Waxing Q&A: Lotion before waxing?

Q: I was wondering if I should avoid putting on lotion before waxing? Sadly, I get waxed infrequently since I travel for work. I heard that after a shower, not to put on lotion because it will make the hair easier to pull out. Help!

- Lotion Man

 

Dear Lotion Man,

At Waxing the City, we advise our clients to avoid putting anything on their skin before getting waxed. Lotions and/or oils can coat the hair and make it difficult for the wax to adhere, making it difficult to wax. I would, however, recommend exfoliating before your wax.  You can do this easily in the shower a couple days before you are going to get waxed. This will help loosen the hair from the dead skin around the hair and make it easier to remove.  Once you get waxed continue to exfoliate several times a week to avoid getting ingrown hairs.  The easiest way to exfoliate is to use an exfoliating glove with body wash.

I hope this helps!  Have any other questions? Feel free to email comment below or send us an email! Happy Waxing!

-Summer

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My Brows No More: She did them all wrong

Q: I just got my brows waxed and I HATE them! My brows have NO definition, NO arch and NO shape! They look like two shapeless straight lines. What can I do while I’m waiting for them to grow out? How long does it take for brow hair to fill back in? Are there any hair growth products that can speed up the process? Going forward, what is the best way for me to explain to the technician what I like? Please provide me any advice or suggestions- I’m desperate!

 ~Shapeless in Denver

A: Getting a bad brow wax can be extremely frustrating, especially because all you can do it wait for your brows to fill back in. In my experience, don’t be surprised if it takes a couple months to get your brows back to how they were before. There are hair growth products made specifically for use on lashes and brows that you can use to try and speed it up the process. The product I’m most familiar with is Revita Lash and Revita Brow.

While you are waiting for your brows to fill in, here are a couple things you can do to help with the look of your brows:

• Buy a brow kit to fill in any gaps in your eyebrows. You may find that you like the look of a filled in brow even once your eyebrows have grown back in.
• Look for a brow kit that has a powder shadow, a pomade (for smoothing the hair) and an angle brush for easy application.

In the future, make sure your technician gives you a mirror during your consultations. This gives you a feel for what your technician will be doing with your brows. At this point you can tell her about your past experience and together create a better outcome for you and your brows. This is very important because as we all know, what you think is just a clean up may be totally different from what I’m thinking. This allows us to get on the same page.

Bring pictures of yourself to help us get a visual of how your brows looked before “the accident.” If you bring a picture of a celebrity who’s brows you love, remember, we can only work with what you have. Don’t get me wrong we would all love Salma Hayek’s brows but most of us are not that lucky.

Your brows will return but you have to be patient. You may need to wait longer in between waxes to give your brows extra time to fill in. Good luck growing!

- Alex