Oh, dear! It's terrible that our dear friends occasionally have these lapses in good judgment, but it's fortunate they have people like us (their dear friends) to set them straight . . . oh, and to commiserate as well.

Sorry, Heather--I couldn't resist! Wish I could add some good advice, but I can tell you I'm certain there have been times I've neglected to read instructions. To the best of my recollection, however, none involved the upper lip.

I'm sorry to say, I don't have any repair suggestions, but I do have a horrible story about the misuse of that product.

DD was in high school and came home with this tale. It was the week before Halloween--you know, the time when kids of that age start to pull worse pranks than the rest of the year. The so-called 'friends' of the younger brother of some of her classmates thought they had a really funny idea for a prank and spread nair all inside the kid's baseball cap. He put it on, not knowing. And ended up losing most of the hair on his head. There were a LOT of repercussions between the families. Don't think it actually got as far as a lawsuit, but there were threats along those lines, and there was some bodily injury performed by the boy's older brother who took offense at this stunt.

Years ago I was going to clean the oven, with the usual spray. But it wouldn't spray, so........I turned the can over to look at the spray hole. (Don't ask me why!) Of course,it decided to whoosh out then.....right in my face, AND eyes. Luckily, I had the good sense to stick my face under the water faucet and flush it immediately, and it did no harm. I guess maybe the can should have had instructions to not spray in your face!

Have your "friend" try some neosporin WITH PAIN RELIEF. This won't take away the red but it sure will help with the pain. Actually, it will take some of the swelling down.
I suggest getting a pair of glasses with the attached nose and mustache, so that upon waking, your "friend's" husband will know that she has truly had a mental breakdown and is now showing her true colors.
Sorry this happened, reassure her that we have all done something just as dumb if not dumber.
Take care.
Laurie

ROFL...at Lauriemi's post...thats exactly what I was thinkin...have her RUN to the closest fun store and find some groucho glasses...and in the meantime keep that upper lip coated with neosporin or some kind of topical antibod...

This is why I come to the KT everyday...it's just so nice to be among those who do crazy stunts...it reminds me of some of the nutty things I've done to myself and of course we can't forget Leslee spraying the glue in her hair...

As a "friend" of someone who once brushed her teeth with Vagisil right before a parent-teacher conference, I can sympathize.

I'm thinking some kind of aloe product?

PS: I use one of those little shaver things from Walgreens (about $10). It's not a razor but it sure gets rid of peach fuzz on my face and neck.

I was thinking ice might help. Let us know how your dear "friend" pulled this one off. Great giggle for the day.

Trin

My "friend" brushed her teeth with Monostat. My "friend's" DH brushed with Desitin.

Linda

I was going to suggest Aloe Vera if you have a plant. If not, maybe Walgreens carries something like Aloe Vera Gel.
Leslie

I brushed my teeth with hydrocortisone once. And the other day at a store, I picked up a new kind of cream rinse. I wanted to see what it smelled like, so took the cap off, and for some reason I put it right up by my nose and SQUEEZED! You guessed it..... cream rinse on my nose, my chin, AND my t-shirt!

You mean like the holiday weekend when all the dentist offices were closed and "my friends" daughter's silver capped front tooth fell off. And they were headed to a family reunion....
She decided to crazy glue it back on...and got her fingers glued to her daughters mouth?????....is that the kind of cituation you mean......

Life with that "friend" is nothing but entertainment....

patti

LOL! Your friends have had some very funny mishaps of their own, haven't they? :)

Thank you all for your helpful tips so far. I really don't have any aloe products, or even neosporin - which has been on my grocery list a number of times and I never do pick any up.

Currently, the redness seems to have faded. I got the boys off to school and they didn't even notice anything out of the ordinary with my face so that is surely a good sign.

My lip is very tender and sore though still. The skin is VERY tight there and when I touch it, it is sticky. Interesting..... Anyway, my big concern now is that I might start peeling. I hope not though. Maybe I can pull this whole thing off without DH even noticing? On the plus side though, the 1 minute of Nair on the upper lip did, in fact, get rid of all the hair there. So I do have a slight sense of accomplishment.

Another con though is that DH bought girl scout cookies from some one at work last night. I'm finding it a bit of a challenge to open my mouth with my lip being as stiff as it is..... no worries though, I know I will figure something out. :)

I'm not sure about this because I don't have kids, but would a diaper rash ointment help?

Vaseline might work, too.

Bet Im not the only one,but MY FRIEND was in a public restroom and being a germ freak, she flushed with her foot. You guessed it. Shoe came off in the tiolet....

Aloe!!! lots of Aloe!

okay this is waaay too much information for me to share. But once upon a time a "friends" husband was feeling a little frisky and without turning on any lights reached in the nightstand drawer for some.. well.. umm, adult moisturizer (??)

Lesson for us all...Ben Gay should be kept in the medicine cabinet...

Heather, got any baking soda? Mix a paste with water and apply for a bit. It should help neutralize the product. Look for a phone # and call the company for advise. I would be very careful what is used, as it may cause a chemical reaction.

