8 beauty treatments I stopped paying for because they were a complete waste of money

Let’s be honest—beauty treatments can be a slippery slope. You try one thing, it promises miracles, and before you know it, you’re on a monthly subscription that eats into your budget faster than you’d like to admit.

I’ve been there. For years, I was swiping my card for treatments that, in hindsight, did more for the salon’s bottom line than my own well-being. Some of them left me disappointed, others left me broke, and a few just made me wonder, what was I thinking?

And here’s the kicker: we often know deep down that these treatments won’t change our lives. But the hope of transformation is intoxicating.

Psychologists call this the scarcity effect—we believe we need something right now or we’ll miss out. Combine that with glossy marketing photos and friends raving about their latest “glow-up,” and suddenly we’re booking another appointment we don’t actually need.

Here are eight beauty treatments I cut from my life, and honestly, I haven’t looked back.

1. Expensive facials

There was a time when I was convinced my skin needed a $150 facial every month to stay healthy. The soft music, dim lighting, and aromatic oils felt luxurious—but let’s not confuse ambiance with effectiveness.

After months of these appointments, my skin looked exactly the same. Maybe a bit glowier for a few hours, but long-term? Nothing changed.

Dermatologists like Dr. Ranella Hirsch, based in Boston, often emphasize that many of the visible results people expect from facials—hydration, glow, smoothing—can usually be achieved through consistent home care with proven active ingredients (like retinol, vitamin C, sunscreen) rather than relying solely on pricey spa treatments.

And here’s something I didn’t realize until later: the sense of “improvement” I felt walking out of the spa was mostly placebo. I believed I was taking care of myself, so I thought I looked better—even though nothing had actually changed.

Once I invested in a simple, consistent skincare routine with proven ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, my results blew those spa facials out of the water. And the best part? No monthly $150 dent in my wallet.

2. Lash extensions

Do you know what lash extensions gave me? Two things: temporary wow-factor lashes and long-term lash damage.

Sure, they looked amazing for a week or two, but keeping them up was a nightmare. You can’t rub your eyes, you need touch-ups every couple of weeks, and they shed unevenly, so you eventually look like a molting bird.

When I stopped paying for them, my natural lashes were thin and brittle. It took months of conditioning to get them back.

Here’s the psychological trap: lash extensions feed into social proof. You see influencers and friends with those fluttery lashes, and you think, I need them too. But when you step back, the cost-benefit equation doesn’t add up.

These days, I use a good lash serum and a quality mascara. It’s cheaper, quicker, and way less stressful. Plus, my natural lashes are healthier than they’ve been in years.

3. Gel manicures every two weeks

Confession: I once scheduled my life around nail appointments. Work meeting? Wait until after my gel fill. Vacation? Better squeeze in a manicure first.

But you know what those glossy gels left me with? Weak, peeling nails and a constant cycle of damage-control.

At one point, I calculated how much I was spending—over $1,000 a year just on my nails. That was the wake-up call.

These days, I paint my nails at home when I feel like it—or I don’t paint them at all. Letting them breathe has actually made them stronger. And ironically, I get more compliments on my natural nails now than I ever did with gels.

I also realized something deeper: sometimes we use beauty treatments as a form of control. When life feels messy, booking a manicure feels like at least one thing we can manage. But over time, it became a burden instead of a boost.

4. Teeth whitening treatments

I was convinced my smile needed to be Hollywood bright. After several professional whitening sessions, I realized two things: the results were fleeting, and the sensitivity was brutal.

Coffee and wine will stain teeth again no matter what, so those $300 sessions barely lasted. And the shooting nerve pain that followed? Not worth it.

This is where my old financial analyst brain kicked in. I started calculating the “cost per week of whiteness.” At $300 for a result that lasted maybe a month, that was $75 a week—for slightly whiter teeth. That math didn’t sit right.

Now I stick with whitening toothpaste and the occasional drugstore whitening strip. My smile looks natural, not neon, and my gums are much happier.

5. Spray tans

There’s something oddly comforting about that warm mist enveloping you, promising a sun-kissed glow. But here’s the truth: spray tans don’t look good for long.

By day three, they start fading unevenly. By day five, I looked like a patchy giraffe. And heaven forbid you sweat—it streaks instantly.

Not to mention, they cost anywhere from $40 to $70 a pop. Multiply that by a summer season, and you’re basically funding a small vacation you could’ve taken instead.

I think many of us fall for this because of comparison culture. We see bronzed influencers on Instagram and feel pale in comparison—literally. But stepping off the spray tan hamster wheel taught me that embracing my natural skin tone looks healthier (and feels a lot less stressful).

Now I invest in good sunscreen. My future self, with fewer wrinkles and lower skin cancer risk, will thank me.

6. Cellulite reduction treatments

One of the biggest marketing scams out there, in my opinion. I paid for a series of fancy “cellulite-busting” sessions that used rollers, heat, and ultrasound waves. Each session cost more than a nice dinner out.

Did they work? Nope. Not even a little.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, there’s no permanent fix for cellulite—just temporary improvements at best. Treatments can make cellulite less noticeable, but dimpling often returns, and many options require ongoing maintenance.

The day I accepted that cellulite is normal (80–90% of women have it), I stopped wasting money trying to “fix” it. And here’s the liberating truth: no one cares about your cellulite as much as you do.

That realization alone saved me hundreds of dollars—and gave me back some peace of mind.

7. High-end hair masks at salons

Don’t get me wrong, I love healthy hair. But dropping $60 on a salon “miracle mask” treatment? A complete waste.

They’d slather on a thick cream, wrap my head in a hot towel, and tell me my hair would feel transformed. And yes, it felt soft afterward—because it was coated in silicone. The effect washed out within days.

Here’s what I learned: many salon treatments rely on what psychologists call the illusion of value. The higher the price, the more we assume it must be effective. But in reality, a $12 deep conditioner used consistently does far more good than a $60 one-off.

Now I buy affordable masks from the drugstore and take five minutes once a week to treat my hair at home. The results are just as good—and I can do it while catching up on my favorite podcast.

8. Microdermabrasion packages

I once bought a “package deal” of microdermabrasion sessions because the aesthetician told me my skin would look ten years younger. Spoiler: it didn’t.

It felt nice in the moment, like a deep exfoliation, but the results were short-lived. And when I calculated how much I’d spent—nearly $800 for six sessions—I nearly choked.

Here’s what I came to understand: we’re often sold on future promises. “This will pay off down the line.” “You’ll thank yourself later.” But in reality, many beauty treatments are built on endless maintenance, not long-term change.

These days, I rely on exfoliating acids like glycolic or lactic acid. They’re dermatologist-approved, inexpensive, and I can use them at home without needing a payment plan.

Final thoughts

Here’s what I’ve learned: most beauty treatments are designed to keep you coming back, not to give you lasting results. They play into our psychology—scarcity, comparison, illusion of value, social proof—and before we know it, we’re locked into routines that drain both our wallets and our confidence.

The real game-changers in my routine haven’t been flashy or expensive. They’ve been the simple, consistent habits—wearing sunscreen daily, eating a balanced diet, drinking water, and sticking with a skincare routine that actually works.

So before you hand over your hard-earned money for the next “miracle” treatment, ask yourself: will this really deliver long-term results, or is it just another clever way to drain your bank account?

Trust me, your future self (and your budget) will thank you.