Adventures in Lip Waxing

That's my upper lip. The things we do for hair removal! 

I've written about my upper lip before. Who knew I would have even more to say about such a specific spot on my face? My wily lip is off having a life of its own, wild enough to make it on the internet several times, apparently.

Since my last lip post, I've found great success fulfilling my waxing needs at my local In Spa. I've never had any issues with their services until my most recent visit, when my lip left the salon looking even more noticeable than when I walked in.

I knew something wasn't quite right when my upper lip started going numb after the wax was applied. The wax felt like it was completely globbed onto my face. "It should be fine," I thought. (WRONG. Body parts going numb is never going to result with everything being fine.) Waxing your upper lip is never a comfortable endeavor, so I just assumed it was part of the process.

That's when the fun began.

Riiiiip went the wax, and with it, my skin. I honestly, didn't even notice at first. It felt like hell, which was somewhat normal, so I didn't think anything of it. I paid, left the salon, and the moment my skin touched the outside air, I knew something wasn't right. It felt like you could roast s'mores on my upper lip, it was burning so hot.

I plopped down into my car and immediately looked in my rear-view mirror to discover that I had chunks of skin missing from my lip. I couldn't see it too well in my car, so I left the salon and drove home. Upon further inspection, I was left with three, painful dark spots, two of them quite prominent. I was better off never having set foot in the salon and trying to bring the Frida Kahlo look back in style.

I hate having to confront somebody or a company for wronging me. Normally I put my husband up to the task, because it makes me so uncomfortable, but I knew that wouldn't quite work in this situation. It wasn't like he could show them his lip. I asked people what they thought I should do, hoping that someone would say, "Just let bygones be bygones." But that didn't happen. The consensus seemed to be that I needed to tell In Spa.

So, I decided I needed to quit making this so difficult in my head. All I truly needed to ask was a simple question, "What can you do for me?"

And by god, it worked! First of all, the manager and all of the estheticians were extremely apologetic. They bought me a tube of Aquaphor to help speed the healing process, and gave me some other basic care tips.  But that wasn't the end of it; they proceeded to give me a full refund for the botched wax job, a $20 gift card, and booked me for a free facial. How was that for customer service?

Not once did I have to plead my case. Not once did I have to yell or get mean. They just went above and beyond after seeing the atrocity on my face. In other words, my upper lip did the speaking for me.

My lip will take some time to heal, and I was instructed not to wax that area for at least six months to give my skin time to thicken. But they exceeded my expectations for handling the situation, and in my opinion, more than made up for what happened. They will certainly keep me as a customer, even if I decide to quit waxing my lip (don't worry, I'll find another way. My husband won't have a wife with a caterpillar for a lip).

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but when you ask nicely, sometimes you get what you want and more!