Things to consider before your wax
â— Allow a minimum of 3 weeks growth before your wax.
â— Avoid caffeine prior to treatment.
â— Prep the skin by regularly exfoliating and moisturising the area. However please do not apply any moisturising products to the area to be waxed on the day of your treatment.
â— Avoid sunbeds at least 24 hours either side of your wax.
â— Avoid the use of Retin A, Retinova, AHA and steroid products on the area to be treated. These ingredients are commonly found in anti-ageing products and topical skin preparations for eczema and psoriasis. They can thin the skin and increase the risk of grazing, as can Roaccutain and other oral acne medications.
â— If you are having any form of bikini waxing please wear old knickers, preferably a thong, no shorties.
â— We are unable to wax you if you have any contagious skin infections.
â— If you are worried about your treatment being uncomfortable, we advise that you take your preferred choice of pain relief at least 30 minutes before your appointment.
â— It is worth noting that some redness and slight soreness is perfectly normal after waxing, especially if it is your first treatment. These reactions should subside over the next 24-48 hours. If you experience any prolonged irritation, or have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting us.
How to get the most out of my waxing treatment?
â— Make sure the hair is long enough to be picked up by the wax.
â— Moisturise your skin daily to keep it in good, soft supple condition. But don’t moisturise on the day of your wax.
â— Exfoliate regularly to remove dead skin cells, prevent ingrown hairs and allow your moisturiser to penetrate more effectively.
â— Use the correct aftercare products for your needs.
After care advice following your waxing treatment
If you are new to waxing it may take between 3 and 5 treatments before you see the best results, and you may experience some regrowth within a few days of your wax, these are hairs that are just below the surface of the skin and are unable to be picked up by the wax. We advise you to space your treatments every 4 weeks within this period of time to allow your hairs to fall into a growth cycle that gives optimum results. Over time you may even notice that your hair becomes finer and less dense, and you may be able to space your appointments further apart, although this cannot be guaranteed.
It is imperative that a newly waxed area is kept clean and any irritation is avoided for a minimum of 24-48 hours after treatment. When a waxing treatment is performed, the act of removing the hair leaves the follicle open to infection and also irritates the follicle which can result in a mild redness and bumps on the skin. Therefore we must advise that for the 24-48 hours following your wax you avoid
â— Exercising or sweating
â— Chlorinated pools, saunas and steam rooms
â— Tight clothes as these will irritate a newly waxed skin.
â— Deodorant or perfumed products.
â— Make up and fake tan with the exception of mineral make up which is fine so long as it is applied with a clean brush or clean fingers.
â— Hot showers or baths, but please do have a nice cool shower, avoiding perfumed products.
â— Keep the area clean and avoid touching the area. An anti- bacterial wash is recommended and or an antiseptic spray or cream may be advisable, especially for male clients with a strong hair growth.
â— Exfoliating is very important when you wax in order to avoid ingrowing hairs. We recommend gently exfoliating 48 hours after your wax, then twice a week thereafter. This can be done using either a body scrub or body brush.
â— It is normal for the skin to look slightly raised and bumpy, for a couple of days after your wax, this reaction generally diminishes as you become accustomed to waxing. However if this reaction persists, you may not be suitable for waxing.
â— If in doubt do not hesitate to contact us.
Ingrown hairs, what causes them and how to prevent them
What causes ingrown hairs?
In ideal conditions, each individual hair grows up the hair follicle emerging on the surface of the skin. Unfortunately sometimes the hairs are not able to penetrate the build- up of dead skin cells and become trapped beneath the surface. Sometimes they just continue to grow causing no problems at all, but other times they become swollen and infected causing unsightly red lumps and bumps to appear on the skin.
So how can you prevent ingrowing hairs from occurring?
The single best way to prevent hairs from becoming ingrowing is to exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! As it is the build- up of dead skin cells forcing the hairs to retreat back into the follicle, it makes sense therefore, that by removing said dead skin cells, you eliminate, or at least reduce the cause of the problem. It is also important to improve the quality of the skin and provide the right conditions for your skin to properly desquamate (get rid of its own dead skin cells) by moisturising daily. If you do these two actions, not only will you see a reduction in your ingrown hairs, but also an improvement in the look, feel and quality of your skin. You will actually increase the efficacy of your waxing treatment and also gain a great deal more comfort from it as well.
It may also help to use a gentle antibacterial body wash if you find that you get angry red ingrown hairs. Although this will not assist in the removal of the skin cells, it will help reduce bacteria that may exaggerate the condition.
There are also products available to specifically target ingrown hairs. Also avoid tight clothing.
And how exactly do you exfoliate?
There are a few different ways you can exfoliate, depending on personal preference and the area to be treated.
â— Body brushing- This can be done anything between twice a week and every day. We have found body brushing to be excellent for clients prone to ingrown hairs on their legs. Simply find a natural bristle body brush and begin with the feet, in upward sweeping strokes cover the entire body, with particular attention being paid to problematic areas. Always work in the direction of the heart. Not only does body brushing provide an excellent exfoliation but it is fantastic for stimulating and energising the circulation.
â— Manual or mechanical exfoliation- In other words a body scrub. These come in various forms and again it is personal preference as to which types and textures you prefer. Depending on the texture and grain of the scrub will depend on how frequently you use the product but as a general rule twice a week will suffice. Do not over exfoliate the skin, for example a rough salt scrub will not benefit you to use it every day!
â— Chemical exfoliation- Many beauty products available contain AHA’s or BHA’s to name just a couple. These types of products work by nibbling away at the dead skin cells, breaking down the bonds between them so they just slough away without the need for any grains. Some exfoliators contain a combination of both chemical and mechanical exfoliators for a double whammy. Always check how to use a product as some are formulated for daily use, others for once or twice weekly. There are plenty of anti- bump/ingrown hair products on the market now that work using chemical exfoliators that are suitable for all areas of the body including the sensitive bikini area.
Can waxing make ingrown hairs worse?
The simple answer is yes. Any form of hair removal can make ingrowing hairs worse. Waxing and epilating especially as the hair is removed from the root, resulting in a brand new, soft, tapered hair that grows up the hair follicle and is more likely to get trapped beneath the surface than the strong stubbly hairs that get cut off in line with the surface as with shaving and hair removal creams.