My fiance, Ria, treated me to my first facial last week. In return, I treated her to hair strengthening treatment. Mini-gifts in celebration of being together for 8 years.

gifts… that’s what I thought… gifts are suppose to be pleasant, right?

So we come in and the attendant tells me to lie on the chair/bed/gurney. She then moistens my face with a sponge; Covers my eyelids with cotton patches; Applies some gel on my face; and begins to massage it. Somewhere in between or after, I’m not so sure, she puts a steamer inches away from my face. Para daw magbukas yung pores ko. 10 minutes daw. I had no problem in the first few minutes, but later on I almost suffocated.

Di pala walk on the park ‘tong facial na ‘to. But I remained optimistic.

THEN, the pricking.

The attendant started with my forehead. Not so bad.

And then she attacked my nose.

O

M

G!

This is not a gift! This is not a gift! I told myself repeatedly as I tried holding back my tears. My fiance hates me, I screamed inside.

The pain! The pain! THE PAIN!!!

Memories of being initiated in the fraternity came flashing by as I weighed which event was more painful.

Ang sakit talaga.

Meanwhile, the attendant just goes on with her pricking, never mind kung nagluluha na ako dun parang niagara falls.

I mustered up the courage to tell her na masakit.

Sabi niya madami kasi akong blackheads sa ilong.

Langya, ininsulto pa ako ha.

Amenado naman ako na I have big pores in my nose, but does it have to hurt so bad to declog them?

After the 30 minute ordeal (which seemed like an eternity), she wiped my wet ears (that’s where all my tears went) with tissue, and then used this laser thing on me to close the pores daw. Whatever, she could’ve used a spatula for all i care, I was just glad the hurting was over.

When I saw my fiance again I asked her if she knew how painful facials were.

She just grinned.

Gift ha.

This was punishment for all my procrastinating on wedding preparation duties, I know it.

I’m never going to have a facial again.