For anyone else plagued from falling asleep with whitestrips in!

When I was younger, I had a terrible addiction to Crest whitestrips and would use them almost daily. On multiple occassions, I would accidentally fall asleep with them in and wake up to sharp gum pain. It got to the point where the edges of my teeth were essentially transclucent, and I had to sadly retire this habit for the sake of restoring my teeth. Note to Gen Alpha Sephora kids — do not make the same mistake I did!

I did not use teeth whitening for most of college, but did decide to try out a service my senior year. I scheduled an appointment for the day of one of my sorority formals thinking I would have an extra sparkly smile for the night (another mistake — never book a risky beauty appointment the day of a big event)! I traveled to a studio in DTLA, and described my teeth sensitivity at the start of the appointment.

My worries were appeased as they assured me it would be fine — yet as I sat in the chair for an hour with bleach in my mouth, I could start to feel my gums go numb from the pain. This is another lesson that is also iterated in Elle Woods’ “speak up” monologue in Legally Blonde 2 — do not just let it happen to you! I thought I could handle a little gum pain for good results, until I looked in the mirror at the end of the treatment and my gums were completely white.

I was horrified and devastated all at once, thinking that there was no way I could show my face that night. I kept chugging water despairingly for hours on end, until my gums miraculously returned close to its normal color just in the nick of time. How embarrassing would it have been if I had to text my date, “Sorry I have to cancel — my gums are too bleached to go out in public tonight”?! The sharp gum pain was still immense that night — and I struggled with it for several subsequent weeks.

I share these cringeworthy stories with you, dear reader, to ensure I paint the picture of my gum sensitivity and deep trust issues with teeth whitening. I stayed away from any teeth whitening products and services post-college for several years — until I walked past britebar on Montana Avenue in Los Angeles (my current home base). My eyelash lounge is just down the street from it, so I passed it quite a few times before stopping in out of curiosity.

The britebar owner is a dentist, and had me sold on starting out with their 15-minute session with promises of no sensitivity. I had gone through enough teeth whitening trauma to speak up if my gums started hurting — so I decided to take the plunge! For starters, the inside of the space has a fun aesthetic with cozy red egg chairs to lounge in while getting your service (see below). They have toothbrushes to use prior to the service, in case you do not have time to go home or walk-in on a whim.

The owner also has the most gentle, accomodating bedside manner (which is rare in LA)! He makes sure to check up on you throughout the service, and ensures that you are as comfortable as possible. I was so pleased that after my first session, I had no sensitivity at all — I could cry of happiness! I was also able to achieve several shades of improvement, with the most noticeable results the next day and onwards.

If you have sensitive teeth like me, I recommend doing the “Quickbrite” 15-minute session. If your teeth and gums are highly tolerant to bleaching, they also offer 30-minute sessions with different whitening shade intensities. In addition to the service, you get a take home whitening pen and mouthguard. This is such a great deal in comparison to other whitening services at dentist offices!

I have come back for treatments multiple times since my first booking — and always have the best experience. I referred a few of my friends to try it out, and they also loved the service! Britebar has two other locations in West Hollywood and Calabasas; you can book a service online here or walk-in. Cheers to keeping up with my 2024 beauty resolutions! XO

Interested in working with me? Schedule here!

If you enjoyed this blog post, I would greatly appreciate you taking a moment to browse my other blog posts (I write on lifestyle, beauty, travel, restaurants, working in tech, and cocktails + wine), subscribe, and/or make a donation. Donation proceeds go toward monthly Squarespace fees, PO box fees, website enhancements, ad campaigns, SEO tools, and time investment in addition to my full-time job. Thank you for your readership from the bottom of my heart! xx Nicole