6 Do’s of the waxing rulebook.
Here are six things to do ritually before, during and after every waxing session you undergo. These include tips for easy hair removal and pain management.
Things to do Before Waxing:
1. Exfoliate your skin:
During waxing, hair gets pulled out of the skin pore right from the follicles i.e, the roots of the hair. This makes regrowth slower. But dirt and dust settled in these pores clogs them and makes it tough for the hairs to get pulled out. To avoid this, exfoliate the area that you want to wax. You can use a homemade scrub like mixing sugar with honey or buy one from a store. The scrub will brush through the pores, clean them up and will open them for the hairs to be pulled. This step is highly encourage.
2. Tend to bruises and cuts:
Have some fresh bruises and cuts? let them heal completely. Because a damaged part of the skin deteriorates even more with hot wax and the pulling out action. Tend to these injuries and only then schedule your waxing appointment.
3. Pamper with Baby Powder:
Most places that require waxing have sebaceous glands or sweat glands right beneath the skin. Liquids therefore keep leaking out of our body all the time. This makes the skin oily and greasy for the wax to be pulled off. Therefore, sprinkle some baby powder on the skin before you apply the wax so that it absorbs all the oil and makes it easy for the wax to come off from the skin. Sometimes pre waxing solution is applied to the area before applying the wax.
Things to do During the Waxing session:
4. Numb the Pain:
Although this is an optional step, it can help a lot in relieving the pain from waxing.
Take some toothache numbing cream and smear it across the area to be waxed. Essentially, a toothache numbing cream numbs the nerves at the root of the tooth and calms the pain. This works in the same way with your skin too. The nerve endings are calmed, and you might not experience much pain.
5. Hold your skin tightly:
Right before you pull the wax strip off the skin, hold it tight and spread it well. Expanding the skin’s surface will expand the pores of the skin making it easy for the hair to escape the grip. Therefore, hold the skin beneath tightly for an easy removal.
6. Pull against the direction of your growth:
While applying wax, if you are doing it on your own, smear it in the direction of the hair growth. This will help the wax settle on the skin the way your skin is. But while pulling it, pull it from the opposite direction of your hair growth. For, if the wax is ripped in the same direction, hair might be removed only at the superficial level and thus leading to ingrown hairs. Pulling the wax against hair growth can pull the hair out with the follicles.
7 Don’ts of the waxing rulebook
These seven things cannot be undone no matter what, either before, during or after a waxing session.
Things to avoid before your waxing session:
7. Off the Period:
While you are on your period, do not ever schedule a waxing session!. Your body is also tired of bleeding and your entire system needs a break. Spare your skin the pain and agony and patiently wait for your red days to pass. For some, waxing on your period will experience a little more pain than the usual.
8. No Razor
Between two waxing appointments, never shave, even for emergencies. Once you have waxed, your hair begins to change its behaviour and aligns it to suit the waxing system. It will grow much lesser and thinner. But once a razor is used, it will go back to its old behaviour to grow thick and dense and even develop twins in the same pore.
9. Length of hair
Usually it’s recommended that the ideal length of the hair to be waxed should be approximately ½ an inch. So if the hair is long, we need to trim the excess. Waxing when the hair is too long is not recommended. Why? Because long hair runs the risk of getting tangled below the wax, knotted with other hairs or can even attract dust and dirt making the process of waxing more painful. Even if the hair is too short, DON’T DO IT. Why? Because short hair gives no mass for the wax to stick on to.
Things to avoid during the session:
10. Do Not Moisturise
Using a moisturizer or an oil right before you wax might give you an impression that it will soothe the pain. But it will make matters worse because the wax will slip over your hydrated skin and will not do its job properly. The wax will not pull out the hair completely and you will be left around with patches of undone skin.
11. Stay Away if suffering from Allergies
A victim of skin allergies? Then stay a mile away from the hot wax trying to rip off your hair. It has not been tested fully how an allergy sensitive skin reacts to wax. You can perhaps look at other hair removal measures such as razor and hair removal cream. Better still, consult a dermatologist.
12. Don’t take it slow
If you are doing it yourself, it might tempt you to pull the wax off slowly because you are in a delusion that slow pulling is less painful. So, you need to be swift and quick while pulling the strip. This will ensure that the hair comes off properly and the pain too is controlled
Things to avoid after waxing:
13. Avoid the Sun
After you have freshly waxed, your skin is extra sensitive and hence getting exposed to the harsh sun might not be a good idea. The skin post waxing is raw and receptive and strong sunlight might make it more sensitive. Your skin might even develop little burns and irritations.
Try following these important steps to ensure that your waxing session is a relaxed one and you don’t have to deal with post waxing woes either. To a beautiful lady and her equally gorgeous skin!
For the best technique and results, these are the recommended tips:
1. Ensure optimal hair length. Before waxing, make sure your hair is about one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch long. If hair is longer, trim it to a shorter length using safety scissors so that waxing will be less messy and painful.
2. Avoid retinoid creams before waxing. Avoid using over-the-counter skin care products containing retinol and prescription retinoids two to five days prior to waxing your face to avoid removing skin along with your hair.
3. Reduce discomfort. Since waxing can be painful for some people, consider ways to reduce discomfort. Taking over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen, or applying cold packs to the skin about 30 minutes before waxing, may help.
4. Wash and dry the area. Before waxing, gently wash the area you’re about to wax to remove dirt, dead skin cells and skin care products. Afterwards, dry your skin thoroughly. Clean, dry skin allows the wax to adhere properly.
5. Warm the wax. Follow the directions on the package, and always test the temperature of the wax by applying a small amount to the inside of your wrist. It should be warm, but not hurt or burn.
6. Apply the wax. Apply the wax to a small section of your skin with unwanted hair. For the best results, always spread the wax in the direction of hair growth.
7. Apply the cloth strip. Once the wax is applied, place the cloth strip over the wax and press down firmly. Leave the cloth on for two to three seconds.
8. Remove the cloth strip. To remove, hold your skin taut with one hand and use your other hand to quickly pull off the cloth in the opposite direction of hair growth. If you’re waxing a tricky spot to reach, such as the underarms, consider asking a friend or relative to help you.
9. Soothe your skin. After waxing, soothe your skin by applying cold packs if you have pain, avoiding hot baths and showers, wearing loose clothing and applying moisturizer that won’t clog your pores. Apply moisturiser and post waxing solution