Make the Best Out of Your Waxing Sesh!

At work yesterday we held the first ever Skin Club meeting in which we held a waxing party! It was fun and nerve-wracking at the same time. You ever had to supervise students who are learning/practicing waxing? Don't get me wrong, body waxing may not be brain surgery....but when it comes to eyebrows...that is another thing! For some reason, it scares people but sometimes all you can do is follow instruction, be patient, and say a little prayer that the hair you want is gone but that an eyebrow is still present. But it was successful! No worries and everyone left with less hair and two eyebrows!
But I had quite a lot of fearful waxees! Never been waxed before, they wanted to have a good experience of course. I thought about my clients and thought I would share some tips to help relieve some pain as well as get the most put of your waxing session.

Pre-Appointment
Everyone and their mom knows that you need to exfoliate atleast 72 hours before your appointment. This is going to help prevent ingrown hairs but also help your waxing technician remove all of those little guys. You can prepare for your post wax by getting a good exfoliating product...more about that later.
If you are taking antibiotics, topical steroids, any retinoids, products with vitamin A- you will want to wait until you are off these medications to schedule your waxing appoinment. Exfoliating medications are a contradiction which can prevent your technician from waxing you. Antibiotics dry out the skin and could possibly cause your skin to lift or even remove skin should you get waxed. To know more about medications or contraindications talk to your esthetician.
Did you know there is a particular time to get waxed that could possibly help you stop hair growth altogether? When you get waxed for the first time, you've probably had that hair for quite some time.
There are three stages of hair growth and just like blades of grass, each hair may be at different stages. So initially when you remove, if it's removed from the root correctly then you will want to get waxed every week for 3-4 weeks to get all the hair in every stage. Afterwards, every four to six weeks when the hair is still in the antigen stage is going to be ideal to get a hair removal service. Hairs in the antigen stage are still connected to the blood supply, therefore when removing hair there is more of a chance of damaging the hair follicle. Sounds bad but it actually means that the follicle may not produce hair or will produce much finer hair. Woot woot!

At Your Appointment

If you are particularly sensitive, ask what options of wax they have. Obviously, your technician will know what's best but it's no harm to voice that you prone to pain. Should you be a candidate, you might be getting waxed with a hard wax (also known as a non-strip wax) because it does not adhere directly to the skin and sits on the surface. Strip wax has pressure applied to the muslin and in turn pressed into the skin.
Help your technician out by holding your skin taut. This will help the removal but also cause you less pain! Score!

Post Wax
You'll want to exfoliate atleast 72 hours after waxing. Invest in a good exfoliating product, while a physical exfoliant is good for every once in a while...go with a chemical exfoliant. Too much of a physical can cause more sensitivities and can beak a hair down the middle causing ingrown hairs. A product that I like is Tend Skin. It has alcohol which dries excess oil and kills germs and a low percentage of salicylic acid which exfoliates. It treats and prevents ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Read the instructions and use as directed.
And then reschedule for a waxing service! Hair removal isn't a walk in the park, it can hurt. If you continue to wax it will become less painful with each one but should you shave in between...just remember...the longer hair is in the follicle the more they want to stay inside their home! So keep it up! Finer or less hair is worth it!