There are many beauty treatments that you can do at home to save yourself money, save yourself time, and save yourself headaches. As true as that statement is, there are also beauty treatments that you should never, under any circumstances, try yourself. Here are ten salon treatments best left to the professionals.
1. Chemical Peels
A chemical peel is a perfect treatment for many skin problems such as acne, acne scars, fine lines, wrinkles and sun damaged skin. During the procedure a chemical solution is applied to the skin, making it to blister and then peel off.
The new skin is usually smoother, less wrinkled but more sensitive. However, chemical peels can easily be taken too far, leading to serious skin damage that, in some cases, may be irreversible.
Chemical peels are best performed by trained dermatologists who will be able to customize your treatment to meet the needs of your skin. The chemical treatments that are safe to use at home simply aren’t effective and those that are effective really aren’t safe.
I have been doing chemical peels for more than 2 years since I have a problem-prone skin and chemical peels are the surest way to enhance my skin’s health. I know that the procedure is really dangerous so I have never done it at home.
2. Hair Color
I would be lying if I said that I hadn’t tried coloring my hair at home, but this comes with caveats. Most of my hair problems come from home color processing mistakes: split ends, strawlike texture, uneven color… Since I tried more than 5 colors at home before going to the salon, I can definitely say that home hair coloring is a very intricate procedure.
If you are only changing your hair color by a shade, or two at most, then you are probably safe to do it at home. Any change larger than a shade or two, however, should be left to the professionals. Studies have indicated that only about 30% of DIY hair colors look natural, so they aren’t really worth the effort.
The salon is the best place to a get a natural look or to have multi-tonal highlights put into your hair. Brunette colors are the hardest to do at home and have a tendency to turn orange, so avoid those entirely. The salon coloring is usually much pricier but they use more high-end agents and beauty products. Plus, you’ll get a good hair treatment.
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3. Keratin Straightening
I’m really against keratin straightening, but if you want to straighten your hair and save money on salon treatments, you run a very real risk of damaging your hair by using at-home keratin treatments. First of all, the ingredients can be extremely hazardous to your skin and hair. Second, the iron itself reaches 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than you bake most of the time.
You can seriously burn your hair and your scalp with a hot iron and since the kits aren’t all that effective to begin with, you are better off saving yourself the time, money, and heartache by going to the salon. Bear in mind that even professional keratin straightening can cause irritation, itching and allergies due to the usage of formaldehyde, the key component of keratin treatment.
Keratin treatment should be performed in a good ventilated room and you should wear a protective mask. Moreover, the procedure itself takes from 2 to 4 hours, depending on your hair length and you cannot wash your hair and do a ponytail for 72 hours after the treatment.
It can be done successfully only under the supervision of a trained hair professional. Are you still thinking of doing the keratin straightening at home?
4. Spray Tans
DIY tanning solutions almost never produce good results. They won’t cause skin damage or have any health effects, but they are likely to look splotchy and uneven, so don’t waste the money. Have a professional do an airbrushed spray tan that will go on evenly and without running.
When doing the professional spray tan you should protect yourself from any hazards. First of all, you need to ask for a nose filter before the session; it will prevent you from inhaling DHA, a harsh chemical that is a key component of any tan agent.
You should also protect your eyes, lips, mucous membranes and groin area. Spray tanning is usually safer than tanning beds, but only when DHA is used moderately.
If you are on a tight budget, skip this beauty treatment and go natural. After all, if you go too dark, do you think it will look natural, especially in winter? I don’t think so.
When I was in my early 20s, I used to go to tanning beds. Now I don’t understand why I did it. I enjoy my skin tone without tanning and don’t worry about spending money on this beauty treatment.
5. Acrylic Nail Removal
The Internet is piled with the tips on how to remove acrylic nails at home, but I still recommend having them removed by a professional. Professionally applied acrylic nails can come off accidentally from time to time, which may make it seem like they aren’t all that difficult to remove.
However, the nails that come off accidentally had a flaw that weakened the glue. The nails that stay on don’t have that flaw.
Trying to pop those nails off can damage your nails or even pull them off entirely, which is intensely painful. There is the potential to damage your nails so severely that they won’t grow back, so don’t take the risk.
Many of us know that acrylic nails are safe, but they can cause problems when they are removed inappropriately. Always have acrylic nails removed by a professional and you won’t have any problems.
If you can’t afford it, then don’t apply acrylic nails at all. Just provide your nails with a weekly manicure, use natural, nail-friendly polishes and moisture your hands each day.
