OMG - eyebrow disaster!

[Lynne Baker]

I just had the most lovely client for an eyebrow wax and shape. So there I am waxing away to create a 1930's look for a photoshoot and suddenly - BAM - no hair!
It looks for all the world as if I have hoiked out so much hair that it leaves a 5mm hole in her brow. My stomach churns. Now is not the time to chunder over one's client, I think to myself. So I explain what's happened and show her the result in a mirror, and tell her I will not charge her. "Oh, don't worry, Lynne" she says, "it's life, it's hair, and it will grow back. "Please charge me, and don't worry!" So I do the other one, and it's perfect, and as I'm putting soother on the other brow I take a really close look and guess what! There's a big chicken pock mark there - there was never any hair in the first place. All the other hairs had been kind of covering it up! I asked her if she'd had chicken pox. Oh yes, when I pregnant with my son - I remember now picking that one to bits! :|
I'm still mortified though - how could I have not seen it?! I guess it was hiding under all her untamed brow hair.
:cry:

 

[essentia]

Hi Lynne Do not be too hard on yourself - it is part of the learning curve. I always check the area to be waxed and with the client about what I intend to do. You have not been doing this very long and we all run into stcky moments at some point, so don't stress too much.

 

[Lynne Baker]

Thanks for being so understanding!
I did check the area - and I did let her know what I was going to do. I guess I should have checked much more closely than I did. And I shall know to ask if there has been any pock marks/scars etc in future.
I feel sick.

 

[Jen Smith]

Don't beet yourself up about it. We are only human and we can all make mistakes. If you don't ever make mistakes, then you are not doing enough waxing lol! (Quote from Lori Nestore hehehe..... )

I have done brows too thin.. and like you my stomach just turns over.. I know they are too thin.. and its too late, the hair has gone. Like your client says.. it will grow back. As long as you own up to the error there and then, your clients will be usually fine.

Wax On!

:hug:

 

[JANEY K]

don't beat yourself up hun ,i had that myself once when my eyebrows were waxed the poor therapists was upset ..didnt bother me really as it grew back in no time & i still go back to her (i just pencilled it in for remain time) we all make a few errors on the way...i always go over brows with a disposable brow brush & my mag lamp before waxing and take it from there

 

[Lynne Baker]

I wonder if I shouldn't do eyebrows anymore.

 

[greyparrot]

I wonder if I shouldn't do eyebrows anymore.

Don't beat yourself up love The lady I go to for my eyebrows once waxed a big chunk out of the middle of my eyebrow! :lol: She apologised of course after admitting to it straight away. Once I made sure the other hairs were lying straight over it, it wasn't noticeable. And I had no scar or anything there, she just managed to rip em out! I am sure she doesn't mind, these things just happen sometimes

 

[Poshfloss]

Aw Hun,
What a shock.
But just a thought, why not suggest to your client to have her eyebrow tatooed, that will fill in the gap.
My mum has recently had hers done, they had just got thiner and thiner, now they are fab, they have taken 10 years off her.
I know it is a bit expensive, but they may not charge too much for a small fill in, maybe you could look into a therapist for her.
Good luck, and keep waxing, we all make mistakes, I have taken too much off once on the 2nd brow, so had to do a bit more on the 1st, but the client was fine about it.
Lotsa luv x :hug:

 

[dee]

aww hun we all mess up, i have done brows to thin and aslong as you learn from it then you are fine xxxx

 

[bexi]

Dont beat yourself up! It happens - its not good but its not going to kill anyone either. She now knows she has a scar there so if for any reason she changed therapists she'd be aware. Sometimes you don't see everything we are human!

Eyebrows are tough, I remember a tutor saying to me, always approach eyebrows with nerves, then you're less likely to mess up - i guess less is more!

Becki xxx

 

[THERAPY]

Dont worry about it hun it's no big deal, although I know you will be feeling crap about it.
Please don't say your not doing eyebrows anymore, you need to do loads now to get over the fear you've now got!!
One of my clients says to me...
Your brows are like sisters.. they are alike but will never be twins!!!! In other words you'll never get them both exactly the same, so next time you make a boo boo (not that I think you will!!) say that to your client!! xxx

 

[angel fingers]

it'll be ok.
after all , there was no hair there in the first place so theres nothing you can do.

i'm very curious to know what a 1930's brow looks like though?

 

[Lynne Baker]

Think Jean Harlow, Clara Bow, that kinda thing. Very arched, very thin. Except for the bit where there wasn't any hair

 

[ADiva1]

Bless... when I first read your post I thought you'd pulled her brow off!
Dont scare yourself so much, or you'll get a heart attack.
I know the 'stomach churn' feeling though, I've experienced it!
XX

 

[Marlise]

This is why I thread and don't wax eyebrows :lol:

I do feel sorry for you... it must be an awful feeling, but I simply don't trust wax on eyebrows.

It obviously wasn't REALLY your fault as she never had hair there in the first place... for for 5mm, I would just use an eyebrow pencil to cover it up for the time being.

Having said that, if she has this problem, then maybe tidying her brows are a better option that actually shaping them (does that make sense ?), because this will keep happening.

Marlise

 

[Lynne Baker]

I'd like to learn threading - I've had my eyebrows threaded and it does give a very sharp result.
Anyone got any recommendations as to where to learn this ancient art?
And thanks for the kind words, chaps. I feel less traumatised by it today!

 

[tidal]

I'm pretty sure the teacher who taught me esthetics mentioned we can't do threading around here anymore because they use the same thread over and over again and its unsanitary or something? I can't remember the exact reason why, just something to do with it being unsanitary. I'd like to have it done though.

 

[Lynne Baker]

Whenever I've had threading done the therapist holds a great long reel of cotton, and it's a new piece for every client. I certainly had no qualms about the hygiene aspect of it.

 

[Marlise]

I'm pretty sure the teacher who taught me esthetics mentioned we can't do threading around here anymore because they use the same thread over and over again and its unsanitary or something? I can't remember the exact reason why, just something to do with it being unsanitary. I'd like to have it done though.

Calla is correct. You get your thread of a reel which you hold in your hand and a new piece is used for every client.

Granted, you can't actually sanitise the thread, but you clean the skin just as you would before waxing and also apply a cooling gel afterwards.

Threading is no different to "tweezing" in a sense. Imagine being able to pull / tweeze out 20 hairs at a time with thread instead of one by one with a pair of tweezers. Same thing.

I normally wear cloves when I work with my thread in order to keep the thread as clean as possible and then put the reel in a sealed plastic bag afterwards to further protect it from any other contaminants.

I love threading and to me personally, the result is MUCH sharper and cleaner than waxing.


Marlise

 

[angel fingers]

slightly o.t but ever so interesting, have you seen the eyebrow products at Hats, Turbans & Wigs for Hair Loss & Cancer Chemotherapy Patients