Some beauty blunders can be fixed with a hasty trip to the sink (wonky eyeliner, muddy bronzer). Others, however, make us want to camp out in the bathroom — for a week. We're talking superlative disasters, like accidentally waxing off a chunk of your eyebrow or chipping a tooth. But don't fear (and don't call in sick, just yet): These expert-vetted solutions will help undo the damage. 
You Burned The Sh*t Out Of Your Neck With A Curling Iron
This is going to sound counterintuitive, but if you want this to go away fast, don’t put ice on the burn. While it may reduce the pain, it essentially sets the burn into skin, and can even cause frostbite, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Avoiding cold stuff is key,” agrees hairstylist Matt Fugate. “Neosporin is your best friend. Keeping the burn moist with it helps it heal quickly. This happened to a bride I know the day before her wedding — she slathered the burn in Neosporin, and it basically disappeared overnight!”
You've Chipped A Tooth
Slip on the subway steps? Bite too soon on a Tootsie Pop because that owl lied? If you’ve chipped a front tooth, you’d probably do this part without much prompting from R29: Call a dentist! “This is my most common emergency,” says Marc Lowenberg, DMD, a cosmetic dentist in New York City. “If the chip is small enough, a dentist can smooth or sand it to disguise the damage. If it is more sizable, the dentist will have to bind the broken teeth with composite resin; and if the chip is really large, you’ll be getting a veneer. There’s absolutely nothing available over-the-counter to solve this problem.”
A back tooth typically chips from the vertical force of chewing, says Dr. Lowenberg. (And if you’re like the dummy who is writing this, it happened because you were crunching on some ice!) A back tooth may not be a problem cosmetically, but a chip can irritate your tongue. Lowenberg says the solution is usually a cap or a porcelain inlay (a tooth-colored filling). If you can’t get to the dentist right away, but are feeling like you’re piercing your tongue every five seconds, hit the drugstore for some DenTemp, a thick, temporary cement that will cover the pointy bits until you can get an appointment.
Your Blue Toenail Isn't From Edgy Nail Polish
If your toenail is blue, but you didn't drop a hammer on it or paint on Deborah Lippmann Rolling in the Deep, you might be wearing too-tight shoes. Navy nails happen to athletes, like runners and hikers, whose toes repeatedly jam into their sneaks. “Toenails can turn blue due to a blood blister that forms underneath,” says Jacqueline Sutera, DPM, a podiatrist at Hackensack University Medical Group in Emerson, New Jersey. “The issue is usually minor, temporary and cosmetic. Most times, these bruises do not need treatment and will grow out over time. However, if the toe is painful, swollen, or the nail becomes loose, I suggest seeing your podiatrist to possibly have it drained.”
As long as your nail is not loose or infected, you might want to invest in some nail polish: “Big toenails can take up to a year to grow back entirely,” says Dr. Sutera. “Smaller nails grow in quicker and normally, over a few months unless the matrix (cells where nails grow, located under the cuticle) is permanently damaged from an accident.”
Oops! You waxed Off Part Of Your Eyebrow
“We’ve all been there,” says makeup artist Mally Roncal. “First and foremost, you have to see what you’re working with — exactly what you have left.” She likes to start with brow gel, which slightly lifts the remaining hairs. “Once you’ve got your brow lifted, you can see where you strategically have to add the toupee, if you will. Then, break out your pencil or jar; whatever you’re using should have a tacky formula that can stick to the skin. Then, you need to fill in the brow, and set it with a little bit of powder. Next, brush your brows with a spoolie and re-direct them for a little more coverage.”
If you’re desperate for your real brows to grow back ASAP, ask your dermatologist about Latisse. The FDA has technically only approved the hair-grower for lashes, but some doctors have prescribed it for this off-label use.
You Picked A Zit/Ingrown Hair Until It Become Infected
Even if you’re not the type who watches those popping videos on YouTube to relax, you’ve probably been a bit overzealous with a blemish or ingrown at some point. You already know it’s bad, but here’s a doctor to remind you: “Picking your zits and ingrown hairs can cause more harm than good,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “Dirty fingers and long fingernails can damage the skin, leading to inflammation, infection, and even scars. Plus, the picked spot forms a scab that cannot be easily covered with makeup, and looks worse than the pimple itself.” Yeah, yeah, we know, but we did the deed already! “If you've picked, apply and reapply over-the-counter bacitracin (a topical antibiotic) ointment. If the spot feels warm, tender, and red, you may need a prescription antibiotic, so go visit your dermatologist.”
The best way to handle your future angry, red blemishes: “Mix a dab of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide with 2% salicylic acid and over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream,” says Dr. Zeichner. “This trifecta will help reduce inflammation, kill acne causing bacteria, and remove excess oil and dry out the pimple. If it’s still not improving, visit your derm for a cortisone shot or a professional picking.”
