Waxing is a popular option for getting rid of hair for a few weeks while leaving the skin smooth. Plenty of people says that it’s much better than shaving, especially for women.
Even men are getting into waxing, surprising as that may seem at first. Though shaving facial hair remains the standard, it’s a different matter when it comes to body hair. An increasing number of men get waxing appointments to deal with hair on their chest, back, and shoulders.
You do get more professional results if you go to a hair removal salon, compared to DIY efforts. It does depend on where you go, but you can always go to a reputable hair removal salon. There are plenty of them around, such as the European Wax Center (which actually originated in Florida). They have at least 878 locations spread all over the US.
Talk To Your Doctor
This is always the first step, even before you schedule a waxing appointment. This is especially true if you’re taking some sort of medication, or if you have some sort of medical condition. Some conditions and medications may lead to unpleasant results.
You may be taking some prescription medicines (such as Retinol) that make your skin a lot more susceptible to damage. Your doctor may recommend that you stop taking the medications for the moment, or perhaps tell you to postpone the wax job until you’re done taking the medicine.
It’s also possible that you may have certain allergies that may interfere with the waxing process. Talk to your doctor so you know everything’s okay.
Let Your Hair Grow
If you have extremely short hair to deal with, then you’d need to let it grow just a bit more. You ought to stop shaving the area (or whatever it is you’re doing for hair removal) for about 3 weeks to be sure.
Waxing works by encasing the hair, which allows the hair to be pulled out by the root. But the wax can’t grab the hair properly if it isn’t long enough. That can lead to rather painful results.
You will need a hair length of about ¼ of an inch to get effective waxing results. That’s the hair length you normally get after 3 weeks. Facial hair doesn’t have to be as long because it’s finer, but the ¼-inch rule is still good for it.
Just don’t let the hair grow too long, however. The wax doesn’t adhere properly when the hair is too long. Longer hair can also cause a lot more pain. Keep the hair length to ¼ of an inch, max.
Moisturize Your Skin
Do this every day during the week before your waxing appointment. Moisturized skin reacts better to the waxing process. Besides, hydrating the skin regularly is healthy for you.
You should skip moisturizing on the day of the waxing appointment, however. That includes applying any sort of topical cream or lotion to those areas. You want that area dry and clean on the day of the waxing.
Check Your Skin
You also have to make sure that you have healthy skin, particularly in the areas you’re planning to wax. Things can go sideways if you have broken skin, or if you have any cuts or inflammation in the skin area. These issues can make your skin too sensitive for the waxing process. You need to let it heal first, and then you can set a waxing appointment.
You won’t have any real trouble with the waxing process if you have any moles or other types of beauty marks. But you should still let your esthetician know about these beauty marks so that they can protect the areas during the process.
Clean The Area
This is always a good idea, regardless of whether you’re getting a wax job or not. But it’s especially important when you’re getting a wax job for the bikini area. Waxing tends to make your skin a bit more susceptible to infection, so you need to get rid of germs there. Body areas that are generally warm and damp are hotbeds for bacterial growth, so clean a bit more carefully in these areas.
Exfoliate the Skin Area
You can use a washcloth with a nice, gentle exfoliating scrub. Just don’t be too rough when you exfoliate. Rough exfoliation leads to more sensitive skin, and that in turn can lead to a more painful waxing process.
You’re getting rid of the dry flakes of skin when you exfoliate, which makes the hair more accessible for the wax to grab on to. The wax grabs on the hair and not the skin, for optimal (and less painful) results.
Remember, while the hair removal experts have their jobs to do, so do you. Prepare for the waxing properly, so you can get the results you want.
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