Summer is finally here and the preparation for days on the beach are starting. Summer is the time for a lot of people to start their waxing journeys. But when is the best time to get waxed?
When your clients are preparing for the sunny season or getting ready for a holiday, they want to know how long their skin will remain hair-free. From the hair growth cycle to when is the best time to get waxed, we discuss it all. Share with your clients so they know exactly who to go to to get summer ready!
The Hair Growth Cycle
Each hair grows from a narrow, tube-like depression in the skin called a hair follicle; the base of the hair follicle surrounds the dermal papilla. This area has an abundant supply of blood vessels which brings nourishment to the hair. Each papilla is surrounded by hair germ cells. These develop into a bulb and grow up the follicle to form a hair. Hairs are soft at the base but gradually harden and die as they approach the surface.
There are three different stages to hair growth:
Anagen - is the active growing stage which may last from a few weeks to several yrs. Hair germ cells reproduce at the matrix and pass upwards to form the hair bulb. They split and change to form different layers. The anagen stage ends when the hair becomes detached from the dermal papilla and therefore not able to receive nourishment.
Catagen- is a transition stage from active to resting. The hair stops growing, the follicle begins to shrink or a new hair begins at the base of the follicle as the old hair slowly moves up the follicle
Telogen- is the resting stage. It does not last. The blood supply has ceased, the hair bulb is closed and the hair prepares to be shed. Meanwhile, a new replacement hair has started to grow at the base of the follicle.
Types of Hair
Hair is found all over the body except on the lips, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
There are 3 different types of hair:
- Lanugo Hair: Found on the unborn fetus or newborn baby. The body is covered in soft downy hair which disappears before or just after birth.
- Vellus Hair : Soft fine hair, covering most of the body e.g. arms, legs
- Terminal Hair: Strong deep rooted hair, divided into 2 categories:
- Asexual - hair that we are born with
- Sexual – hair we get from puberty
When is the Best Time to Get Waxed?
Anagen is the best stage of hair growth for waxing. This is the earliest stage of development, and therefore gives you the most before hair grows back, leaving you with long-lasting results. With a frequent waxing pattern, the structures responsible for hair growth around the follicle will weaken so skin can remain hair-free for longer.
The telogen stage is the worst time for waxing. This is the resting stage of the hair growth cycle, but new anagen hairs can already be developing. Waxing with strip wax will not remove these anagen hairs, so your wax won't last as long.
The best way to get results from your wax is to establish a routine. Booking in an appointment for every 3-4 weeks during your first few waxes, and then every 4-6 weeks will give you the best results.
Top Tips For Getting the Most From Your Wax
Exfoliate:
We recommend exfoliating either the day before or a couple of days before rather than on the day of your appointment. Exfoliating will slough off old, dead skin cells as well as loosen trapped hairs. This makes hair removal easier so that the wax sticks only to the hair and not to any dead skin cells. This also helps to prevent ingrown hairs. Hairs often get trapped in dry skin, become infected and form a spot. Exfoliating makes the job easier for the therapist, and less painful for the client!
The best products to use to exfoliate are our Stretch Wash Cloth, which is perfect for exfoliating your back and hard to reach places, and our Bikini Buffer for the face or bikini area. Both of these products offer an effective exfoliation and are machine washable. They also come with a label which fades away to show you when it’s time to replace!
- After waxing avoid wearing close fitting clothes which can cause friction.
- Avoid sun exposure, saunas and heat treatments for a few days before and after waxing to ensure there is no excess heat in the skin. (don't go on the beach the day after)
- Moisturise
For the best results, moisturise the day before your wax instead of the day of your appointment. You can also moisturise after to help soothe skin and prevent ingrown hairs. Replenishing Body Lotion will moisturise and also helps slow down hair regrowth making it look less visible.
- Grow hair to 1/4" before waxing
- Apply a specialised after waxing face product for a few days after facial waxing to soothe, reduce redness and help prevent the little white spots some people get on their top lip or eyebrows after waxing. Our Protective face cream is the first after wax cream in the UK that contains sun protection (SPF15) to give extra protection from UV after the face has been waxed
Note to Professionals:
Now is the time to start using our Organic Botanical Powder, as clients are perspiring more. Our waxes perform best on dry skin, so this will help you achieve more effective results. This is also a good time to provide Intimate Wipes before intimate waxing appointments, to help make the client feel more comfortable. You can prepare your wax with a universal warmer roller.
