After Waxing Care: Our Top Tips

Getting your skin ready before a wax is important, but your after-waxing skin care regime makes a huge difference in giving you a great waxing experience.

The most common reactions to waxing are redness, minor irritation and

ingrown hairs. But, with these aftercare waxing tips, you can have

the best results and most comfort after your wax.

1. Direct Heat, Sunlight, Hot Tubs

Avoid the sun or wear sunscreen right after a wax. Waxed areas are

prone to sunburn and hyper-pigmentation (small dark spots on skin)

when exposed to the sun. It is best to wait at least 48 hours before

exposing your skin to the sun. Also, as we head into wintertime and

hot tub season, be aware that hot tubs can open pores further and

water in general has bacteria (both of which can lead to post waxing

issues).

2. Avoid tight clothing

Tight clothing, especially on the waxed areas can cause irritation

and ingrown hairs. This is especially true along the panty line where

hair breaks off due to constant friction. Choose panties and under

garments carefully. Also, when choosing workout attire, remember that

friction and excess sweating mixed with tight fitting clothes can all

lead to an increase in irritation to the skin.

3. Exfoliate

Waxing exfoliates that skin, but don't start too soon. Using scrubs,

AHAs, and loofas within the first 24 hours after waxing can cause

further irritation to your skin, so wait about 48 hours before you

begin exfoliating.

4. Apply TendSkin

TendSkin is a miracle product if you get ingrown hairs. After waxing,

your pores are open for a period of time.  Open pores can become

clogged with skin oil and dead skin cells; TendSkin helps prevent

clogged pores and ingrown hairs.

5. Keep Your Hands to Yourself

Avoid rubbing the newly waxed area. This is especially true for

facial waxing. Remember, your pores are open for a period of time and

rubbing the area increases chances of filling your pores with oil,

skin cells, and other debris.

6. Sexual Activity

Many people ask about sex after bikini waxing. Just keep in mind

friction or anything that increases bacteria on the skin should be

considered.

Body Waxing: How to be your Smoothest Next Summer

With the temperature changes, you are probably beginning to wear more jeans,

sweaters, tights and boots rather than skirts and tank tops. The fall

is one of the best times of the year to develop a steady body waxing

routine to include legs, arms and underarms.

First off, since you will be covering up more, you are able to grow

out that hair on your legs and underarms until your appointment and

not worry about exposing it to the world. By beginning in the fall,

you can normalize your waxing route, which helps hair on your legs,

arms and underarms become thinner and lighter over time. By the time

next summer hits, you will be waxing less, have thinner hair and have

less hair in that area.

Why it is Great to Wax Your Underarms

Besides that razor burn hurts when it rubs on your favorite shirts,

there are other benefits to waxing your arms and underarms. For one,

you are able to stay smoother longer. Then, you know that "5 o'clock

shadow" darkeness you can get under your arms from shaving? Well wave

good-bye! That darkness will disappear with waxing because the hair

comes out at the root.

Why it is Great to Wax Your Legs

Shaving only keeps you smooth a few days (if that). And it can create

razor bumps and ingrown hairs. Waxing every three to four weeks

during the fall and winter months will have you seeing silky, smooth

results during the winter, but also leave the hair thinner and

lighter for waxing during the summer.

Other Reasons to Body Wax

Professional body builders swear by waxing. One of their secrets is

that waxing helps you look more toned. Other athletes like

professional swimmers and cyclists wax their legs to help perform

better, but waxing also helps chafing during races.

Plan for spring and summer 2012 by booking your appointment to begin

your body waxing regime today!!

How to Care for Ingrown Hairs

Q: I exfoliate, I use Tend Skin & I get waxed on a regular basis, but still I have ingrown hairs. Is there anything else I can be doing to prevent these annoyances?

