Portland
Waxing
Waxing basics:
There are 2 types of wax, commonly known as “soft” wax and “hard” wax. Soft wax has a sticky consistency. It is spread in a thin layer over the skin, and then a cloth is applied over it. The cloth is quickly removed, taking the hair with it. Soft wax is great for less sensitive areas of the body such as legs, chest and back. Hard wax is applied to the skin and quickly loses its stickiness as it cools and sets up. A corner of the wax is then flicked up and the strip is removed, taking the hair with it. Hard wax is best for more delicate areas such as the face and genitals. Do NOT let anyone use soft wax on your genitals. If you do, it’s going to greatly increase the pain as well as increase the chances of peeling some of your skin off with it. That’s never a good thing.
There are 2 types of wax, commonly known as “soft” wax and “hard” wax. Soft wax has a sticky consistency. It is spread in a thin layer over the skin, and then a cloth is applied over it. The cloth is quickly removed, taking the hair with it. Soft wax is great for less sensitive areas of the body such as legs, chest and back. Hard wax is applied to the skin and quickly loses its stickiness as it cools and sets up. A corner of the wax is then flicked up and the strip is removed, taking the hair with it. Hard wax is best for more delicate areas such as the face and genitals. Do NOT let anyone use soft wax on your genitals. If you do, it’s going to greatly increase the pain as well as increase the chances of peeling some of your skin off with it. That’s never a good thing.
Both types of wax are often referred to as “hot wax’. The term is really misleading. It’s necessary to warm the wax in order to use it, but it is not actually “hot”. It’s not going to burn.
Hair needs to be a minium of ¼ inch long in order to get a good result. If you’ve been shaving the area to be waxed, you probably need to wait about 4 weeks before you get waxed....5-6 weeks will get you a better result on that first wax.
Ok…waxing hurts. I have to admit that. I also have to tell you that it doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as you imagine it does. It’s a very quick pain and an experienced waxer makes a huge difference in the amount of pain you will experience. It only hurts during that moment the wax is actually being pulled off (like pulling off a band aid). My clients always tell me (especially the male Brazilian clients) “Yeah, it hurt, but not as bad as I thought it would.” Technique can also play a big role in the pain factor and most of my clients tell me that it hurt less with me then it has with previous experiences. But, it’s REALLY not that bad. I promise. If you are worried about it, some clients like to take Advil about an hour before their appointment.
Your skin may be a little sensitive to the touch that day, but it doesn’t last long. I usually recommend no swimming pools or hot tubs for 24 hours because your hair follicles will be open and more prone to picking up bacteria. I usually recommend holding off on sex that day for my Brazilian clients because the skin to skin friction can cause irritation. Nobody much listens to me on that one, though.
So why wax instead of just shaving? Lots of good reasons: First of all, there is much less problem of ingrown hairs with waxing. Secondly, there is no itching when the hair grows back. The hair that grows back is soft and downy, not stubbly. I like to compare it to grass. Go out and mow a full lawn and you have mature blades of grass that have been cut off, leaving each blade with a blunt end. Compare that to planting grass seed. All that new, baby grass is soft and supple. Same with waxing. You aren’t cutting off a mature hair; you are growing a brand new soft hair. Thirdly, waxing doesn’t take nearly as much maintenance as shaving. Finally, no razor burn! (Besides, how much does it hurt when you cut yourself with a razor...ouch.....that's not over quickly! How about that scar?) Personally, I don't want a razor anywhere near my delicate bits!
How long does waxing last? Your first wax will grow back a bit faster than subsequent waxes. You’ll probably start to notice a small amount of re-growth in 10 days or so (but remember, it won’t be like the hair growing back after shaving). I usually recommend that my clients wax every 4 weeks. By the 3rd wax, you find that the whole thing is a breeze. The pain will be greatly decreased and the re-growth will be greatly slowed. By then, you find that at the 4 week mark, you’ll have just enough hair to wax and you’ll basically feel hair free all the time.
Are there areas that can’t be waxed? It’s really not safe to wax a man’s beard or the scalp. In both areas, the hair grows too deeply and often times, more than one hair shares a follicle. If you attempt to wax either of those areas, you run the risk of tissue damage.
Who gets waxed? Everybody. Ok, not everybody, but certainly people from all walks of life…old, young, married, single, white collar, blue collar, guys, girls. Basically, anybody that wants a safe, easy, affordable method of hair removal that they only have to think about once a month.
So why wax instead of just shaving? Lots of good reasons: First of all, there is much less problem of ingrown hairs with waxing. Secondly, there is no itching when the hair grows back. The hair that grows back is soft and downy, not stubbly. I like to compare it to grass. Go out and mow a full lawn and you have mature blades of grass that have been cut off, leaving each blade with a blunt end. Compare that to planting grass seed. All that new, baby grass is soft and supple. Same with waxing. You aren’t cutting off a mature hair; you are growing a brand new soft hair. Thirdly, waxing doesn’t take nearly as much maintenance as shaving. Finally, no razor burn! (Besides, how much does it hurt when you cut yourself with a razor...ouch.....that's not over quickly! How about that scar?) Personally, I don't want a razor anywhere near my delicate bits!
How long does waxing last? Your first wax will grow back a bit faster than subsequent waxes. You’ll probably start to notice a small amount of re-growth in 10 days or so (but remember, it won’t be like the hair growing back after shaving). I usually recommend that my clients wax every 4 weeks. By the 3rd wax, you find that the whole thing is a breeze. The pain will be greatly decreased and the re-growth will be greatly slowed. By then, you find that at the 4 week mark, you’ll have just enough hair to wax and you’ll basically feel hair free all the time.
Are there areas that can’t be waxed? It’s really not safe to wax a man’s beard or the scalp. In both areas, the hair grows too deeply and often times, more than one hair shares a follicle. If you attempt to wax either of those areas, you run the risk of tissue damage.
Who gets waxed? Everybody. Ok, not everybody, but certainly people from all walks of life…old, young, married, single, white collar, blue collar, guys, girls. Basically, anybody that wants a safe, easy, affordable method of hair removal that they only have to think about once a month.
About Waxing
About Waxing