If you don’t want to shell out for salon waxing, why not do it yourself in the comfort of your own home? Here are a few tips to help you avoid disaster :-).
Before
1. If this is your first time waxing, it’s probably a good idea to go to the salon for your first experience so that you can see what the normal pain level is and also to observe the correct technique. Nothing beats watching a professional in action before trying it out yourself!
2. For best results, wait till the hairs are at least 5mm long before waxing.
3. Read the ENTIRE instruction leaflet and the box carefully before using a new waxing product, especially for hot wax.
4. If you use hot wax, don’t overheat it and do a test before applying it on a large surface. This is to avoid burns.
5. To help the wax adhere better, clean and dry the area to be waxed. Don’t use moisturizer as this will prevent the wax from sticking to the hairs.
6. For optimum hygiene, it’s preferable to disinfect the area with an antiseptic gel or alcohol.
7. If you have sensitive skin, apply an icepack or a plastic bag of ice cubes on the area for a few minutes. This will help to anaesthetize the area.
8. You can also apply a thin veil of talc or baby powder to prepare the skin before applying the wax.
9. Because they’re thicker, underarm and bikini line hairs need hot wax whereas arms or legs can be done with any type of wax (hot, warm or cold). For eyebrows, use warm wax and for your upper lip, cold wax is ideal.
10. If you don’t use ready-waxed strips, the best method for applying wax is with a spatula which will ensure that you get a very thin layer.
11. If you use the prepared strips of cold wax, it’s important to warm them up in your hands. Avoid strips with a too-large quantity of wax.
During
1. If you’re doing your eyebrows, take care not to let drops fall and to avoid injury, don’t go outside the eyebrow area (don’t go near the lashes for example).
2. To do your eyebrows, use a small pointed or bias-cut wooden stick. This way you’ll be able to separate the area to be waxed and apply your wax accurately.
3. The thinner the layer of wax, the less painful and more effective the hair removal. You’ll also have less wax left stuck on your skin.
4. Always apply and smooth on the wax in the direction of hair growth and rub your finger on the strip in the same direction to make the hairs stick better. To remove hairs, pull off the strip in the opposite direction of hair growth.
5. It’s best to pull the strip off quickly and cleanly. If you take your time and hesitate during the operation, the hairs won’t come off so easily and it’ll hurt! So take a deep breath and pull sharply. If you feel you can’t do it, ask someone to do it for you.
6. Always hold the skin with one hand while you’re pulling off the strip with the other. This will make it less painful and you’ll also lessen the risk of bruising.
7. As soon as you’ve pulled off the strip, press down with the palm of your hand on the waxed area to calm the pain, inflammation or itching.
8. To avoid irritating the skin, don’t go over the same area again immediately even if some hairs haven’t come off. Do the rest of the waxing and then come back to the first area.
After
1. To get rid of leftover wax stuck to the skin, rub some body oil, an oily makeup remover, baby oil or mineral oil on the residue and remove with a cloth.
2. Always apply a moisturizer after waxing to protect and soothe the skin. There are some specially designed “after-hair removal” creams for this purpose. As well as soothing and moisturizing, certain products delay hair re-growth. See my suggestions below.
3. Exfoliate your skin often between waxing sessions to avoid ingrown hairs. It’s also recommended to exfoliate just before waxing to make the hairs stand up and thus aid their removal. However, to avoid irritation, you should wait 24 hours after waxing before exfoliating again.
4. Avoid sun exposure immediately after waxing (your skin will be sensitive to the light). It’s preferable to wait 24 hours before going in the sun. If you have to go out, use a high SPF sunscreen (50 or over).
5. With time and repeated waxing, your hairs will become softer and the experience will become less painful.