~Sarah

A: I agree in grown hairs can be frustrating. It sounds like you have all of the proper tools to help though. Now, the next step would be using those tools efficiently. Here are some tips:

• Get waxed regularly. Waxing causes less ingrown hairs then shaving for most people. Wax every 4-6 weeks. 
• Exfoliate. Use an exfoliating glove with your body wash 2-3 times a week. This can help get the hair to the surface more easily by removing the top layer of dead skin. 
• Use Tend Skin. This is a miracle product. There are tons of products out there, but honestly, I have not found a product that has the kind of results that Tend Skin does. The key is to use it properly. Apply Tend Skin every morning when you get out of the shower and then again at night to affected areas. Remember to give your skin a break from it 48 hours before your next waxing appointment. Once you have your ingrown hairs under control you will want to use Tend Skin once a day. Depending on your skin, you may not have to use it everyday - maybe just every other day. 

Be patient. You should start to notice a difference within a month or two!

Thanks and good luck,

Summer

 

Waxing Q&A: Waxing Safety 101

Hi, I'm thinking about getting my first bikini (maybe Brazilian) wax. I've heard good things about Waxing the City, but I do have some questions.

I pulled out some magazine articles about waxing, and I'd like to hear your take. One of the articles says that the wax should be 99 to 101 degrees and that the cerologist should either use a new pot every time or not double dip. Another says that a salon should incorporate an anesthetic into the wax. I want to wax, but I need to know!
Thanks!

My name is Summer, I am one of the owners of Waxing the City. I received your email and would like to ease your mind about the concerns you have about waxing. Your safety and your comfort is our number one concern, and you’re right, if you’ve never been waxed before it can be a little intimidating. What makes it even harder is that there is a lot of misleading information out there regarding hair removal. There was an article in a recent issue of Women’s Health magazine that was great and really informative, but anyone that didn’t read the entire article – because all the “good stuff” explaining the facts about waxing safety wasn’t until the end of the article – would be scared away.

But, asking questions and getting all the information you can is the best way to ease any nervousness.

Rest assured that at Waxing the City we take all precautions to provide a clean and safe environment. We have our sheets and towels professionally laundered, our instruments are soaked in barbacide which is diluted to appropriate FDA standards, our cerologists wear new gloves for each client and, last but not least, our wax is heated to the appropriate and safe temperature, 140 degrees to 160 degrees, to avoid the spreading of any disease-causing bacteria.
The following are some facts about bacteria and wax:

To survive and reproduce, bacteria needs time and the right conditions: food, moisture, and high temperatures. Other factors affecting bacterial growth and reproduction are pH, oxygen and light. The ideal temperature for bacterial growth is between 40 and 140 degrees, what the Food Safety and Inspection Service calls the "danger zone.”

The fully heated wax pot temperature is greater than 140 degrees, making it a hostile environment for bacterial growth. A bacterium also needs moisture for growth, and there is no moisture in depilatory wax.
Pasteurization, which occurs at 159 degrees, renders the Hepatitis B virus inactive, meaning that there is no risk of spreading HBV in this manner; nor HIV, which is much less resilient than HBV. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has no record and has received no reports of cross-contamination from waxing services.

I hope this answers your questions about waxing safety. Please feel free to contact one of our salons if you have any further questions.

We will look forward to seeing you and providing your first
waxing experience.

Sincerely,

Summer
Waxing the City- Dallas

Waxing Q&A: Oops, missed a hair

After the cerologist has left the room from a Brazilian/bikini waxing, I sometimes sit up and notice I still have a few stray hairs. Is it okay to ask her to come back in? And, what is the best way to ask them to come back and clean up these areas without wasting too much of their or my time?

Great questions! This does happen once in awhile and, yes! It is most definitely okay to ask your cerologist to come back in. Without a doubt please say something before you leave the salon! Your cerologist would rather be called back into the room before you go home than to have you leave unhappy or unsatisfied with your waxing experience. Believe us, no offense will be taken! In fact, we have a practice in place to ensure this level of comfort: every cerologist always waits a few extra minutes outside the room for just this reason. Just peek your head outside the door and let any cerologist know that you need your technician back in the room. (But don’t get fully dressed, as your technician will be back in shortly to address your concerns.) We appreciate your respect for your cerologist's time, however we want to fully meet your expectations and make sure you are completely happy with your service on every Waxing the City visit.

Thanks for submitting your question!
Alexandria (Alex)
Waxing the City- Boulder