Hairy, but in a feminine kind of way

What is worse: Having a mustache or having evidence that you took measures to have one removed?

At one of my recent and far too infrequent visits in the eyebrow waxing chair at a local salon the technician asked if I wanted my upper lip waxed to which I replied, "Do you think I need it?"

Always one for tact and courtesy, the lady handed me a mirror so that I could examine for myself that, yes, indeed, in extremely harsh light, without make-up or a shower, I just might have a few darker than preferred hairs on my upper lip. 

First off, lets call a spade a spade, it's not an upper lip, it's a mustache. 

After the waxing I spent the next week trying to cover up the little pimply bumps that broke out all over the area south of my nose and north of lips. I wasn't happy and blamed the salon for using less than totally sanitary germ-free UV-radiated sterile equipment.  (Then I remember that I tend toward OCD at times.)

I decided that I liked the waxed the look but didn't want to pay twenty-five dollars for what to me seemed to be a botched and zitty job.  Falling prey to commercial marketing, as I am wont to do, I bought some Nads Strips to try at home.  A few weeks later upon noticing some regrowth, I locked myself in the bathroom one evening to try and regain my femininity. 

The first time I used these I was successful and had no telltale bumps. The second time I was rushed and not as careful, didn't wash my face first and had to re-do one spot and ended up with a few little bumps that lasted a few days. 

So, I ask you, what's worse, the actual mustache or evidence that beauty is not without pain?

Comments

[Lynn from For Love or Funny]

Heck, it's my beard that bothers me!

But in all seriousness, the facial hair is worse than the pain to get rid of it. One time, my kid's classmate pointed to my chin and said "What's that?" That was all I needed to get rid of my hairy mole.

[Didi]

After you get waxed, use a light exfoliator and you shouldn't get any of those little bumps. Don't do it right after you get home because that will just irritate the skin and make you even more red. But that night as you're washing your face or in the shower the next morning (depends on what you waxed...) - it'll really help!

[Phil]

There is nothing wrong with a mustache!!

[d]

Pop a few ibuprofen 20-30 minutes or so before getting waxed. It'll keep everything down to a dull pain/flush afterwards.

[Kbee]

I am an avid, somewhat OCD, brow plucker. Nonetheless, every time I respond "manicure" to the question of "what you wahn", my friendly neighborhood manicurist squints at me in great disgust and says "eyebrow"?

And every time, every time, I panic. Thinking "is there only one?!"

[Janine (@twincident)]

It's ok for me to talk about this here, right? none of my readers read your blog too, right? Because here's the thing...I went to get some, um waxing done a few years ago and I guess I have very sensitive skin because I looked like a clown...bright red all around my eyes and my mouth!
Yea - nice. Needless to say I didn't go back to work that day but called in sick as I walked to my car with a look of shock because I figured raising my eyebrows would probably stretch the redness out of my eyebrows. At least my eyebrows.

[Sarah Lena]

I have this ALL. THE. TIME.

What's worse is that I'm like, vampirishly-pale, so I also have BRIGHT RED STREAKS for hours after I've had a waxing done.

What drives me bonkers is that when I sign in (and granted, they do not speak the perfect engrish where I go), I request "eye & lip wax, please" and they always come back with ".. and chin?" and I'm all, no, thank you, I am not a billy goat gruff just yet, and they say, more emphatically this time like MY engrish is bad or I'm deaf: ".. AND CHIN?"

I have not yet given in.