[PinkPony]

I was poling for several years before I got my boobs done. I did a lot of research & interviewing before I made my decision. A key factor for me was that every woman I spoke to said she would have the surgery again if she were to do things over again. Even the ones who has complications said so. No one regretted their surgery.
It concerns me slightly to read that you’re unhappy with yourself. Surgery is a big decision & if you’re insecure, a boob job won’t fix that. So I hope you’re doing it for the right reasons. I loved my body very much before surgery & didn’t suffer from low self esteem. But I wanted a change & felt a breast augmentation would balance my figure out a little. I was an A cup and now I’m a C or D, depending on the brand of bra. Like you, my boobs were a gift to myself when I turned 30 🙂
If you’re sure a boob job is for you, then the best advice I can give you is to very carefully research your surgeon. He is everything and will determine what kind of experience you have. Make sure he has all the proper certifications, lots of experience, positive patient reviews, pictures of his work. Start asking every girl you know who has the surgery. Maybe we are very open about these things in Vegas, but every girl I spoke to was happy to tell me about her experience & helpful.
Your surgeon will also be the best person to select for you over or under muscle, silicon or saline implant, number of CCs. You can see why it’s so important that he be someone you trust. I explained to my doctor that I was active in the aerial arts & used my upper body a great deal & that really affected his choices.
Mine were under the muscle, “gummy bears,” a type of silicone that is very thick to prevent leakage in the event of a rupture. I was never in pain. I was very sore, but that was the worst. I used pain medication (at my doctor’s request) for only one day after the surgery. It is a good idea to have someone to help you in your home for at least maybe 3 days after surgery. Bring you water, keep track of your meds. I slept a lot after my surgery.
I was back on the pole about 3 months after surgery. I was surprised that I had not lost all my strength. But the muscles around the boobs have tightened and will have to stretch out to feel like they used to. Only now, 2 years later, do my implants really feel like part of my body. But that’s normal from what I have heard, don’t let it scare you. It took many more months before I could do a pull-up but now it’s not an issue. The only pole move I have felt my boobs get in the way of is a version of the flag where the pole is basically pressed right against your boobs. I have done it, but found it kinda painful. I asked my doctor if I should avoid the pose in case of rupture but he said it was fine.
I love my boobs & am so happy that I had the surgery. No regrets at all.
I hope this was helpful. Good luck 🙂

[PinkPony]

Are there currently rules in existing competitions that disqualify polers of a certain size?
This is a slippery slope. Should we start separating dancers according to height as well? Surely their proportions affect how they move.
I don’t understand why the pole world has gravitated toward competitions instead of showcases. It seems like as soon as they can invert, people want to compete. If you want to do what you love for an audience, it makes sense to be part of a recital or show. Why bring in the aspect of comparing yourself to others? It seems unnecessary and potentially not very beneficial.
If you love pole & want to show it, I understand and everyone should have the chance to show off their personal style 🙂 But competing means you want to be compared to others and judged. And why should competitions cater to specific body types? Isn’t training your body part of the dedication that comes with competing?

[PinkPony]

[PinkPony]

I just started a new series of pole cartoons, Pink Pony Pole Dancing Dictionary.
Grateful for any support 😉
@ponypoison

[PinkPony]

Ever see female fitness model & body building competitions? The women wear teeny tiny bikinis specially made to show the muscles they work so hard for. And many wear high acrylic “stripper” heels.
When a woman who chooses to dance topless for a living is no longer viewed as a threatening villain, we will have made progress as a culture. Until then, why is it important to make someone who prefers to be covered comfortable but not important to let someone who likes heels & Bad Kitty feel comfortable? Maybe those accessories help her feel in touch with her assertive side. Maybe someone who is shy of wearing those things would be inspired by her.
I am not saying you should wear floss, because that’s unsanitary, plain & simple. Always keep a barrier between your cookie & the pole 😉

[PinkPony]

I recommend you stop thinking & start feeling. Feel your muscles when you move, freestyle alone at home with no one watching so you can get comfortable.
The body does amazing things if you just let it. Try to only let yourself focus on moving, no judgments allowed.
You dance because you love it, not to please anyone else, right? And the nice side effect of this method is that a dancer who is truly enjoying herself is often the most interesting to watch 🙂

[PinkPony]

I post many shameless pole selfies, aerial hoops pics & my drawings 🙂
@ponypoison

[PinkPony]

I’ve had my implants for about a year and a half (under the muscle) and can do pull-ups. I was back to pole about 3 months after my surgery but taking it slow, literally starting with a fireman spin all over again! Now, I’m right back to my previous form, it still feels slightly odd when I do those movements but I changed my body so that’s natural.
Are you focusing on engaging your lats? That helps me. Otherwise, some gyms have assisted push-up machines where the machine will support some of your weight for you. Maybe try one of those.

