she’s fabulous.
Monique Ramsey (09:23):
She just came back from maternity, she had a little boy.
Julia Ramsey (09:26):
Oh.
Monique Ramsey (09:27):
Oh my gosh.
Julia Ramsey (09:28):
I was like, “Thank goodness she’s back.”
Monique Ramsey (09:29):
I know.
Julia Ramsey (09:30):
Because I was like, “I got to plan this out. I’ve had such a good experience.”
Monique Ramsey (09:33):
It was actually really funny, because you came in and had your first miraDry, and then a couple weeks later she went out on maternity and now she’s back. So it’s perfect timing. Have you ever done any other laser or energy treatments?
Julia Ramsey (09:45):
I haven’t, no. So again, that’s also part of it. It feels like a really steep learning curve, because I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into.
Monique Ramsey (09:53):
So now if you look for people’s miraDry treatment photos online, which it’s kind of hard. What do you see? The before and after. It’s a reaction versus the visual. Like you said, you had a lot of decreased hair. So it’s kind of like a three in one treatment, even though we’re talking about sweat and odor, your hair follicles also, the machine is colorblind, which means that a person with any color skin can have this safely. And the side benefit is you have a lot less hair, so you might not ever have to shave again or just shave, you have little spots of hairs that will grow out.
Julia Ramsey (10:30):
Yeah, those little spots.
Monique Ramsey (10:32):
It’s funny. So if you guys look online, you might see some photos where the patient’s armpits almost look dark, and that’s because there’s an iodine starch test. But if you’re trying to prove to somebody it works, they can put this special iodine and when you start to sweat, it will turn it a different color. So you can see where the follicles are that have the sweat glands, and it will cause a reaction in you. So if anybody’s looking online and you see that and you think, “What is that weird … What’s happening?” It’s a test. It’s this starch test, and it shows the practitioner where to look.
(11:10):
And then did you need any pain meds when … They didn’t give you anything in the chair, right? Because you drove yourself?
Julia Ramsey (11:15):
Nope, nothing in the chair. I drove myself. But they did have some Tylenol, Advil things in my to-go bag. So I had anything I needed if I didn’t have things at home, which was nice. And I think to your point about the photos, that’s kind of the beauty of this is that there is no before and after. I can’t see it. Nothing looks different. It’s the same. And that’s super nice. I hope if people look at photos they’ll pretty much see the same thing, unless of course they’re doing one of those tests like that. And yeah, there’s no limited mobility. You don’t feel like you’re giving anything up by doing it. It’s almost just this free little gift where it’s like, awesome, I don’t have to worry about this, but I’m not giving anything up in return physically or mentally, which is great.
Monique Ramsey (11:58):
So what would you tell someone who is thinking about having miraDry?
Julia Ramsey (12:05):
I would highly recommend it. I think it’s one of those things where you’re so grateful right after when you have it, because you’re like, “Awesome, this is so nice.” And then it just becomes your way of life. I just don’t worry about those things anymore. And I almost forget that I had it because again, it’s just so flawless, it’s so seamless. It’s just integrated perfectly into your body. And all of it works in a way where you really just don’t have to worry anymore and think anymore. And if you think about how many times you’ve just been out socially and you’re thinking about it, you can’t even enjoy the present moment you’re in, because you’re like, “Okay, well everyone’s close together, and I feel like what if people think I’m smelling, or I think they’re smelling. These things matter.”
Monique Ramsey (12:46):
Yeah.
Julia Ramsey (12:47):
Yeah, it’s alleviating concern. And if you can do it, I would recommend it.
Monique Ramsey (12:53):
Do you remember after your first treatment how long it took to see the difference? Did it take a few days or weeks, or do you remember?
Julia Ramsey (13:02):
All the swelling was gone after the first week. So after that point, I felt like I was seeing it, feeling it on a level playing field. And then pretty much it’s immediate. There is no time period where you’re waiting for something to start working. It’s just there. So that was super nice. So I’m really curious for the second treatment to see, “Okay, after that first week is done, what’s it going to be like now that I have two?” And I’m interested to see what that second treatment does, because the first was so effective, and I think there’s ways where you’re seeing what’ll happen. Yeah.