Your Spray Tan Looks Crazy
Sometimes, a Groupon discount isn’t worth it, guys — check those reviews! If you’ve left a salon with tiger stripes or neon skin, there are ways to mitigate the damage. “If you notice your spray tan is completely botched right away, just jump into the shower to stop the development process as soon as you can,” says Kristyn Pradas, an airbrush tanning specialist who preps models for Fashion Week and advertisements. If it’s had time to set, you can still “accelerate removing the tan by applying a generous amount of baby oil all over your body, letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and then scrubbing the entire body with an exfoliating sponge,” says Pradas. “You can also make a paste [or] body scrub of baking soda and water, or use South Seas Uh-Oh Self Tan Remover, a product that helps remove an already developed tan from the skin.”
Still look wonky? An at-home bronzer like Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs can “even out the color while your skin cells are shedding themselves,” says Pradas. “This product is a water-resistant, liquid body foundation that comes in a few different shades, and can be blended together to get the exact color you are looking for. After your botched spray tan has completely shed itself, that’s the best time to get a spray tan by a professional with more experience.”
You've Got A Round Brush Stuck In Your Hair
Trying to speed through a blowout? Cut to you with the brush caught in your hair. Here’s how to free it fast: “When the brush is stuck, work the hair out from outside of the brush first,” says Fugate. “Then, start unraveling the hair in the middle of the brush. If what’s really stuck to the back of the brush is a tangle, the snarl is caused due to tension from pulling, so you have to back the brush out of the hair — I learned this from untangling my fishing reels."
Your Nasty Sunburn Hurts
Forgetting to reapply sunscreen should be a lesson you learn firsthand zero times. Once, max. Prevention is the most important thing to put on your to-do list, says Ranella Hirsch, MD, a dermatologist in Boston who serves on the editorial board of Dermatology Times. “But, should you burn, a home remedy is to soak a fluffy washcloth in one-part cold milk to one-part ice water, and repeatedly apply it to the affected area. Avoid peeling and picking at all costs!”
You Ripped Out Your Eyelashes With A Curler
Miley Cyrus and others who've made the mistake of swiping on mascara first and curling after have endured this debacle. “The secret to disguising major lash loss is to tightline, basically drawing in the missing lashes,” says Roncal. “Use a skinny, skinny, pointy pencil to line the upper-inner rim of your lashes, right on the actual lashline. False eyelashes are also an obvious, easy way to go — but you may not even have to put in all that work if you can master the tightline.” And remember, next time, curl first then swipe — and make sure your tool has a nice, cushy lash pad.
Your Depilatory Gave You A Chemical Burn
In high school, a friend used a leg-hair remover on her hormonal teen upper lip, left it on too long, and had a scab mustache for weeks. The image haunts our dreams. If you have sensitive skin, such burns can happen on your body, too. Once again, Dr. Hirsch preaches prevention: “Test any new skin product by applying a thin coat on your inner arm and leaving it there overnight. It’s not foolproof — but it’s a good way to audition products for possible irritation. Also, make sure not to do anything irritating to the area before application, like shaving or tweezing or scrubbing or peeling.”
If the red-skin mustache ship has already sailed, and the burn resembles a sunburn — with no broken skin, oozing, or blisters — apply a hydrocortisone cream and then cover that with Aquaphor, says Dr. Hirsch. “But if you do have any of those symptoms I just listed, you need to call your doctor for counsel.”
After some initial healing time, you’re probably going to want to disguise this mess. “Before applying any makeup, make sure your skin is moisturized,” says Roncal. “Otherwise, anything that you put on is going to gather in dry areas an look patchy. A gentle primer can help turn uneven texture into a nicer canvas to work on so you might want to apply that first. Dab liquid foundation or cream on the area with a sponge so you don't have any hard edges. Then, set it with a powder foundation to help it last longer.”
You Have Huge, Achey Blisters On Your Feet
First off: Replacing the shoes is ideal, says Dr. Sutera. “But if you're not willing to part with them, have the area stretched or padded.” In a pinch, Dr. Zeichner also recommends using anti-friction gel (sold in a deodorant-like stick form) to your heels when you're wearing mean shoes.
To help take the sting out of a bubbly, painful blister, Dr. Sutera suggests washing the area with soap and water, and then performing (very) minor surgery. "Take a clean, new safety pin with betadine (an antiseptic found at the drugstore), and poke a small hole in the blister to let the fluid drain. But do not peel the skin off. Apply antibiotic ointment and a BandAid and keep the area covered and protected until it heals in a few days. If the blister is infected — swollen, red, and has pus — go see your podiatrist.”
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