I have a lot of teenage clients coming in with their mothers to ask me about waxing and other effective hair removal methods. The mothers keep insisting with their daughters not to touch their hair with a razor, as this tends to make the hair grow thick, and to always wax, as if you start waxing when you are young, then by the time you are in your 20s the hair is much finer and you’ll have less hair growth.
In addition, now with the laser trend, a lot of regular waxing clients keep asking if they should go for laser next.
In this article, you’ll get all your questions answered. If not, then please post comments to which I will reply.
What happens during waxing?
Warm wax is applied onto the skin, spread in the direction of hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the wax, which cools and firms up grasping the hair. This wax is then quickly pulled off in the opposite direction of the hair growth, and in the process the hairs are pulled out of the follicles. The opening of where the hair comes out will be left open for a while. Obviously we are talking about a microscopic opening. In addition, together with the hair, the wax also removes some dead skin cells.
Why I have to wait 48 hours to exfoliate after waxing?
Since the wax also removes some dead skin cells, it is like an exfoliation has already been done. In addition, the waxed area would have the ‘pores open’, which would irritate the skin if you exfoliate over it.
Why my suntan fades after I wax?
Since wax also removes some dead skin cell, the tan on your outer skin will be removed. Hence your superficial tan will fade.
Why I can’t go sunbathing or swimming after waxing?
Since the ‘pores are open’, you might easily get an infection from the sun and from the sea or the pool water.
Why should I exfoliate between waxing sessions?
Exfoliating removes the top dead skin cells. By not having a build-up of dead skin cells, you will also avoid have ingrowing hairs. This is when a hair, instead of growing ‘through the skin’ and upwards, an ingrowing hair will turn on itself and it is the covered with dead skin cells.
Why is the hair pulled in opposite direction of hair growth?
This will avoid the hair from breaking at the skin’s surface level. And to remove the hair together with its bulb.
Why is it advised not to shave or use depilatory creams between waxing sessions?
Wax removes hair together with the bulb, while shaving and depilatory creams only remove the hair that shows through the skin. In addition, shaving and depilatory creams tend to make the hair grow blunter, and sometimes more than one hair will grow from the same ‘opening’ in the skin.
Waxing vs Shaving
Waxing pulls the hair together with its bulb out of the follicle. The hair takes longer to grow back because it must grow through the hair shaft to reach the surface of the skin before it is noticed. Hence, we are talking about being hair-free and with smooth skin for about 2 – 3 weeks (depending on individual). Repeatedly pulling hair out of the follicle, will eventually damage the follicle enough to weaken the hair, and the hair starts growing thinner and weaker, and over time the follicle will even stop producing more hair.
Shaving only cuts the hair off at skin level. That’s why after 1 day of shaving, you’ll end up with the beginning of a hair growth. Also the short hair that comes out is rough to the touch, because it has a blunt tip instead of the normal tapered tip.
Waxing vs Depilatory Creams
Depilatory creams use a chemical called thioglycolate mixed with sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide to literally melt the hair away. In the process, the chemical can melt away skin cells, causing skin irritation – that is why you have a particular time frame within which to leave the cream on. With depilatory creams, the hair growth is slightly slower than shaving, and the hair that grows is not as blunt as when the hair is cut with a razor.
Waxing vs Electrolysis
While waxing pulls the hair together with its bulb. In electrolysis, a fine needle is inserted into the hair follicle (the opening from which the hair comes out), and an electrical current is applied to the follicle root. This actually burns the hair root, preventing it from producing more hair. Each hair follicle is treated individually, and it may take several treatments to destroy the follicle. Electrolysis is usually done on small areas, such as the chin.
Waxing vs Laser
Laser works by emitting light at various wavelengths, energy output, and pulse widths. Most lasers used for hair removal target melanin (dark pigment), and are therefore designed to burn structures that contain melanin. Hence the more melanin, the more damage. However, the laser has to distinguish between the dark of the skin and the dark of the hair – therefore it works best on light-skinned people with dark hair. Laser does not cause permanent destruction of all hair follicles, but it does considerably reduce and retard the regrowth of new hair.
Different Types of Wax
Hot-wax (strip wax) is warmed up until it is in a syrupy consistency. It is applied on the hair using a spatula, then a waxing strip of special paper is applied, and the strip is pulled in the opposite direction of the hair growth.
Hard wax (cold-wax) is thicker in consistency. The wax is applied over the hairs – either with a spatula or by hand. The wax hardens and it is quickly pulled in opposite direction of hair growth using hands. This type of wax is usually used for sensitive areas such as face, bikini and sometimes under-arms.
Sugar waxing is a thick sugary substance similar to caramel. It is applied and removed with a cloth or paper strip similar to hot-wax. The advantage over hot-wax is that the sugar substance is water-soluble, and hence any wax residue can be removed simply by rinsing with water.
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