Skincare Nightmare

"Sit right back and you'll hear a tale of what not to do when you're on the treatment table."

Accidents are bound to happen and I have been the victim of beauty disasters at the hands of well-meaning professionals. The one that still makes me shudder happened several years ago. When I was studying esthetics, I had a facial with a respected esthetician. After determining I was a good candidate for the treatment she had in mind, she started putting several products on my face. Each contained some form of glycolic acid and was allowed to "penetrate". She assured me my skin would benefit from it all. When she was done, everyone said my skin looked brighter. Yes, fire usually is bright. My face was bubbling! Little bumps broke out everywhere. The next day I looked like a burn victim. I had extreme flaking, peeling, painful skin covered in dark patches. I couldn't even camouflage it because guess what- make-up doesn't set very well on flaky skin! In the end, it took 4 solid months to even out my skin tone. What did I learn? Common sense should always prevail and even the professionals aren't always right. If something doesn't feel right, speak up. If you're not being heard, head to the nearest exit, lest you have to go into hiding until the swelling goes down.