I was very excited to meet Christina and try Elegante Electrolysis as the reviews described her as someone that was kind, respectful, and values her client's wellbeing. I was introduced to Christina's practice through Caddell's Laser and Electrolysis in Bellevue- where I was currently going, but had wanted to try the blend method of Electrolysis, which is what Christina offers. Christina works there occasionally but it was difficult to get an appointment, so I thought it made the most sense to book directly through Christina's practice at Elegante Electrolysis.
I originally reached out to her via text and received very sparse communication. This was the first red flag for me and probably one I should have listened to, but I thought everyone's lives are very hectic so it may not be such an issue. For example, at one point I reached out on Jan 3rd to get an appointment and didn't even hear back from her until Jan 20th. When I asked for any availability for certain weeks, she replied back "we're closed on Mondays" which is not the question I asked in the first place. When I asked for her pricing, which is a critical question when scheduling a service with someone new, she said I would have to come in for a consultation before she could provide that, which was frustrating for me as she could have at least shared her rate card, despite us yet determining how long of sessions I would need.
I assumed my experience in person would be different based on the reviews, but it wasn't. My consultation which by its very definition is a meeting to seek advice, was anything but that. She didn't spend time going over my medical history or even simply asking me what results I desired and give me any indication of how long that could possibly take (even a range would have been fine). When I asked her about after care she didn't have any instructions other than to use witch hazel, aloe, and keep it clean. This was very surprising to me as my experience at Caddell's was totally opposite where my provider there spent a good 10 minutes explaining to me the step-by-step process of after care and provided a handout that went over everything during my consultation.
Christina was most keen on doing a 15 minute session on the spot (which is $48 by the way) which is not something that she communicated previously. I wouldn't have been so put off by this if I was at least aware of it beforehand. She said that she talked to me on the phone and already explained all of this including the pricing, but she hadn't (we never once spoke on the phone). I reviewed the text exchange again and confirmed she never mentioned the consultation would include a 15 minute session or any discussion of fees. I still would have been fine to continue but it was strange to me that she had not once had the humility to say that she could have communicated better, or she was sorry for the confusion. Instead she was extremely defensive and said that she always includes a 15 minute session as part of the consultation because not doing so would be a "waste of her time" although this felt deceptive to me since she didn't share her pricing via text in the first place. Even when I mentioned that my experience with my provider at Caddell's was very different, she shrugged it off defensively and said all providers are different so I shouldn't expect the same level of service from everyone. At the very least, she could have spelled my name right on the appointment reminders and form, but even that basic level of detail was too much for her (and yes, I did give her my correct spelling originally via text).
She noticed that I was disturbed by doing a session on the spot so she said I could go home and think about if I wanted to continue. I said that I was fine to schedule another appointment based on her recommendation of needing 30 minutes for my area but she said she would only book me 15 minutes at first (which made me think she just wanted to book me at a more expensive session per minute as the 30 minute cost is $65). I eventually told her that it was not a good experience and that I don't want to continue and she acted like she couldn't even care less.
Overall, I feel bad to write a negative review on a small business like Elegante Electrolysis, but I also feel that others should be made aware of the lack of communication and rude and defensive nature of Christina. read more