Best Aftercare Practices

Getting a wax is the first step, but to keep up the best results, you have some homework to do. Ignoring proper aftercare is like going to the gym every week without changing your diet. It just isn't enough to make a big change. Sure, your skin is free of hair, but you might begin to see ingrown hairs or end up with stubble left over after a wax.

To avoid extra irritation, folliculitis, or burns avoid the following for 24-48 hours after a service:

• Swimming in pools, lakes, or the ocean

• Sun exposure to recently waxed areas

• Hot baths, or saunas

• Sweating

• Excessive exercise and activities that cause friction

• Using heavy oils, lotions, or fragrances

• Touching the freshly waxed area

• Wearing tight clothing

• Wearing dirty clothing

TLDR Quick Product Recommendations: Mitts for preventative and light ingrowns, Skin Script Clarifying Toner Pads for more severe ingrowns, 2-3x weekly. Skin Script Light Aloe Moisturizer daily to keep skin and hair from lifting and breaking.

Ingrown Hair

Many people turn to waxing over shaving due to razor burn, and ingrown hairs. However, these can still happen while getting waxed. In fact, ingrown hairs are quite common with waxing. The longer you wax, the more prone to ingrown hairs you become. The hair thins out over time, even if your hair is very coarse. If there's any dead skin or dry skin in the way of the follicular opening, the hair can't push its way through once it starts growing back in. It curls back underneath and into the skin. That's when it becomes a bump, and will continue to grow until it's removed. Your esthetician should be able to remove some of these ingrown hairs during your appointment, but may not be able to get all of them safely without causing any damage to the skin. You can prevent this from happening as often by doing two simple things on a regular basis in between your appointments.

Exfoliation

The first, and most important step is exfoliating. Every single wax specialist will tell you to exfoliate in between sessions. Everyone will have different opinions on how you should exfoliate, and how often. Dry brushing, exfoliating mitts, chemical exfoliants, scrubs, and more. The actual type you should use depends on your own skin. No matter the type, they should be done a few times a week to keep ingrown hairs at bay.

Physical Exfoliants

Physical Exfoliants will be the most common to use. Anything you have to physically scrub to be able to remove dead skin is a physical exfoliant. This includes dry brushes, mitts, and scrubs. Avoid walnut and pumice based scrubs. These are great for your feet, but are way too aggressive for any other skin on your body. Sugar scrubs work very well for the body, but are too aggressive for the face, and aren't pH balanced enough for vulvar skin. If Brazilians are your thing, dry brushing and mitts are your best bet for exfoliating. These are widely available, inexpensive, and easy to clean. The only downside is that if you leave them in your shower or tub, they can harbor bacteria that will cause a bigger problem. As long as you clean them, keep them in a dry area after use, and don't scrub too aggressively, they won't cause any issues.

Chemical Exfoliants

For more severe cases, I recommend a chemical exfoliant. Chemical exfoliants sounds scary, but you've probably already used them. They usually contain acids that you see in facial skincare like Lactic(lactose), Glycolic(sugar), and Salicylic(white tree bark). They can also include enzymes like Bromelain(pineapple) and Papain(papaya). They offer a deeper exfoliation method without the physical scrubbing. These work by dissolving "glue" that holds the dead skin to the live skin cells. This makes for a more even exfoliating method without any danger of breaking hairs, or irritating the skin by aggressive scrubbing. I love Skin Scripts Clarifying Toner Pads as a chemical exfoliant. They contain Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree to kill bacteria and soothe the skin at the same time.

Moisturizing

Your whole body craves moisture. I'm sure you've been able to tell when your skin gets dry. It flakes, cracks, and lacks any kind of luster. Dry skin can cause ingrown hairs, but it can also be dangerous for waxing services. Excessively dry skin can cause skin lifting when waxing. This is when the wax attaches itself to the dry skin, and lifts the skin around it causing a surface wound. It usually doesn't cause lasting damage, and heals pretty quickly, but it can hurt! Moisturizing on a regular basis not only keeps the skin strong and healthy, but it also helps keep the hair stronger as well. Stronger hair, means less chance of breakage when it's removed. Brittle hair can break, and get stuck underneath the skin in an unnatural position causing an ingrown hair. This can be prevented by using light oils or moisturizers on a daily basis. Oil reccomendations: Grapeseed, Jojoba, Vitamin E, Fur, and Sunflower. Moisturizer Recommendations: Amlactin, Skin Script Light Aloe, Farm Fresh Body Milk Lotion.

Even if you follow the most basic of these instructions your skin will be in a much better position after waxing. Here's to better skin and a better waxing experience!