Waxing treatments vary from full body wax, to arm, leg or bikini wax. Regardless of the area, preparing your skin for waxing is an important first step in the epilation process.

Your Pre-Wax Guide

 

1. Examine your skin.

 

Check for irritation, sunburn or breakouts:

 

If you find areas that are distressed, treat them and wait until they are healed before waxing.

 

Take note of moles and lesions:

 

Do not wax over moles, skin tags, or lesions as they could rip off during the waxing procedure. Put a small band-aid over them as a reminder, and be sure to point them out to your aesthetician before waxing begins.

 

Check the length of your hair:

 

The best length for waxing is generally 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch (13 to 19 mm). For very fine hair, like women's facial hair, it can be a little shorter.

2. Prepare Your Skin.

 

Cleanse:

 

Use a gentle soap to clean the area you want to wax. Avoid using very hot water as this may irritate your skin. Cleaning the skin will ensure that all the dirt does not to make it to the surface of the skin while waxing.

 

Exfoliate:

 

Use a loofah, exfoliating cream or washcloth and rub in circular motions. You want to remove any dead skin cells that may clog the hair follicle and cause ingrown hairs. Avoid irritating your skin by rubbing too hard.

 

Hydrate:

 

Soak the area to be waxed with a warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. This hydrates the skin and the hair making removal easier.

 

Moisturize:

 

Use a water-based, or oil free moisturizer after you hydrate. Oil free moisturizer helps prevent your skin from burning or abrading during waxing. Companies that make waxing products also sell a pre-wax moisturizer made to prepare the skin for waxing. Just be sure the moisturizer you use absorbs into the skin and does not leave a residue. Oil or lubricant on the skin will prevent the wax from grabbing the hairs.

 

The Post Wax Treatment

 

Cleanse the skin using an exfoliating cream that is both soothing and an antiseptic.

Use a towel to wrap some ice cubes to the area after waxing. This will help with redness and discomfort.

Use a hydrating product, such as baby oil, to help clean up residual wax, and also moisturize the skin.

Use moisturizer ever day after waxing. Apply a cooling lotion such as aloe vera, as it has soothing and cooling properties.

Use mineral based make-up to hide any redness. This type of make-up allows the skin to breathe.