Here's some more context. TL;DR at the end.
Because it's become so hard to meet people any other way in recent years, I'm thinking about eventually getting back into the dating apps after my 5-year relationship ended last October. Not just yet, as I'm not entirely ready emotionally but that gives me time to improve my appearance, as this is the most important factor for not having your profile buried on the apps. I also want to look good for whoever my future partner is, as I think putting some effort into your appearance is one of a million ways you can and should be showing that you care, though it's by no means the most important trait someone can offer. From what I've heard, things are even harder than they used to be in terms of the algorithm, and I'm sure my being 27 now instead of 22 doesn't help. I'm not looking for meaningless hookups but my chances of finding someone are pretty low if my profile doesn't show up in her feed.
I'm a man, so the odds are already not in my favour, statistically speaking. Currently, my stats are that I'm 6'0 (183cm) and 165lbs at ~12% body fat. My biceps measure at 14 inches when flexed (35.5cm) and my waist is 32 inches (81cm). I have relatively nice teeth because I had braces, and otherwise my face is pretty average. I'm no Henry Caville but I think my face is okay. My skin could look a little better, as I still have some small red spots where I had a recent acne breakout. I also have keratosis pilaris (chicken/strawberry skin) on my legs and a small amount on my upper arms, which may not matter in photos but might in person, especially with summer around the corner. I could probably add another inch to my biceps and take one or two off my waist in 3 or 4 months if I trained really hard, based off of previous experience in the gym. In 6 – 8 months, I could probably get close to twice that much of an improvement. As far as skincare goes, my research on pubmed says 2 months is about enough time to rectify or substantially improve my relatively minor issues.
My question is this: how long should I wait before I start taking photos to make a profile? Obviously, if I waited 8 months, I'd be in considerably better shape and my skin would be pretty healthy looking, assuming I stuck with the routine. However, that's a long time to wait and I don't know how marginal the benefits are. In 4 months, I could be slightly more fit and my skin would be clear. In 2 months, my skin would improve but I doubt my body would look noticeably better on camera. Just not sure how much of a difference actually makes a difference, if that makes sense. Any help/opinions would be appreciated. Thanks for making it this far.
TL;DR – Before I make an online dating profile, should I wait 2 months for my skin to clear up, 4 months to get in better shape, or 8 months to have the best shot possible at not being buried by the algorithm?