The combination of hot wax and sensitive skin seems like a recipe for disaster. Yet, people continue to head to the local spa for regular waxing treatments to remove patches of hair that they perceive as unsightly on everything from the eyebrow to the back to the bikini area.
“Waxing from spa to spa is pretty general; you’re really not going to get much difference between services offered,” said Shawna McCall, spa director and licensed aesthetician at ACAC Fitness and Wellness Centers. “Where the differences come in is the type of wax used. There is a difference between hard wax and soft wax, and the types of [strips] used.”
McCall said waxing services generally include work on the face, chest, back, bikini area, legs and underarms.
“The only area you do not want to wax is men’s facial hair,” McCall noted. “This is because the area is not conducive to waxing, and can actually do a lot of damage.”
On the whole, though, “waxing is usually safe, although you might run into occasions of inexperienced technicians,” said an ACAC aesthetician who spoke to The Cavalier Daily anonymously. “And the wax may be too hot, or the customer may have an allergic reaction.”
Not all waxing services are created equally, however; the increasingly popular trend of bikini waxing brings along a more complicated set of risks and concerns. One way to ensure better quality service is to check that an aesthetician has a license.
“Bikini waxing is a little trickier than other waxing services, because you want to make sure that the technician is licensed and trained,” McCall said. “You are more likely to bleed and get an infection in the bikini area.”
McCall noted that Virginia does not require a technician to display his or her license in the room, but said most spas keep licenses behind the reception desk or readily available.
Dr. Gwendolyn Kelly of Charlottesville Gynecology Specialists noted there are long-term risks associated with going to facilities that do not practice “safe waxing,” including regular burning and problems with hair follicles.
Ingrown hair follicles can lead to more serious issues, such as folliculitis, or an infection of the hair follicles. According to WebMD.com, mild folliculitis can usually heal on its own after two weeks; an antibiotic or antifungal cream may be prescribed if the infection does not heal on its own.
Despite the potential risks, bikini waxing remains a popular trend. Some say that bikini waxing makes one feel more comfortable.
“It’s a personal preference as to how you feel about it,” the anonymous aesthetician said, “if you care about being cleaned up on a day-to-day basis, or if only looking good at the beach is important to you.”
According to Helen Bickmore’s “Milady’s Hair Removal Techniques,” bikini waxing includes the removal of hair from the top of the legs, below the navel and the bikini area, often referred to as the bikini line.
“The only option that we offer is the standard bikini, although other places seem to offer both the Brazilian and the standard bikini,” the anonymous aesthetician said. “The bikini waxing process is the same as it is for anything else, like eyebrow waxing. The wax is applied to the skin, ripped off and cooling gel is usually applied.”
Generally, baby or talcum powder is also applied to the area before the wax in order to prevent hot wax from adhering to sensitive skin. Once the wax is applied to the hair to be removed, the wax hardens briefly before the aesthetician pulls off the wax strip in the opposite direction of hair growth.
The level of pain also varies from person to person, but many products exist in order to decrease the pain, such as topical anesthetics. The regularity of waxing treatment depends on personal hair growth, “but typically we see customers come in every three to six weeks,” the anonymous aesthetician said.
Women are not the only ones taking advantage of waxing services; McCall noted that “men usually come in for chest and back, and that’s very seasonal between March and August.”
So if you are considering heading to a beach for Fall Break or considering waxing services in general, remember that waxing is no new phenomenon, but it is important to go to a licensed professional to ensure a safe and infection-free experience.
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