I dread writing negative reviews (and rarely have had an experience that would warrant one), but I feel this is necessary.
I went to Waxitude Studio Spa in Burnsville for a teeth whitening service by Wendy that I found on Groupon. Had I done my research properly, I would have realized that teeth whitening should be left to the professionals (e.g. a dentist), and not a beautician running a small business.
Being my first professional teeth whitening experience, I would have also appreciated an explanation of the process prior to beginning the service as that would have likely made some of the experience smoother. Instead, Wendy simply handed me the supplies, pressed the button to start the process, and off she went to her desk. During the 30 minute service, Wendy had her back to me the entire time and did not check once to see how everything was sitting inside my mouth. About 10 minutes in, I began feeling enormous pain and discomfort on my gums, and felt as if I were counting down the minutes until I was done. I began wondering why I had wasted my time and money on something that was far from pleasant. Had Wendy checked on me, she might have noticed the discomfort and tried fixing it, potentially changing the outcome of my experience.
Once I was finished, I noticed a white layer on my upper gum, which Wendy explained was simply a reaction to the solution. She informed me it would go away within 20 minutes, and that would be the only "side effect" I would experience aside from mild gum sensitivity. Before I left, Wendy tried to sell me on booking a few more whitening appointments at a reduced rate. I felt that was a little sketchy, and told her I would wait until everything settled to see if I would want to do this again. She appeared disappointed, which made me feel guilty, but I left without booking anyway.
The white layer on my gum did in fact subside throughout the day, and initially, I had no other side effects other than sensitivity, which I expected. The results were also disappointing as my teeth did not look even one shade whiter than before. More alarmingly, however, was what took place several hours later. During the evening, I began to notice that my lips were feeling unusually chapped, so I diligently applied chap stick and eventually stopped thinking about them. Throughout the night, I felt a sore on the inside of my bottom lip (it began feeling like a cold sore), and the pain intensified as the night went on. At one point, I finally looked in the mirror, and to my surprise, my bottom lip was swollen. The swelling was so intense that it looked as though I had been hit in the face. Additionally, it felt incredibly hot and I could not eat or drink anything without feeling intense pain. At first, I thought I was having an allergic reaction the solution and was very scared. The next day, however, I learned that I actually got burnt from the lamp that was placed in front of my mouth. Over the next few days, the swelling persisted and blisters began forming on both the interior and exterior part of lip. My gums were also tender and bled, and they began peeling and blistering as well. Not only was it painful and uncomfortable, it was also embarrassing.
I contacted Wendy the next morning and she exclaimed this "had never happened before", and said it was my fault, saying I "did not put enough Vitamin E on my lips" beforehand. I was extremely shocked and upset that she refused to take any responsibility and was quick to blame it on me. Of course I knew I was more than careful and thorough applying the gel, and could not believe her lack of professionalism. After visiting the Pharmacy and doing research, I learned that this is actually a common side effect only when the service is performed by someone who is not competent or properly qualified. Rather than own up to her mistake, she put the blame on me.
To say I do not recommend this service would be an understatement. If you feel so inclined to have your teeth whitened, do your research first, and then make sure it is done by a professional who knows what they are doing. Not at an a la carte "spa" that provides facial waxing and manicures/pedicures. Although I cannot speak for Wendy's other services, I can attest to her lack of professionalism, compassion and competence. I will not be returning to her salon and advise others to have caution before doing so. read more
