As an esthetician, you need to understand two things:
- Hair growth cycles
- Why hair doesn’t remove
People who only shave, and have never been waxed can sometimes be a bit difficult to wax.
This is because the root of their hair has never been removed, only the surface hair has.
This means:
- The blood supply is still going to the root
- The root is still being ‘fed’
- The root still grows!
When you have a client who shaves regularly, or maybe has only ever shaved, it is important to let them know that not ALL the hair will be able to be removed.
Sometimes estheticians get a little overzealous when they have a client whose hair isn’t being removed by wax.
They may tweeze or wax 2,3,4, even 5 times.
Not realizing that once you wax twice in one area, anything beyond that is going to cause skin irritation.
The top 2 that are probably giving you trouble are:
- Sweat
- Oil
This is where powder comes in.
However, powder can only address the problem of water.
This is because the oil will simply stick to the powder, creating a barrier between the wax and the hair.
Hair Length is also important when waxing.
As estheticians we tell people their hair could be 1/4″ to 1/2″ in order to be removed.
THAT’S A LIE.
Especially if you have someone who shaves, and who has never waxed before.
The thing about shaving is every time that client cuts the hair, the area where the hair is cut off now becomes the weakest point.
Let’s say they grow their hair out for a month; the weakest point in their hair is now at the top.
So when you apply wax to the hair in this situation, the wax will break the hair off at the end of the weak point; rather than pulling the hair from the root.
When we tell our clients or prospective clients that we can remove ALL of their hair as long as it is 1/4″-1/2″ long, we are LYING to them.
Let’s be more realistic with our clients, and live up to their expectations.
It’s safer to tell your clients 1″, you can even tell them 2″ is better. Let them know that if they come to you with hair shorter than this, you may not be able to provide them with the results they want.
What constitutes a bad wax?
- Does it lift skin?
- Does it irritate skin?
- Is it too hot?
Now what role did you play in the outcome you got with that wax?
A lot of the issues with wax is user error.
- Did you put too much oil?
- Did you use powder when you needed to?
- Did you apply wax in the same area multiple times?
The last thing to think about is are you cleansing the skin beforehand?
If you are…WHY? It’s unnecessary.
If you think about the steps of hair removal, it is nothing compared to what facials are doing.
As estheticians we sometimes get wrapped up in thinking “I have to do something to the skin, I have to do something to the skin.”
In this case we are wrong.
Sometime we do too much to the skin, which in turn:
- Imbalances the pH
- Irritates the skin
- Makes our clients uncomfortable
Sometimes cleansers can do damage to the hair, making the wax unable to stick to the hair.
This is truly a true to home topic.
Most of us think in facial mode, not hair removal mode.
