Don’t leave your beauty to chance
Trial and error may be fine for science labs. But when it comes to getting plucked, waxed, rubbed or peeled taking chances can lead to some pretty scary scenarios.
Read on to learn how to avoid real-life hair scares and other cosmetic disasters by taking charge of your beauty treatments. That way, you’ll have no trials to endure – or errors to regret.
Manicurist
Beauty mishap: “My nails were weak, so I had them wrapped,” says Judy Hunt, 42, a real estate agent in Boca Raton, Fla. “I got a fungus under a nail, and it barely grows anymore.”
How it could have been avoided: Hunt should have brought her own nail file, buffer and pumice stone and checked the salon’s sanitary practices. All instruments should be sanitized for at least 20 minutes, says Myrdith McCormack, a manicurist in New York City.
Other Real Simple tips for taking charge
• Avoid salons that have only one license for the entire staff. Each manicurist should have her own.
• Unless it’s disposable, make sure the soaking bowl is glass – not plastic, which might absorb germs. If the salon does use plastic, the bowls (including those for pedicures) need to be cleaned with bleach between clients.
Hairstylist
Beauty mishap: “I tried a hot, new salon,” says Kim Wolfman, 36, a teacher in New York City, “and walked out with a mullet.”
How it could have been avoided: Wolfman should have insisted on an in-depth consultation with her stylist before the scissors came out.
Other Real Simple tips for taking charge
• Arrive at the salon with your hair in the style you wear every day and, ideally, a picture of what you want.
• Don’t talk inches. Have your stylist show you where she’s going to cut.
Aesthetician
Beauty mishap: “I headed to a spa before a black-tie event to make my face glow,” says Larissa Williams, 40, a writer in Los Angeles. “I left with inflamed red pimples.”
How it could have been avoided: Schedule a facial 7 to 10 days before the event.
Other Real Simple tips for taking charge
• Make sure you see an aesthetician, who has more advanced training than a cosmetologist.
• For extractions, consider seeing a dermatologist, who is more likely to be gentle when squeezing the skin.
Makeup artist
Beauty mishap: “I wanted to get my makeup done at a department store before a holiday party,” recalls Kristin Davies, 39, a stay-at-home mother in Springfield, N.J. “She put too much on – I didn’t look like myself. And she was clearly upset when I didn’t buy anything.”
How it could have been avoided: If you book a free appointment at a department store, it’s courteous to buy something if you’re happy with the results (you have no obligation to buy after an impromptu makeup application by a salesperson).
Other Real Simple tips for taking charge
• Find a makeup artist who has a personal style similar to yours. You will be more likely to get the look you’re after.
Cosmetic dentist
Beauty mishap: “I went in for porcelain veneers to fix my crooked teeth,” says Michelle Roddy, 41, a writer in Denver. “I came out looking like George Hamilton, with big, flashbulb pearly whites. I could barely talk or eat.”
How it could have been avoided: Roddy should have asked her dentist to apply temporaries to test out a look before committing.
Other Real Simple tips for taking charge
• Go to the Web site of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry ( www.aacd.com), which includes testimonials from patients.
• Look at the teeth of the office staff; they may be living examples of the dentist’s work.