We Tried 6 Beauty Treatments at Home and Found Out Which Ones Are Better Left to the Professionals

On average, women spend about $80 a month on services at the beauty salon. But more than 50% of this money can easily be saved and still have the same results. On the Internet, there are a lot of examples of different beauty treatments that you can do yourself. For example, many girls say that it’s quite easy to do sugaring at home. Several people from our team tested all this on themselves and are ready to share their results.

The Bright Side writers decided to do an experiment: try some of the most popular beauty salon treatments at home and find out how cheap and effective they are.

Hair lamination

In a beauty salon, this treatment costs about $40-$50 and takes something like 2-2.5 hours. They use 2 special ingredients: laminate and balm.

What the treatment does: It reconstructs, restores, and protects weak hair. At first, the hair is washed with a deep-cleansing shampoo. Then, a hair mask is applied for 20-30 minutes before it’s wrapped in foil and heated with a hairdryer. On average, the effect lasts anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. Professional laminate can be replaced with gelatine, according to online guides.

The mask for home lamination is easy to make. Just mix 3 tbsp of gelatine, 9 tbsp of water, and 3 tbsp of balm. Put the mask on wet hair, cover it with a plastic bag and a towel, and 35 minutes later, wash it all off.

The result: “The hair really became softer and shinier, but I didn’t see any amazing effect. On the downside, after washing, I still had the gelatine pieces in my hair which were really hard to get rid of.”

“I spent about $5, saving about $43.”

Conclusion: This is recommended to everyone except women with very long hair.

Anticellulite cup massage

In beauty salons, one treatment costs $14 and takes 1.5 hours. They can use regular cups and jars or special lymph drainage devices.

What the treatment does: It creates a vacuum with a glass, plastic, or silicone cup that sucks in a patch of the skin, increasing blood circulation in the area. This massage helps at the beginning stages of cellulite development. In order to achieve some noticeable results, you’ll need at least 10 treatments.

The result: “The effect was visible only right after the procedure, but several hours later, I didn’t see the same smoothness. I think you need more time for a better result.”

“I bought several cups and massage oil and did the massage according to the instructions on the pack of cups every day for 5 days. I spent about $3 on the ingredients, so I saved $11 and if I bought 10 sessions, it would’ve been $137!”

Conclusion: This is recommended to everyone except those who have varicose veins, diabetes, or cardiovascular problems.

Pedicure

In beauty salons, this treatment costs about $14 and takes 1 hour. They use different nail files, pumice stones, and other tools.

What the treatment does: It cares for feet and toenails. In salons, they first remove the polish, heat your feet in a special solution for 15 minutes, and get rid of any dead skin. Then, they shape the nails and work on the skin of the feet using different tools like pumice stones, files, and more. At the end, they cover the nails with polish, put oil on the skin, and give a massage.

The result: “Maybe I didn’t do as good of a job as a professional would have, but I was quite satisfied.”

“At home, I did the same things they do in salons. I only bought a good polish for $1.50, so I saved $12.”

Conclusion: This is recommended if you don’t have any specific problems with your nails or feet.

Manicure

In salons, this treatment costs about $15 and takes 1 hour. They use nail files, lamps for drying the polish, and other tools.

What the treatment does: It cares for the hands and nails. Nail technicians remove old polish and shape the nails the way you want. Then, you put your hands into a special bath with warm water and they remove the cuticles. The nails are finally polished and moisturizing oils are applied.

The result: “I managed to achieve a nice, calm color and my hands still look beautiful and clean.”

“At home, I did the same things they do in salons. I only bought a good polish for $2, so I saved $13.”

Conclusion: This is recommended!

Paraffin treatment for the hands

In salons, 1 session costs $10 and takes 1 hour. They use special paraffin baths, oils, and scrubs.

What the treatment does: It gives intensive moisturizing and softening to the skin. Hot paraffin makes the hands look younger and the skin becomes lighter and more elastic. In order to achieve a visible effect, you’ll need at least 5 sessions. The process is done in 4 stages: peeling of the hands’ skin, application of oils, putting on the paraffin, and wearing special mittens for 40 minutes before removing the solution.

“I needed cosmetic paraffin, soda, sea salt, some different kinds of oils, warm mittens, 2 plastic bags, and vitamins A and E.”

The result: “The skin on my hands became very silky and the nails were shiny. It felt really nice.”

“At first, I used a scrub on my hands which the paraffin would melt off. Then, I put a mixture of oils on my clean hands and put them in warm paraffin. Then, I wrapped them in plastic bags and put on the mittens. The materials cost me $6 and it was enough to last for 5 procedures. So I saved about $44.”

Conclusion: This is recommended.

Sugaring

Sugaring for 2 legs costs about $10 in beauty salons and the procedure lasts for 1 hour. They use special sugar pastes, antiseptics, paper strips, and talc.

What the treatment does: This is hair removal by sugar paste. At first, the skin is washed with antiseptic and covered with talc. Then, a layer of sugar paste is put on the skin which is later removed by the hands or with paper strips.

“I needed sugar paste, antiseptic, disposable nappies, talc, paper strips, and a spatula.”

The result: “During the treatment, not all the hairs were removed — some of them just broke and it was hard to remove them, even with a depilator. It took me a lot of time and effort to make my skin smooth and I think that sugaring should be done by professionals.”

“At home, I did everything according to the instructions and it took me 1.5 hours. I spent about $12, so I actually spent even more money.”

Conclusion: This is not recommended.

Do you do any beauty procedures at home or do you prefer going to salons? What would you never risk doing yourself?