Most of my conversations these days start the same way:

“Have you seen that Tiktok where…?”

And for better or worse, this is no different.

So, bear with me as I treat you like a slightly bored friend or family member who loves me enough to indulge my enduring opening refrain. 

Because for awhile, all I was seeing on Tiktok was this trend where (mostly) women own up to the high maintenance things they do in order to be low maintenance. 

The list is varied but mostly includes skincare and wellness-y type things, including but not limited to:

• Spending hours in the salon chair every couple months to get their roots touched up
• Eyelash tinting
• Eyelash extensions (lotta focus on lashes on the ol’ TikTok!)
• Eyebrow lamination
• Various serums, creams, and medspa-grade procedures that cost as much as a monthly car payment

I loved getting a behind the scenes peek at other people’s routines, and definitely took notes on what I might want to try for myself (I currently have a tab open in my browser for researching good brow lamination spots!).

And I could easily upload my own roundup of high maintenance routines..that is, if I had a Tiktok and didn’t just borrow the Style Girlfriend account when I want to turn my brain off awhile and scroll the FYP.

Here are a few of my “high maintenance to be low maintenance” things:

Laser hair removal

Maybe this is TMI, but I haven’t shaved my armpits in a decade and wow is it freeing. 

Laser hair removal is one of the best thing I ever did for myself to compress my maintenance routine, full stop.

It’s not an insignificant investment of time or resources, as the process took several sessions over a period of months, but it’s a permanent update, so once you log the hours, you’re done.

Making a whole ‘thing’ of blow drying my hair

I shower every day but only wash my hair once or twice a week.

On these wash days, I haul my velcro rollers out from under the sink, plug in my salon-grade blowdryer and go to town.

I set every section of blown-out hair with a surprisingly expensive drugstore hairspray (expensive for drugstore hairsprays, anyway) and let the rollers cool while I get dressed and do my makeup.

The 30+ minutes this routine can feel like a lot, but it gives me more days I don’t have to wash and dry my hair, which ultimately gives me more time back in my mornings.

Total game changer.

Botox every quarter

I started with Botox a few years ago when I noticed that the lines around my eyes and mouth weren’t just there when I smiled. They were there all the time.

RELATED: What’s a serum and do you need one?

I get mine from a great practitioner when I’m visiting family in Wisconsin as it’s way more expensive in NYC.

At first, I felt weird ‘fessing up—I may have even lied a couple times and claimed I was meeting a friend for lunch when really I was sneaking off to my injector—but now my family knows that visits home mean quality time with loved ones and freezing my face with cosmetic injections.

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Lest you get on your high horse about how women are so vain and will spend gobs of money on dumb things, hold up. 

One, each and every “high maintenance to be low maintenance” routine can and should be viewed through the “I like women who don’t wear makeup” fallacy.

Love a “natural” beauty who doesn’t take forever getting ready and always looks fresh-faced? There’s a good chance she achieves that natural look through high maintenance to be low maintenance routines.

And if doing things like dying our eyebrows makes us feel like we can present our best selves to the world while shortcutting our morning routine, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me!

And second, men spend plenty of money to boost their own confidence.

It’s just that often, this spending comes in the form of things, not services. 

An expensive watch that makes you feel like you’re joining the cast of Succession every time you strap it on, for example. Or sneakers you set an alarm to bid on just the chance to buy them. 

The tl;dr?

You’re not above splurging on yourself, either!

There are plenty of ways for a man to spend money on himself that isn’t watches and cool sneakers that can make him feel that same confidence boost.

Let’s talk about them!

What high maintenance habits could you do to help you be low maintenance?

And remember, low maintenance here is basically code for ‘help you wake up and leave the house each morning feeling confident.”

Here’s a couple our team can think of:

Hair restoration surgery

Definitely a commitment both financially and time-wise, but if walking around with a receding hairline or thinning hair wastes mental energy in your day, every day?

Then doing something about it feels like it could be a great investment.

Or maybe your problem is the opposite one, and you could take me up on my favorite high maintenance activity—laser hair removal! 

While you probably are inclined to leave your pits situation intact, what about your back hair?

What about the hair on the back of your neck that seems to grow faster than the rest, making you look shaggy a week before your scheduled haircut?

Getting that hair removed for good could help you look and feel your best with less stress.

Putting your life on hold for a mindfulness retreat

Consider doing something different with your PTO this year.

Booking a getaway to a wellness retreat like the Hoffman Process or Canyon Ranch may not be as “fun” as a traditional vacation, but it could be more impactful.

I know, I know. Taking few days to a week (or more!) away from your usual routine to thoughtfully consider how you want to show up in your life feels like a high maintenance woo-woo thing that only celebrities do.

But! It could also be just what you need to realize that you’ve outgrown a job, or a relationship, or your attitude toward your body.

Even a weekend away to a local meditation retreat will improve your mental well-being and help you smash that ‘life reset’ button.

Botox and fillers to keep your face from looking craggy 

If you find yourself spending more time during Zoom calls staring at the lines and wrinkles on your face than you do participating in the conversation, it may be time to bring in the big guns.

And by big guns, I mean small needles.

Minimally invasive procedures like Botox injections, or fillers like Juvederm, can reduce wrinkles and add volume to areas of your face that are slowly deflating as you age.

Unlike laser hair removal or hair restoration, this habit is an ongoing one. But if you can set aside funds for fantasy sports every season, you can set aside funds that help you feel more confident in your appearance.

Investing in a smart tracker to inform your wellness 

As the business mantra goes, What gets measured gets managed.

I know plenty of folks who swear by the Oura ring for tracking their health, but there’s plenty of options out there, including Fitbit and Whoop.

If you’re someone who loves to dig into the data, set goals, and track their progress, investing in one of these functional accessories could be a great fit.

Hiring a coach of any kind

Springing for a nutritionist, a trainer, or ::ahem:: a personal stylist to help you shortcut the process to your lifestyle goals is definitely a “high maintenance to be low maintenance” habit to consider.

Yes, you’re still the one who has to eat better, work out harder, and get dressed in the morning, but all of that is way, way easier when you have an expert helping you along the way.

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Head to Instagram (because Twitter is currently a dumpster fire that doesn’t refresh for hours at a time anymore) and let me know the “high maintenance to be low maintenance” habit you’re thinking about tackling!