healthy life
Introduction:
Waxing leaves your skin soft, smooth, and hair-free. But how do you make your wax last and make it a more comfortable experience?
We have compiled a list of waxing before and aftercare tips and tricks on how to prepare the waxing area for a more seamless experience, how to care for the area after your wax, and how to prevent ingrown hairs.
WAXING BEFORE CARE
It is just as important to take care of and prepare the area before a wax as it is to take care of it after a wax. Follow these tips to ensure a quick appointment that is a little less painful.
- Trim the hair before your appointment. Longer hair can be more painful to wax.
- Ensure your hair is at least 0.5cm long, so your beauty therapist can remove the hair without using a couple waxes. First time waxers should have hair growth of about 1.5cm.
- Exfoliate the waxing area 24-48 hours before your appointment. This will keep the skin soft and smoother and prevent ingrown hairs.
- Bath or shower on the day of your appointment to open up follicles, allowing for easier hair removal.
- Do not apply any deodorants, make-up, lotions, soaps, powders, perfumes or self-tanning products to the area to be waxed.
- Take 1-2 paracetamol about 30 minutes before your appointment if you have never had a wax before or find the process painful.
WAXING AFTERCARE
After your waxing service, you may expect the area to be red, some may experience blood spots due to thicker, courser hair and the area may feel tender and tingle.
For the first 24 hours after a waxing service, avoid the following to prevent irritating the skin:
- Touching or scratching the waxed area
- Exfoliating the waxed area
- We suggest you rather shower in a cold temperature. Ensure the water runs off the waxed area and you do not wash or scrub this area
- Perspiration and friction on the waxed area
- Sauna’s and stream rooms
- Exercise, gyms and swimming
- Sunbathing, sunbeds or any sunlight and UV exposure. Sweat can infect open follicles and heat can irritate the waxed area. Remember to book your wax 2 days before you go on holiday, to allow the follicles enough time to close and the skin to calm down
- Applying products to the waxed area such as deodorants, make-up, lotions, soaps, powders, perfumes, self-tanning products etc.
- Tight fitted clothing that may cause friction to the waxed area
To soothe and calm the skin we suggest regularly applying an Aloe Vera gel. This will rehydrate the skin and smooth any distort you may experience. Tea tree oil can also be applied to the area for its anti-bacterial properties in ensuring the area remains bacteria-free.
Remember, it is important to keep the area clean and dry for 48 hours after your appointment
3-10 days after your waxing service, you need to ensure you prevent ingrown hairs. The skin will close over the follicles and new hair may get trapped causing ingrown hairs.
Gently exfoliate 2-3 times a week with a body scrub. Start this routine 2-3 days after the waxing treatment. It is essential that you perform this routine between days 3-10 after your wax service. Remember to not over-exfoliate as this can cause damage to the skin.
Follow your exfoliation with an enriching and nourishing moisturizer. This process will prevent ingrown hairs and ensure that your next wax is easier and a little less painful.
WAXING MAINTENANCE
It is important that you plan your waxing treatments. Your maintenance schedule will depend on your hormones, your natural hair growth cycle, and other requirements. You will notice that new hair will start to grow back within 2-3 weeks. We suggest follow up appointments 3-4 weeks for facial waxing and 4-6 weeks for body waxing.
