Pain is Beauty

I woke up this morning in such a good mood! I got to sleep in (we were off from school for Veteran's Day) AND I knew that I was going to get a facial--yeah! The facial was a part of a "Spa Day" put together by an organization I am involved with at the dental school, The American Association of Women in Dentistry (AAWD). Each AAWD member got to get a facial at half price--needless to say, I was there.

After a slight detour from my Tom Tom GPS system, my friend Carly and I arrived. (I'm still confused about the Tom Tom--it apparently thought the best way to get there was to exit the highway early, make several loops, drive through the slums of San Antonio, and then return to the highway, looping underneath the overpass to go in the opposite direction. Perhaps I pushed some button that said "I want to go to my destination, but I would also like to buy some crack cocaine along the way.") Anyway, we finally got there, filled out our forms, and were whisked away into the spa area.

The facial started out ok. The woman asked me about my typical skin care routine and I was applauded for wearing sunscreen on my face daily. Then she went to go get all of her materials for the facial, and started soon after. She was doing a great job, but at first I was annoyed by the fact that even the lovely plinking of the Enya music could not sway my mind from naming each muscle of the face as the woman was massaging it. Ah, the hazards of being a dental student. Your body knows when it's time to relax, but your mind thinks it's always time to review new knowledge.

Next the woman asked me if I had ever had any extractions done. Again, my dental school mind first thought, "Why is this beautician asking me about extracted teeth?" I quickly realized, however, that she was asking if I had ever had my blackheads extracted. At the same time I realized I am a dork. I told her that I had not, and she replied, "Ok, well you'll feel a little pressure. It's a little uncomfortable, but totally worth it..."

She lied.

She covered my eyes with cucumber slices and then used her instruments of torture all over my face. I promise you, at one point I thought she was actually trying to squeeze my nose off of my face! So I guess when she said "pressure," she meant "severe pain." And when she said "a little uncomfortable," she meant "will make you want to peel your skin off, so as not to have any blackheads to extract."

Now let's get one thing straight, I'm not one to shy away from a little pain in the name of fashion. Those of you who know me have seen me walk to school and around school in shoes that make straight jackets look comfortable. My wedding shoes were so uncomfortable, I couldn't feel 8 of my toes by the end of the night, but did I complain? No. Because a little pain is worth it if you get "the look." Some people say, "If the shoe fits, wear it." I say, "If the shoe is cute enough, who cares what size it is? Put 'em on your feet, pay for them, and wear them out of the store!"

So I leave you with this: Beauticians, don't lie to your customers--they might be your dentist someday...and then we'll see who's talking about "a little pressure." And women, don't ever agree to have extractions done--it's just not worth it. (Unless, of course, I get lots of compliments about how great my skin looks tomorrow...in which case it might have been worth it. But I'm talking about a lot of compliments--a LOT!)