You can make your nails look good without artificial covering. I have never tried applying acrylic nails but many of my friends wear them. I’ve heard many negative responses.
More: 10 Important Beauty Tips for an Active Lifestyle
6. Waxing
It’s fine to do a little touch-up waxing here and there, but full-scale bikini waxes and eyebrow shaping are not DIY activities. Avoid burns and the risk of taking your waxing too far by letting a professional do the work.
Whether you need to wax your legs or bikini area, professional waxing is always the best option. Not only will the end result look better, but they can reduce the pain caused by waxing a great deal.
While a professional will do the job in an hour or so, you’ll have to spend much more time, since legs are a considerably large area and bikini area is very unhandy. Sure, professional waxing is a pricey procedure and you will have to spend 4 or 5 times more than doing waxing at home. If you can’t afford to constantly wax, opt for shaving or any other method of hair removal.
7. Hair Extensions
Hair extensions are simply hard to do because of the places you need to reach and the ties you need to make. While it may be remotely possible to pull off a great result at home, chances are much better that you’ll end up with a mess that even a professional will have trouble overcoming. Hair extensions are best left to a second pair of hands.
While removal of hair extension can be done at home, they must be applied only by a professional. The procedure itself is rather intricate.
Hair extension are placed on the small section of hair, crisscrossed, plaited together and covered with a bonding solution. I can hardly imagine doing this procedure at home.
Hair extensions look gorgeous, but they are rather expensive. But again, you don’t have to do it if you can’t afford it. I know many women who have short hair, but they look fantastic and they don’t even think about hair extensions because they know that hair extensions can damage their natural hair.
The glue can burn and split the hairs and you will constantly have to have your hair trimmed. The best option is to consult the specialist and discuss all the pros and cons of hair extensions for your hair.
8. Pedicures
Most of the time your toenails and feet are hidden under shoes and boots but they deserve as much attention as your face, hair and nails. The whole point of a pedicure is to pamper yourself and you simply can’t when you do one yourself. You won’t cause any harm with a DIY pedicure, but you probably won’t receive much benefit either.
Beyond painting your toenails and moisturizing your feet, pedicures are best left to a third party. I think almost every woman can afford to get her pedicure done in a beauty salon. It might seem like a waste of money to you, but there’s nothing wrong in pampering yourself every now and then.
The benefits of a professional pedicure will last for several weeks. I get my nail done once a month and I think it’s worth the money. I have very weak nails and terrible heel calluses.
Despite using creams and moisturizers I can never get my feet as smooth as a professional can. A professional pedicure takes about 40 minutes, which gives the time to sit back and relax.
More: 10 Steps to a Perfect French Pedicure
9. Gel Polish
Getting a good finish with a gel nail polish might be easy with your dominant hand, but it will be a nightmare to accomplish with your weaker hand. Even if are ambidextrous, the likelihood of getting a salon-quality gel nail job at home is pretty slim. A professional job will last you two weeks, so just go for it.
Gel polish is incredibly versatile and it’s much easier to create various nail designs. A professional can even add some length to your nails by using gel polishes. Gel polish is definitely more expensive than traditional polishes, but a lot of women enjoy the pros of this type of nail treatment.
Gel polish removal should also be done by a professional. In a salon your nails will get soaked in a special solution and then scraped off. Get your nails done professionally and you won’t have any problems!
10. Eyelash Tinting
Even when done by a professional, eyelash tinting is a risky proposition. Incorrect administration of the chemicals involved can lead to serious eye infections or even blindness, so don’t even think about doing this at home.
In spite of the fact that most eyelash tints are marked as vegetable-based or fruit-based, they do contain chemicals. If a dye is going to deposit color, it cannot be all-natural.
Professional eyelash tinting isn’t that intricate. If you must get it done, do your homework and find a reputable professional with skill, experience, and integrity.
If you have any eye problems, make sure you consult your ophthalmologist before using eyelash tints. Inflammation, swelling, change in vision are all potential threats.
There are so many beauty treatments that you can perform at home that taking the risk with the list above simply isn’t worth it. Save money by doing the safe and effective things at home so that you can pay a professional to take care of the more complicated items.
As tempting as it is to try to save a buck by doing everything at home, remember that the cost of repairing the damage (if it can even be repaired) is likely to be far greater than the cost of having the work done by a professional the first time around. Sure, I’m not promoting salon beauty treatments, but sometimes it’s better to go to professionals.1