Body+Beauty Lab — Local services in Philadelphia

BBL had been my go to for hydra facials for a couple of years. It was recommended to me by a friend and since then I’ve referred my mom, husband, and several friends. Great medspa. Wide array of services. I have always been pleased with my services. I would come here for hydrafacials only - no injectables - although I appreciate that the staff who perform injections like Botox are nurses so if I decide to get Botox, I am under competent care. The space is small but luxurious clean and beautiful. Judy Kim is my favorite. She is kind, personable, knowledgeable, funny, and does a great job. I have deducted 2 stars (originally 1 but have since changed my mind since discussing various issues with my dermatologist and realizing how appalling some of my less than perfect experiences were).. for the price point, I believe everything should be near-perfect here especially customer service and professionalism/courtesy. One instance was when I booked hydrafacials over the phone for my mom and myself. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication and my mom was charged for a deluxe hydrafacial even tho I booked her for a traditional hydrafacial (I didn’t even know there was such a thing as deluxe). My mom didn’t want to contest the extra $ but I called after the fact when we were confused why hers was more $ than mine. They maintained that this is what I scheduled and what she got and did not offer to reverse the added charge. The second thing (which has happened on several occasions and several times in each session) is that I’ve been aggressively upsold many times (not by Judy, to be clear). When Judy was away from the office on leave, I saw another esthetician who was equally skilled BUT aggressively recommended a much more expensive treatment that was outside of my current budget. I’m sure this treatment is incredible - in fact, I want it - but I am not comfortable spending several thousands on my face right now, maybe ever. In an effort to get me to purchase a much more expensive facial procedure and get better results, I was told that the hydrafacials I was getting were essentially pointless and not worth the $ I was spending. I was told over and over again how great this other procedure was even though I said multiple times that it was too much $ for me at this time. The procedure, while probably amazing and something I might get someday, is several hundreds of dollars after completing the recommended series plus product purchase, and I thought I made it painfully clear that it was something I wasn’t ready to invest in right now. During at least 2 hydrafacials, I was told over and over again how much I needed this other procedure, making me feel frustrated and disappointed that the hundreds I was spending on hydrafacials were a waste and that I needed to spend a thousand+ in order to “fix all of my problems.” It got to the point that it was embarrassing and exhausting. There’s only so many times I can politely laugh before I just feel kind of bummed out. I was also greeted once (by same employee) and told my skin looked “so bad.” Believe me, I was aware. I was going through a lot of stress and my skin was far from it’s best. But that’s why I was there. Finally, I was asked mid service what my political party registration was and I was campaigned to vote for a particular government official based on the person being a loved one of my esthetician. I found this to be in very poor taste. So! Those occurrences warranted my 2 star deduction. Would re book with Judy again for another hydrafacial; however, I am also considering other spas in the area who also offer hydrafacials at the same price point after all the little BS experienced here. We’ll see where I...

TLDR; you work too hard for your money to spend it at a business that doesn't stand behind their work. I made an appointment with B+BL for a landmark birthday gift to myself and came out with two different cheeks due to lopsided filler placement. I called the next day after treatment and was assured by the receptionist that it was just swelling and if any touch ups were needed during the follow up, they would be complimentary. This gave me peace of mind. I spent the follow up appointment being gaslit and told "they're sisters not twins" and maybe my other cheek "ate up" the filler, and that of course touch ups were not complimentary, "I mean, we have to pay for the product!" It took a lot of persistence to get in contact with a manager, who had plenty of excuses (their internet was down, my phone number wasn't working, they still haven't fixed their care credit). She had the audacity to say that the touch ups weren't complimentary because I didn't purchase "the recommended amount." The fact is, I was clear that I wanted subtle and natural, I was told the amount that other people get, which frankly, I don't care what other people do with their faces. I don't show signs of aging most people do at my age. I checked with my partner and best friend to make sure this wasn't a case of personal dysmorphia and they agreed with me --I was given two different cheeks. The filler was placed higher on my left side, creating an upward direction while my right cheek is flat in the same area. The angles of my cheeks are completely different. I had to make an appointment at another practice to pay MORE MONEY to correct the mistakes this spa failed to rectify. Never trust an injector who uses the phrase "sisters not twins" as this is a line that is used for natural eyebrows, not someone whose JOB it is to hold symmetry as the ultimate goal at their hands. I do not recommend this spa for filler, and absolutely do not believe that they're "competitively priced" as they are one of the most expensive medspas in Philly. I'll happily pay for quality, but $1800 is a lot to pay for poor business practices and asymmetry. Caveat Emptor. Wow. How incredibly disrespectful to assert that I’m lying about my experience in their response. I’ll echo what has been said by you other dissatisfied clients; TAKE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY. Notice that none of the alleged “discrepancies”...

I had a terrible experience at Body+Beauty Lab and regret trusting them for my lip filler. The injectionist seemed more focused on talking to her assistant and making sure they recorded video for social media than actually listening to what I wanted. The results were not what I asked for, and I ended up having to waste money getting part of it dissolved. After the dissolving process, my lips were left lumpy and uneven. I had no choice but to spend another $600 for HALF a syringe to fix it, which is outrageously overpriced, especially when I only needed it to fix the problem they created. Even after paying more, my lips are still uneven.

When I brought up my concerns to the general manager, she made excuses, refused to take any accountability, and made no effort to try to resolve the situation. Instead, she tried to convince me that the only way to avoid bumpy lips is to completely dissolve them between injections. Which of course would mean I pay them hundreds MORE dollars...with no guarantee. Whether this is gaslighting or just incompetence, their customer service is as terrible as their work.

For being one of the most expensive med spas in the city and priding themselves on being part of Jefferson, the quality and service are shockingly bad. I’m extremely disappointed and expected much better. I feel like I've been taken advantage of. Buyer Beware. UPDATE- I'd also like to note that at NO point BEFORE the procedure, did the injectionist communicate that they would not be able achieve the look I wanted or that my previous filler would be an issue.

Management - please take accountability for your team and poor service delivered. A credibile, honest business admits when they made a mistake and works to correct the problem. All you are doing is ensuring problems...