Tami...who never had any luck with said product.

Try some olive oil. I had a red rash under my arm (from shaving?) and read that olive oil would help. It worked great! The redness was gone in a couple hours.

Oops... that should read Have your friend try some olive oil. lol

Thanks for the laugh! Hope it is better but it sounds like what it did is burned you....and took the top layer of skin off....that happens also when you decide to wax your upper lip and get the wax too hot.....or so a "friend" told me....stacy

This just happened to me last month. Only, I used it as directed on my legs. It was the 3 min. formula and I had it on for maybe a minute and a half when I had to jump in the shower and get it off. I also, burned the top layer of my skin on almost all of my legs. I was in so much pain I went to Walgreens and the Pharmacist told me to treat it like a sunburn. Aloe and witch hazel made it feel better.

I think you all need smarter friends! LOL. I am howling here.

I'm with Phyllis, when I was about 8, I had some old perfume someone had given me. It wouldn't squirt, so I turned it around, looked in the hole and tried it. Right in my eye, which hurt like h-e-double toothpicks!
JoanMN/FL

This thread is hysterical. I'm trying to think if I (or anyone "close to me") have had a product mishap... I'm sure I'll think of one at 3am!

I was thinking used tea bags? They might draw out some of the angriness.

LOL @ salgal. My "friend" had a very similar experience once.

Laurie, you are so funny!

I also brushed my teeth with Desitin. It's surprising how much the tube looks like a tube of Crest. It doesn't foam well, though!

I had a bad burn on my hand and after cooling it with lots of cold running water, smeared the oily contents of a Vitamin E capsule on it. Within an hour it did not hurt. I replenished it when I rubbed it off accidentally. By the morning, it was fine, no blisters, and almost no red.

I highly recommend Vitamin E. had read it was great for burns for years but had never tried it. Friends since then have tried the same remedy with fantastic results too.

If you don't have any vitamin E, try some A & D Ointment.

Aloe vera should help heal the chemical burn.

DO NOT use baking soda as someone suggested. Nair is sodium hydroxide (AKA lye). Lye is a base and so is sodium bicarbonate (AKA baking soda). If there is any residue in the skin of the Nair you will set off a burn that may cause scaring.

What you want to do to neutralize any Nair residue and stop it from acting is use an acid. Use vinegar.

The same thing goes for if you get any oven cleaner on your skin - use vinegar to stop it from dissolving your skin. Acids and bases neutralize each other.

If you are new at using depilatories start out with the fifteen minute kind. That way if you are a couple of minutes over on time there is less likelihood of skin damage, unlike the three minutes kind where a minute or two over can start eating the skin.

My friend tries to be alert. She often fails. She has

~ Used hair spray instead of deodorant

~ Used deodorant as hair spray

~ ~ Then switched to a solid deodorant

~ Tried to brush her teeth with Vagisil

~ Used cream rinse for shampoo

~ Carefully portioned out her medications, and then the dogs meds, on the counter. Took her meds, poured some tea, and then took the dog's med.

After consulting with the vet, who consulted with the doctor, who called the vet back, who then called her...she decided to change the times the dog took his meds.

~ She has learned that Gold Bond foot powder should not be used on the more tender areas of the body.

I called my friend and explained your friend's problem. My friend sends her deepest sympathy. She thinks you should call the 1-800 number on the Nair packaging.

LOL! You have all been so so entertaining/helpful! Whatever would I do without my dear KT friends?

Unfortunately, I really didn't have ANY of the above listed items to try, other than the ice and the cold water. Apparently, my first aid kit needs some mending. :/

I did have some lotion, so I put some of that on my lip. I'm not sure if that did anything to help though.

The current status of my lip is as follows.... As of this morning, there are numerous red pimple like dots all over that area giving me a lovely acne type mustache. My lip is also swollen. This is what I looked like by the time that DH woke up yesterday afternoon. (he works nights) I simply just explained to him immediately that I had injured myself. He asked me how and I explained to him what I had done. He said "Why did you do that?" I think this was one of those times where I would rather not be asked any further questions. Am I not humiliated enough here? I answered "Because I had hair there, that I wanted to get rid of." He said "Well, thats real nice, now its going to grow back thick and black." I said "No, I think that is only if you use a razor." He repeated "Its going to be thick and black now." Hes so comforting sometimes. LOL!

I only left my house once yesterday, to go and pick up my son from after school tutoring, and sure enough, no matter how stealthy I might have tried to be, I ended up face to face with the maintenance man for the apartments that we live in. I covered my mouth with my hand. He was smoking and said "Does smoke bother you?" I said "No Chuck, I had a bad experience with a hair removal product." Needless to say, he laughed hysterically. I figured I would just get it out in the open and get it over with. I was too tired to come up with anything clever. I'll just hide out in the house for a couple of days until this heals, thats all.

Anyway, thanks again for all of your advice and your stories. I lost it when I read that Caroline took her dogs medicine! LOL!!!! And I cringed, BOTH times, when I read about the Ben Gay.... um........encounters. YIKES.