Your waxing occurs in a private room with a door and takes between 15 and 30 minutes. A general rule of thumb is that hair needs to be 1/4 inch (about the length of a grain of rice) if it’s fine, a half-inch if it’s coarse. Any shorter and it’s too hard for the wax to grab onto. You may be sent home if hair isn’t long enough for a proper treatment.

1. The waxer will liberally apply talcum powder to the skin. Talcum powder keeps hot wax from sticking to skin.
2. The best waxers are fast, which means less discomfort for you. The waxer will dip a wooden waxing stick into a pot of hot wax and then spread it onto your skin and hair in the direction of hair growth.
3. The waxer will then apply a cloth strip over the still-warm wax, pressing firmly so the cloth, hair and wax adhere to one another.
4. When the wax has cooled, she will pull the strip off, in the opposite direction of your hair growth, pulling the hairs out by the root. If the waxing at this point is too painful, ask the technician to apply strips to smaller areas at a time.
5. Once the waxing is complete, the waxer will tweeze any stray hairs.
The waxer may spread soothing lotion over the waxed areas.

Get waxed regularly every 3-4 weeks. If you wait longer or only get waxed a couple times a year, it will be much more painful. If you are female, book your appointment at least a week after your cycle. It’s best to wax midcycle. You can choose to apply a numbing cream an hour in advance of your treatment or we recommend taking 2 ibuprofen or acetaminophen an hour before your wax.

Waxing will cause the pores to open, thus leaving the skin slightly vulnerable. The area should be kept clean and nourished with special post-wax lotions to keep the skin smooth and supple. Wear loose fitting clothing for this treatment if possible. If after the wax you develop bumps, redness, or ingrown hairs, gently exfoliate the area with a body scrub and then smooth on a lotion or cleanser with alpha hydroxy acid.

The following factors are known to make those who are waxed more prone to “skin lifting,” where the top layer of skin is torn away during waxing treatment:

• Taking blood-thinning medications
• Taking drugs for autoimmune diseases, including lupus
• Taking prednisone or steroids
• Psoriasis, eczema, or other chronic skin diseases
• Recent sunburn
• Recent cosmetic or reconstructive surgery
• Recent laser skin treatment
• Severe varicose leg veins
• Rosacea or very sensitive skin
• History of fever blisters or cold sores (waxing can cause a flare-up)
• Using Trevino, Tazaronene, or any other peeling agent
• Recent surgical peel, microdermabrasion or chemical peel using glycolic, alpha hydroxy, salicylic acid, or other acid-based products