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Waxing: Services, Consultations & Pro Tips
When you expand your service menu to add the wonderful world of wax, getting a hold of accurate and current information can be a little tricky. So let’s begin with a quick refresher on the types of wax.
TYPES OF WAXING SERVICES EXPLAINED
- Most commonly recognized
- Apply thin
- Use cloth or muslin to remove
- Apply powder to prep the skin
- Typically, you want the viscosity of the wax to be thin
- More cost-effective for large wax regions
- Exfoliates skin
- You cannot re-wax the same area
- Not as commonly recognized
- Apply thick (similar to the thickness of a coin)
- The wax, itself, is removed from the skin without a cloth or muslin
- Apply oil to prep the skin
- Typically, you want the viscosity of the wax to be thick
- More wax is used per client compared to soft
- Does not exfoliate skin
- You can re-wax the same area
- New wax hybrid category
- Apply thicker than soft wax, but not as thick as hard wax
- The wax, itself, is removed from the skin without a cloth or muslin
- Apply oil to prep the skin
- Typically, you want the viscosity of the wax to be at a medium consistency (not as thin as soft/not as thick as hard)
- More wax is used per client compared to soft, but not as much as hard wax
- Does not exfoliate skin
- You can re-wax the same area
WAXING CONSULTATIONS ARE CRITICAL
Consultation...Consultation...Consultation. Discussing treatment is the most important step of all beauty services, and this is especially true with waxing services. There are several things that affect who can receive services.
- Leg waxing if client has varicose veins
- Facial/Body waxing if client has, but not limited to, diabetes, epilepsy, phlebitis
- Recent Chemical Exfoliation
- Recent Microdermabrasion
- Recent Injectables
- Chemotherapy
- Autoimmune disorders (lupus, AIDS)
- Sunburned, inflamed skin
- Clients allergic to ingredients that are in some waxes
Offer Before-Waxing and After-Waxing Consultation Cards
The wax service is something that actually starts before the client comes in, so it is helpful to give your client a Before Care Card to help them remember things they can do to prep their skin before the waxing reservation.- Lightly exfoliate the area to be waxed
- If you are a sunbather, or frequent the tanning salon, it is important to stay out of the sun (artificial or not) for a minimum of 24 hours prior to your service
- If you enjoy exercising, please do so before your waxing appointment. Exercise directly after is not recommended due to the higher risk of causing breakouts
- Take a mild anti-inflammatory to reduce discomfort especially for first-time waxing clients.
- Avoid sun exposure for a minimum of 24 hours, or until the tenderness subsides
- Avoid all mechanical and chemical exfoliating agents for at least 24 hours. This includes all topical acne medication as well as all forms of retinoid
- Avoid strenuous physical activity for at least 12 hours. This is especially important if you are susceptible to breakouts as the bacteria naturally present on the skin and in perspiration are more easily able to enter the hair follicle, and cause inflammation during this time
- Avoid hot tubs for a minimum of 12 hours as your skin is more easily able to absorb the chemical toxins present in most hot tubs
- Avoid fragranced products of all kinds (soaps, lotions) for at least 12 hours
- Exfoliate three times per week to minimize the presence of ingrown hairs
- Use Slow Hair Growth Hydration Cream and Exfoliating Scrubs and Solutions to prevent ingrown hairs
WAXING ESSENTIALS: STEP-BY-STEP
Before you wax, be sure to clean the skin with a skin cleanser. As an added value to your service, you can also apply an Anesthetic Numbing Spray first; and then use the skin cleanser. Apply powder or oil based on the type of wax you will use, then apply wax at a 45 degree angle, immediately holding pressure to the area from where the wax or muslin strip is removed. This helps to calm the nerves from where the hair was just pulled. Apply calming oil/lotion, followed by an aloe based cooling gel and post epilation moisturizer to rebalance the skin.
LET'S RECAP
Hard wax is ideally used for and in sensitive areas such as the face, bikini, Brazilian. It does not exfoliate the skin, so you can rewax the same areas. Hard wax also works well on fine to coarse hair types. It is applied against the grain and then with the grain in a back and forth motion. This allows the hair to get “trapped” within the wax. You can remove the wax, itself, when it goes from shiny to a dull sheen and is no longer sticky to the touch.
Soft wax is more commonly used on large areas such as legs and arms, but can be used all over. You want to prep the skin with powder, you want to apply the wax, thin, and use cloth or fabric muslin to remove the wax from the skin. You cannot wax any given area more than once.
Have a thorough consultation with your client before you get started. Discuss their current beauty routine, offer them care cards for before and after treatment, and take time to build a relationship with them. And don't forget to have your client sign a waxing consent form before service begins.
Follow these prep, applications, and post guidelines, and you are starting your wax business off on a good start!
Joy A. Johnson (@nailsfacesofjoy), based out of the Washington, D.C. metro area, is a multi-licensed beauty professional, adjunct professor, international beauty educator, published author, and the proprietor of Nails & Faces of Joy Spa. In the beauty business for over 10 years, Joy currently serves as an International Educator and Corporate Trainer for American International Industries and is a beauty contributor to Cosmobiz magazine. She is also the owner/operator of a consulting firm, which assists and trains salon owners and their staff in creating and/or refining a lash, nail and skin care department within their business.
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