[PinkPony]

Remember that your pole journal doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you. It’s not a tutorial for anyone else. So as long as you know what you’re talking about, I wouldn’t worry about things like making complete sentences or whatever.
I always film when I practice at home because I have no mirror to look in, so I watch the video on my phone & if I really love something, I will screenshot it & print it for my journal so I can see my progress.
I use a similar method to keep track of moves I really want to do. I find pictures of the moves online & either put them in my journal or store them on my phone. It’s a visual wish list. I group them by difficulty. Some of them are new to me but I think realistically I can have them in a matter of weeks/months (I am so close to having machine gun!) and then some of them are long term, moves I need to build toward (like rainbow marchenko…which may take the rest of my life haha).
I write in my journal almost every time I practice; what is working, what needs work, what I need to ask my teachers about.
Good luck with your journal, it is the best feeling to cross a move off your list of moves to master. Or to replace a picture of someone else doing a move you wanted to achieve with a picture of yourself doing it 🙂

[PinkPony]

You know, it’s a funny thing. If you actually try to talk with someone who objects to exotic dance, in a very reasonable logical tone, it is often difficult for them to give a reasonable chain of logic behind their view.
Asking things like Is exotic dance wrong? Why is it wrong? What do you find offensive about nudity and/or dancing? Will probably not change their mind. But it may at least reveal that their position is irrational. And remind them that strippers only dance & do not actually have sex with anyone.
It’s something I find many staunch believers cannot explain, they get flustered & often cannot really articulate what makes exotic dance “bad” or “wrong.”
Just a thought.

[PinkPony]

Thanks for all the info RandomGurlie =) I will have to read thru it again to digest it all! hehe

It's tough in Vegas, I expected competition from people who are already super amazing. I saw that coming & I don't feel too awful to lose a gig to someone who has superior skills. What I did NOT see coming, was gigs going to girls with little to no skill who just achieve some "look" that the venue prefers. I have worked plenty of promotional model jobs, so I know my look is marketable but admittedly it is not the overtly sexual Vegas look. It has surprised & frustrated me to see that I work & try so hard to be legitimately good at what I do only to find out that the people paying for this act may or may not even care if you're any good.

As far as other skills, I have also worked with fire dancing & eating and I perform an act called Grinder Girl which many people have not heard of. I have a 30 pound steel costume that I wear and shoot sparks off my body with an angle grinder. It's a super fun act & people love it. 

I guess I should try to find an agent. It's all about who you know here & I keep wondering Where is the person I have to meet? Who is that person? haha

Anyhow, thanks for the info again, take care! =)

[PinkPony]

OMG PhillyPoleJess, I am soooo going to buy that thing right this second, that is GENIUS!!!! I had no idea such a thing existed, thank you SO MUCH for posting that link!!! =)

@RandomGurlie, I am trying to so hard to break into the aerialism (I study hoop & love it! And of course I do pole too.). I think aerialists are the most beautiful people in the world & I work all the time to be as skilled as I possibly can be. But I admit I am a bit lost when it comes to finding opportunities to perform. Any advice for someone new to the trade?

Thank you Veeners! 😉

 

[PinkPony]

If you start using grip aids too soon, you risk stunting your progress as you build your grip. I didn't use them for the first 6 months I was on the pole & spun, inverted, & learned aerial positions without them. But really what harm comes from delaying the use of them? Build your grip, make sure you've got your strength holds down first! 

[PinkPony]

CoffeeGirl is exactly right about the push/pull principal. You'll find that pattern in basically every static pole position you do, so start recognizing it now! The push/pull principle creates your balance. The only helpful tips I have to add is that elbow pain from split grip is often caused by a "broken" wrist. You want a straight wrist as much as possible. Try a split knuckle grip on the lower hand, it helped me immensely. It basically forces your wrist into proper alignment.

For split knuckle grip, you will wrap your hand around the pole as usual but instead of keeping your fingers together, you will separate your index finger from the others. The pole will rest between your index & middle finger and you will wrap the rest of your hand like you normally would.

Hope this helps!