My first time waxing… And other hair removal methods
Last Friday, I went to to STRIP @ Wheelock Place to wax my underarms... for the first time in my life.
I wouldn't say that it didn't hurt at all but it was definitely quick - didn't take more than 10 minutes and I simply looooooved the yummy smell of the chocolate wax they used.
It's been 3 days since I waxed my underarms and I am so amazed that no hair has grown back yet! This is so much better than shaving and IPL!
Speaking of IPL (Intensed Pulse Light - known as a semi-temporary hair removal), I signed up for an 8-session IPL session at STRIP Paragon late last year. It costed $1,400 and I finished all 8 sessions by about June this year and I think it was a waste of money altogether. I wrote them a letter of letter of dissatisfaction of service.
Here's an excerpt:
"I am extremely disappointed with the results because I distinctly recall coming back every 4-6 weeks with dissatisfaction and doubt. By the 6th session, I was not only seeing any noticeable changes, the reason for the lack of the result explained to me by the sales staff, was that the machine you previously had was not as good as the machine you had just brought in. (At this point, I've went for about 6 sessions using the 'old machine'. I still had to shave because even after almost 2 weeks, hair was still growing back instead of 'falling off on it's own' as it should be.)
At that point, your sales staff tried to up-sell the same package for almost half the price – to get the results that I should have gotten with the package I paid for, except this time, you had a “better” machine.
I believe this is very unethical because I paid for results and if those results are not apparent, I should not be subjected to pay more to get what I was originally promised. (Having a "better" machine is no excuse!)"
* * * * *
I've asked for a partial refund but they have refused it because it was against their company policy. Instead, they offered 3 free sessions because they believed that even after almost 1 year of going for this treatment and spending more than $1400, it just wasn't enough. To make situations worse, the management made me go inside the room room so my therapist could have a look at my underarms. But it wasn't just my therapist and I ALONE, 2 other therapists were there as well to have a "look".
It felt like an interrogation more than any sort of evaluation.
After about what felt like about an hour of trying to explain why I wasn't seeing the results I should have, I realized that they were trying to turn it around by making it seem like it was my fault for not religiously following the after-care of IPL treatments such as not shaving, staying out of the sun, making sure I come back within 4-6 weeks and also probably because I'm an exception of the rare occasions when just like every other customers, I have thicker hair follicles and need to go for more sessions. Yes, I guess there are people who spend another $600 even though they weren't seeing results.
* * * * *
Anyway, just because the IPL treatments that I got from STRIP did not (and perhaps will not) work for me, it is not my intention to boycott anyone or any company. While I will not recommend that treatment to anyone, I obviously still went back to STRIP for waxing because everyone deserves a second chance, and not all services that they provide are bad.
However, I do believe that they really need to practice better customer service and customer care. Instead of up-selling package 'deals', provide the details and pricing of these deals in clear print so your customer can at least take a moment of their own personal time to consider it.
If details like this do not come in fine print, how will your customers know that you are not changing the price around and what is the real value of the service you are providing?
* * * * *
If you want to go for waxing, I say go for it. Go to STRIP because the chocolate hard wax ($19++) is something you should try at least once. It's quite an experience.
Results can last 2 to 6 weeks depending on the individual’s hair re-growth. In most cases, hair growth is minimal during the first week or two and noticeably increases in the third and fourth week. Heat stimulates hair growth, therefore hair grows quicker in the summer than in the winter. With regular waxing the length of time between treatments will increase. Continued waxing results in sparse hair re-growth.
Excessive shaving and use of hair removing creams with severe chemicals are the major causes of dark armpits. Avoid shaving and hair removing creams. Waxing removes hairs from root and helps to remove the layer of dead skin. Tweezing is a no-no as it may irritate your skin, unhygienic and would take too much time! I haven't tried depilating before but according to Melissa Faith Yeo, she loves it.
I may try it one day.
But for now, I might want to try waxing other areas of my body... 
Have you ever had any good/bad/funny experiences from waxing, IPL treatment, shaving, depilating or tweezing?
DO SHARE!
Chasing the sun across the globe, starting from Singapore to California, Florida, and now Kuala Lumpur.
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October 12th, 2009 - 15:00
I just wanted to say I have had similar experiences at Browhaus – which is essentially Strip’s sister company, except it does brows and lashes + face waxing. I think they provide good service overall and I still head there twice a month, but they can be incredibly pushy with sales. ‘I don’t want.’ MEANS ‘I don’t want.’ I don’t care if this is a limited time offer which INCIDENTALLY will end the moment I step out of the shop, or that they are just concerned as my current package isn’t as comprehensive. Just stop telling me and wax my upper lip pronto. They have an issue with refunds. In my case, I had already paid for the semi-permanent eyeliner but decided against it as I was concerned about the dyes used. I didn’t actually ask for a refund, just to convert the money I had already paid to other services. They sad they couldn’t do that, but if I topped it up by $1000, I could then purchase a package of those services. WTF?
