The 4 most common beauty questions you really should ask before your next appointment.

Image via iStock.

We’ve all been there.

Maybe you’re having a particularly bad day or you’re just feeling hormonal – and the next minute, you find yourself sitting in a hairdresser’s chair nodding along to the words ‘blonde’ and ‘perm’.

Feel better? Maybe. But maybe not.

Here are four beauty questions you’ll definitely wish you had asked before taking the plunge…

1. Will there be permanent damage?

Overrun with mummy fatigue and desperate for a gateway back to my old life, I once jumped into the arms of eyelash extensions without looking back. I was in love – fresh-faced and with no effort. Refills each month were my new “me time.” Until “me time” started to weigh heavy on my eyes.

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And until I realised that removing eyelash extensions exposed damaged, stunted little eyelashes underneath. I wish I had asked my eyelash technician this before falling asleep under her thrifty fingers month after month.

2. What do I need to know?

Now, while I haven’t jumped into a surgeon’s chair and injected away those little wrinkles and lines yet, anti-wrinkle treatments are something I certainly think about. This is the one type of treatment where I would want be armed with the right questions before I started.

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Leading Sydney cosmetic surgeon Dr Joseph Ajaka insists that all patients should be well prepared and should ask:

Which brand do you use and why?

Has this anti-wrinkle treatment been extensively tested and researched?

How quickly will I see the effects of the injection and how long will the results last?

Are side effects different between brands?

How satisfied are your patients with the results?

I’m taking this list with me when I go.

3. Have I taken care of myself?

Dear 17-year-old me - those long hot summers we spent together at the beach, baking in the carefree whispers of youth, were amazing. Not so amazing was all that sun damage. Sure, I cover up now. But protecting my skin from the sun should have been something I took more seriously from the beginning. If only I had listened to my mother who was always telling me to put on more sunscreen. It turns out she was right.

4. Does this work for everybody?

After spending thousands of dollars on laser hair removal, I learned the slow way that while laser may work in a few treatments for some, it does not work that quickly for others. Laser did work for me but only with many repeated sessions. That was something I wasn’t expecting or budgeting for when I started. I wish I had asked about cases where it did take some time for laser to work and what the budget was for these treatments before committing myself.

Beauty may be only skin deep but asking the right questions and doing the right research before diving into any beauty treatment can help ensure that the best outcome is achieved. It is all about feeling good and looking great - not just for the moment, but always.

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