I have been waxing for several years. I usually do my own underarm and bikini wax. When I came in to do the hair removal "works” — which I did twice before a recent trip — I still came out with stubble everywhere, despite the fact that my bikini line and underarms are usually smooth when I do them at home. What could cause this and how can I prepare my skin so that I don’t get left with stubble?

Yours is a tough question because there are so many variables. Without more detail, it’s difficult to assess what might be causing the problem. When I hear about your situation, three questions come to mind:
1. Were you shaving or waxing prior to your appointments?
2. How long did you wait in between waxes before coming in?
3. The two times you waxed before your trip, were either of those waxes successful or was there stubble after each of your visits?

In general, stubble can happen for several reasons:

• First, some or all of the hair may not be long enough for the wax to adhere to. When this occurs, the hair that is long enough to stick to the wax gets removed, but the shorter hairs still remain.

• Second, if someone has coarse hair, multiple waxes are needed to soften the hair enough for it to lift out of the skin and leave a smooth feeling. Prior to this “conditioning,” or softening of the hair through multiple waxings, the hair can break off and create stubble.

• Third, a good exfoliation is needed before waxing to make sure there is no dry skin trapping the hairs. Dry skin can prevent the wax from properly adhering to the hair.

I hope you found this information helpful. As I said before, there are variables that I’d like to know more about. Please feel free to contact me directly at our Denver location (303.592.2929); we can discuss it in more detail and hopefully pinpoint the cause.

Thanks,
Alex (Alexandria)
Waxing the City - Denver