October 13th, 2009 - 09:42
My sister went to Bioskin for her IPL and acne treatment and not only have they burned her underarm TWICE during IPL (leaving a dark spot that looks like a scar), they also always urge her to buy more sessions saying she’d need it & that it’s for a limited time offer only whenever she brings up about how she’s not seeing any results. I’m lucky that at least I never got burned.
From what it looks like, I think a lot of beauty salons do the same thing – up-sell their ‘package deals’ all the time and I doubt any of them has ever done refunds. It’s against their “company policy”. They can only offer you more free sessions WITH a price on top. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? And personally, I don’t know anyone who has been 100% satisfied after signing up for these sort of deals.
November 10th, 2009 - 01:51
for optimal post-wax effects i think you should try the triple action bump eraser cream from caron. it retails for $78 at Pink Parlour. hope that helps! (:
April 1st, 2011 - 14:17
Hey fay, you should really check out this hair removal specialist, she’s been doing it for years & years. i’ve heard alot of sucess stories from her clients, real ones, not in Advertisements. You should consult her on it, i’m not trying to promote her or anything but, she does electrolysis with is much more effective on the targeted area. do email me for the address. trust me, i know exactly how you feel with all this bullshit IPL packages and no changes, if u wanna see real results, u can give her a try & i swear u gonna love it, she usually fully booked so u gotta do appt with her.
Lots Of Love
Sophie
November 21st, 2011 - 08:34
WHAT!? You are supposed to shave the hair after IPL!! I can’t believe they said that.
February 28th, 2012 - 19:45
I did my full-leg & Brazilian wax on the 2nd Feb 2012 at Strip Wheelock.
The receptionist ( Foreign Workers frm the Phillipines ) are not welcoming and they are rather cold.
They seemed to be more interested in talking to each other than serving their customers.
Apparently, I made bookings for my underarm waxing too but sad to say the therapist assigned to me on that day ( name not to be mentioned but a Foreign Worker too from Johor Bahru ) showing me an unsightly body language that she isn’t interested to do the waxing further after my brazilian and full-leg. Though i said let’s forget it, she didn’t even politely tell me that she’ll be waiting outside but she just stormed out of the room. With the price that i paid, the services rendered is definitely a huge disappointment. I could have just done my waxing at a normal shop at Far East Plaza, for an instance, for the same service.
Strip! I expect better service, politeness and attentiveness. Work on it please!
Thank you.
March 5th, 2012 - 10:49
hi, same thing with me. each time i go to STRIP to get my legs waxed/brazalian they try to sell their IPL packages with full force. I figured they have to meet sales target each month. they also offer 0% installment 12 and 24 plans on major credit cards which isnt really 0% as we will still have to pay the bank processing charges.
anyways, i have a LOT of ingrown hair which prevents me from wearing skirts and dresses as i feel too conscious. i have been semi-convinced to buy their 8 sessions for IPL legs before i read the above. the results i see on the girls at STRIP look pretty ok to me. smooth and clear legs and no hassle of waxing every few weeks. any comments or alternate advise before i invest a few thousand sing with them, please. I am so confused.
July 11th, 2012 - 23:49
I was forced to take up a brow resurrecting package at browhaus after I did my brow trimming which I had no intention to as I was only browsing after I’ve done my IPL at strip. The counters were side by side. I requested for a full refund but was told its not their company policy. I have written to CASE and hope it gets resolved. The staff were very pushy and I couldn’t get out of the place as they refuse to allow me to make payment for my brow trimming before I sign the package. I would advise against going to their branches as the sales staff are very pushy and always upsell.
July 27th, 2012 - 21:10
I also tried the underarm IPL at Strip Wheelock last Tuesday. They were really hard selling their package. From 1440, they want to give it to me at only 900 after GST for 6 sessions. I was supposed to go for their waxing services but they tried to convince me to do IPL. It normally was priced at 300 but they said that they can give it to me at a special price of 100 since it’s my first time. So I did it and they said that hair will grow back after 5-6 weeks and I will notice that there will be minimal hair growth, about 80pct will only go back. What they do is put some gel, shave the hair, put some cold gel then do the IPL treatment.
Lo and behold, yesterday, my hair already grew back by about 1cm and there was no difference
I tried their underarm waxing before at Mandarin Orchard but I was not satisfied with the service.
October 22nd, 2012 - 10:34
I did the underarm IPL at Strip in Shanghai. I also saw minimal results after using up the 6+1 sessions. So when they tried to sell me the Brazilian IPL package, I of course told them their IPL is not effective. They tried to convince me to buy 3 more sessions of IPL at 50% discount. If its not effective, why do I want to spend more money on it??? Then they told me that they only guarantee HAIR REDUCTION and not PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL. I’ve been a customer of Strip for around 5 years but I am getting more and more disappointed with each visit.