5 Beauty Treatments that Can Go Horribly Wrong

Do you remember that Sex and the City episode when Samantha decides to get an impulse chemical peel, which promptly burns off the first two layers of her skin? Ladies and gentlemen, that was me. Last week.

Except it wasn't a chemical peel, but an upper lip wax I impulsively decided to get during my lunch hour. The wax was too hot, and my skin responded with a red, bumpy rash. And yes, I had to walk into the office with my upper lip lit ablaze. Thankfully it blended into the crimson shade that was my face.

To make sure this never happens again, I talked to Sharon Elizabeth, a California-based skin care expert and freelance makeup artist who has seen the results of many a well-meaning beauty treatment gone awry. She shared which treatments are most likely to backfire, as well as her best tips on how to prevent a beauty emergency.

1: Waxing
A fresh wax may help keep stray hairs away, but it could also cause redness or breakouts (same goes for threading). Depending on how quickly your hair grows back, get your lip and/or eyebrow wax done one to two weeks before a big event -- but no sooner. "Make sure your technician applies a prewax oil to your skin before waxing," Elizabeth says. "It prevents burns, and skin pulls far better than the baby powder many people use." Before your next wax appointment, find out what happens behind the scenes at your salon here.

2: Tanning
Looking like a bronzed goddess is a dream -- especially when you end up resembling a lava-colored lobster. Don't forego sunscreen and lay out in the hopes of getting some color. Layer on the SPF 40 and beware of tan lines (which can make even the best cocktail dress look weird).
If you're a spray tan lover, schedule a session for about three days before you want to be presentable. "This will give the solution time to settle on the skin, reducing the chances that it could end up sweating on your clothes," Elizabeth says. "And if the shade is too bold, this lead time will give you a chance to subdue it." If you end up a little orange, try scrubbing your body with a loofah and your face -- more gently -- with a washcloth. Want to get a tan at home? Check out the 9 best self-tanners here.

3: Deep conditioning
A deep conditioning treatment can improve the texture and luster of your hair, but if you'd like to give one a go, do it at least a week before you're going to try that sleek, waterfall ponytail or other trendy updo. (If you have thick, coarse hair, you're the exception -- condition away!) Hair that's too soft can be hard to manipulate and too slippery to hold a style. Give yourself a deep conditioning treatment at home with one of these reader faves.

4: Hair straightening treatments
Addicted to straightening treatments? You may be tempted to book your appointment just before a big event so that it's "fresh," but doing so can make it stiff-as-a-board straight and lifeless. To get the look you're after without looking like you had a close encounter with an ironing board, give yourself a two-week window between the treatment and show time.

5: Over-exfoliating
While you're scrubbing and scrubbing (and scrubbing) in the hopes of making your skin squeaky clean, you're definitely removing dead skin cells -- but you're also nuking the healthy ones as well. This results in a duller appearance, ultimately making it harder for makeup to be applied and have staying power - basically the very opposite thing you're after.