Monique Ramsey (13:38):
Was there anything surprising you after treatment that you weren’t expecting?
Julia Ramsey (13:43):
I don’t know about any surprises. Going into it everything felt great. I knew what I should be feeling after the fact, and then it was almost just my expectations were met. I had a high hope for this procedure, and then after a week it was like, “Okay, cool.” That’s exactly what they said it would do. Which is nice. And especially in something like plastics or aesthetic medicine, you don’t really want those surprises.
Monique Ramsey (14:04):
Right. It’s true.
Julia Ramsey (14:05):
This is a really, as you were mentioning, it’s a safe, it’s a consistent procedure, and you don’t have to worry. It was just having this curiosity, more of any surprises. It’s like, “Oh, let’s see how this goes.” Let’s see how this works.
Monique Ramsey (14:19):
I think you bringing up the fact that the more you talked about it, the more you found out your friends and other people have the exact same concern. I appreciate you letting me have you on the podcast to talk about it. Just because I think the more that you can let people know that this is available, it just might take a worry out of their life. And for everybody in the audience, we do have financing. If you look on our financing page you can do a pre-approval in minutes. It’s a very fast process, and it makes something like this affordable, and then you’re just not having to ever think about it again. Anyway, well I hope you have a fun treatment today.
Julia Ramsey (15:01):
Thank you.
Monique Ramsey (15:03):
Get those armpits all warmed up.
Julia Ramsey (15:03):
Thank you. I’m excited.
Monique Ramsey (15:05):
Yeah, yeah.
Julia Ramsey (15:06):
This is my inner economics major coming out, but cost over time of having to throw away shirts from sweat stains, having to throw away shirts from odor too, even if you can’t see the stains, that is happening all the time. Or having to pay more for the clinical strength. You have to buy into that marketing. Now you don’t. And it is an investment, but it’s investment that’s going to pay off for you in its own time. These other benefits, they don’t even think about as much.
Monique Ramsey (15:32):
That’s a really good point. One of the people who refers us a lot of miraDry patients is a dry cleaner. There’s a dry cleaner in Pacific Beach, and because a lot of men especially, or women too, but for men if they’re business people and they have white shirts, and those white shirts the pits kind of get yellow over time and they’re having to constantly dry clean, constantly reinvest in new shirts, and so that was a good point that you brought up. It made me think about the side benefits that you don’t really realize.
Julia Ramsey (16:08):
Yeah.
Monique Ramsey (16:09):
Well thanks, Julia. So for everybody in the audience, check our show notes. We’ll have links to information on miraDry, how to schedule a consultation, whether you want to see Anh Bridgewater, who Julia’s about to go down the hall and see in a few minutes, or any of our other providers who do miraDry, all of them do miraDry, and we’ve been doing it now over seven years, and it’s one of our most popular procedures, and people love it. We’ll have a link in the show notes to the reviews, because the satisfaction rate for miraDry is off the charts. It’s almost 100%.
Julia Ramsey (16:43):
It’s hard not to be.
Monique Ramsey (16:44):
98 point something percent, people love it. So it’s one of those things that I always feel really comfortable recommending to people, just because I know it works and I know you’re going to be happy.
(16:55):
So thanks again Julia, for telling your story.
Julia Ramsey (16:58):
Yeah, thank you for having me.
Monique Ramsey (16:58):
And being so honest and transparent about this. And I will see you later when you get home from your treatment. I’ll have your ice packs ready.
Julia Ramsey (17:06):
Perfect. Well thanks so much for having me.
Monique Ramsey (17:09):
Thanks Julia.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Take a screenshot of this podcast episode with your phone and show it at your consultation or appointment, or mention the promo code PODCAST to receive $25 off any service or product of $50 or more at La Jolla Cosmetic. La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I-5 San Diego freeway in the XiMED Building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus. To learn more, go to ljcmedspa.com, or follow the team on Instagram at LJCSC. The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast is a production of The Axis.