As a waxing specialist, you hold a special place in your client’s skincare journey, helping them improve their appearance, feel more comfortable in their skin, and exude confidence.
Skin lifting is one sneaky waxing mishap that could easily break your client’s trust in you and hurt your business — whether or not you caused it. It’s an unpleasant experience that can detract from your client’s beauty or even risk their health.
Unfortunately, you can’t 100% overrule the possibility of skin lifting, even as an experienced esthetician. Therefore, it’s wise to brace yourself with proper precautions to keep your clients safe and maintain an excellent reputation.
Beauty Image USA divulges how skin lifting occurs during a wax, great preventative measures, and how to treat lifted skin from waxing.
What Is Skin Lifting?
Otherwise known as wax burn, skin lifting is an accident that occurs when the wax peels off the topmost layer of the live skin instead of pulling out only the hair.
The exposed skin area may feel very painful and appear reddened or bruised. A scab usually forms within a few days, typically lasting a week or two. In worst-case scenarios, scarring and long-term pigmentation may occur. The affected area is also susceptible to bacteria and other infections.
Poor waxing techniques and undisclosed skincare products, medications, and conditions are usually the major culprits.
How Can You Prevent Skin Lifting?
To lower the chances of skin lifting during a wax, you and your client should take several measures before and during a waxing appointment.
First and foremost, you’ll want to conduct a comprehensive pre-waxing consultation. Use this opportunity to qualify your client for waxing, educate them, and tailor the treatment to their needs. Key considerations here include:
- Skin type assessment. Understanding allergies and skin sensitivities will help you choose the right waxing and after-care products for your client.
- Medications and existing health conditions. Do your due diligence here. Waxing may not be the best option for people undergoing certain medications or health issues. You may also have to tread lightly around some skin conditions. Additionally, check for any inflammations, open cuts, wounds, irritations, or harsh exfoliation. If in doubt, let your client consult their doctor.
- Client’s skincare regimen. Inquire about your client’s skincare products and note all the ingredients. Most retinoids and acne treatments like Accutane can compromise waxing and result in skin lifting during a wax.
- Proper hair length. The optimal hair length is about ¼ inch. Effective waxing may be impossible if hair’s too long or too short.
- Educate the client about waxing. Address all the client’s worries and questions. Be genuine and realistic with your answers.
If your client isn’t fit for immediate waxing, be honest with them and postpone the treatment or discuss other options.
Now that you’ve qualified your client for waxing, a couple of steps from their end will facilitate a smooth procedure and prevent skin from being lifted during waxing.
Encourage the client to exfoliate gently, approximately 48 hours before the waxing day. This loosens the hair while ensuring the skin isn’t too fragile for waxing. Let your client stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and moisturizing the area.
Measures for Preventing Wax Skin Lifting
First, you’ll need to have high-quality salon wax and cleansers. A quality salon wax is usually free from dangerous additives and has powerful hair removal properties. Remember to get gentler products for clients with sensitive skin.
Secondly, cleanse the area adequately, removing any excess oil and dirt that may render the hair stubborn. Apply professional pre-depilatory powder to absorb all moisture and promote easy wax-to-hair adhesion.
The next step is setting the optimal wax temperature. Whether you’re using soft wax or hard wax, hot wax will most likely result in skin lifting. Adjust the temperature using a thermometer, a visual inspection of the wax's consistency, or by testing it on a small, non-sensitive skin area.
When applying or removing wax, ask the client to take a deep breath and stay calm. Apply and remove the wax parallel to the hair growth.
Tighten the skin area when pulling off the wax patch or strip.
Lastly, avoid double passes over the same skin area, especially with soft wax. Soft wax is very sticky and has the highest likelihood of causing skin lifting. If you have to do this, consider using hard wax as this can do multi-passes even on sensitive skin areas, without the wax causing skin lifting.
What if Skin Lifting Occurs Anyway?
The truth is, despite taking proper preventative measures, your client’s skin could still lift. Most probably, the client may have lied or forgot to mention a product or medication they’re using or was unaware of underlying medical conditions.
Luckily, there are several measures you can take to treat lifted skin during wax. First, when you realize you’ve burned your client, maintain your cool and prepare to do damage control professionally.
- Calmly inform your client about the burn without scaring them
- Cold compress the area, run cold water over it, or submerge it for about 20 minutes
- Apply post-depilatory gel or a soothing ointment to refresh and calm the affected area
- If there’s still stray hair in that area, consider tweezing or threading
Next, educate your client about wax skin lifting and the healing process and give them after-care tips to facilitate speedy healing. Advise them to:
- Use an antibiotic ointment or cream or 100% aloe vera multiple times a day
- Curb excessive sweating
- Avoid makeup and sun exposure on the affected area
- Try to put off intimacy or workouts for about 24 hours
- Maintain proper hygiene to ward off bacteria and other infections
Off to an Exceptional Waxing Experience
Skin lifting during a wax can be a great deal breaker for your waxing clients. As an esthetician, it's in your best interest to leverage the best techniques and products during waxing.
Choose Beauty Image USA for top-quality, professional wax and skin care products, and delight your clients with a safer, healthier, and more comfortable waxing experience.