BEFORE YOU WAX

The benefits of waxing are plentiful - smoother results that last weeks longer than shaving, less irritation, fewer ingrown hairs, NO ITCHY GROW BACK, less hair growth after each service cycle, and softer, lighter hair. In order to get the most from your service, please attend to the following details before booking your appointment:

  • STOP SHAVING for at least two weeks before your service. 3-4 weeks is even better, but two weeks is the minimum amount of growth your hair needs in order to be long enough. It needs to be ¼”-⅓” to be long enough for waxing.

  • DO NOT TRIM YOUR HAIR WITH AN ELECTRIC RAZOR. Or if you do so, please use a guard that leaves you with at least 1/2" of hair. We are more than happy to trim your hair with scissors. More often than not, trimmers cut the hair too short and we end up not being able to remove it.

  • EXFOLIATE with a rough washcloth or exfoliating cloth beginning several days before your service. Use a circular motion to remove any debris that might be blocking your follicles.

  • START MOISTURIZING as soon as you make your appointment. We recommend coconut oil (yes, the kind you cook with!), but you can use any lotion that works for your skin. Yes, this often means putting lotion on your genitals. Just remember that it prevents breakouts, but does not cause them the way putting oil on irritation-prone areas can. We never see acne on genitals, but we do see hair getting trapped beneath the skin because the follicles were too dry for the hair to grow out. (This is literally what causes most ingrown hairs.)

  • DRINK PLENTY OF WATER for 48-hours before and after your service. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for your skin to be well-hydrated. Wax can stick to dry skin more firmly than it does to well-moisturized skin and that makes pulling the hair out more painful.

  • TAKE IBUPROFEN (or the NSAID of your choice) an hour before your wax. This is less to help with the pain (sadly, it can only do so much), but it reduces inflammation and significantly accelerates your recovery time. If you’ve been waxed before and you’re in the tiny group of people whose follicles react by swelling (sorry redheads!), feel free to take a Benadryl before your appointment.

  • SHOWER on the day of your service. It doesn’t have to be right before your treatment. This isn’t because we care how you smell. This is because bacteria on the skin can cause you to break out with folliculitis after your wax and we want your experience to be as painless as possible.

  • NO PERFUMES PLEASE. This IS because we care how you smell. We promise your waxer will be far more offended by your perfume than by your natural body odor. It is okay to wear deodorant (even if you’re getting an underarm wax - it actually helps with discomfort). We also prefer if you don’t smoke tobacco right before your service. That cigarette will taste better after your wax anyway.

  • ALCOHOL isn’t necessarily recommended before a wax. This is less about how it might affect your experience and more about how it affects your waxer’s experience. Alcohol doesn’t always reduce your pain, but it can definitely exaggerate your emotional response to it.

  • DO NOT WAX under any of the following circumstances:

    • You’re being treated with chemotherapy

    • You’ve used glycolic acid or hydroxy acid in the last 48 hours

    • You’re currently using prescription lotions or syrums

    • You've got a sunburn

    • You’re currently having an STI outbreak

    • You're doing it for anyone other than your own badass self

 

AFTER YOU WAX

APPLY COCONUT OIL. We will provide coconut oil to put on at the end of your service. It immediately calms the skin and begins the healing process. Continuing to moisturize daily with coconut oil (or the moisturizer of your choice) is essential to wax maintenance. 

AVOID BACTERIA FOR 24 HOURS. This means no sex, no hot tubs, no excessively hot water, no tanning, no sun, no exercise, etc. We have just opened up all of your follicles and they are prone to infection for up to 24 hours after your wax. Treat your waxed skin like you would a tattoo - like mini wounds you wouldn't want to get dirty. 

APPLY FINIPIL AFTER SHOWERING for the first few days after your wax. We will provide you with a sample packet of this antiseptic lotion to take home and apply to the waxed area. Avoid getting Finipil in or around any mucus membranes because it contains alcohol and can be potentially stingy. Most people find this product delightful, like minty-fresh Listerine, only for your skin. We also sell full size bottles if you prefer to use it every day. 

EXFOLIATE with a rough washcloth or exfoliating cloth beginning several days after your service. Use a circular motion to remove any debris that might be blocking your follicles. DON'T FORGET TO KEEP EXFOLIATING EVEN AFTER YOUR HAIR BEGINS TO GROW BACK. Most clients are great about it while their skin is fresh and smooth and then get forgetful about it once the hair returns, which is the most critical part of the maintenance process. If the follicles are blocked, the hair can't escape and grows beneath the surface of the skin, causing ingrown hairs.

MOISTURIZE. Again, we recommend coconut oil (yes, the kind you cook with!), but you can use any lotion that works for your skin. Yes, this often means putting lotion on your genitals. Just remember that it prevents breakouts, but does not cause them the way putting oil on irritation-prone areas can. We never see acne on genitals, but we do see hair getting trapped beneath the skin because the follicles were too dry for the hair to grow out. (This is literally what causes most ingrown hairs.)

REPEAT your service every 4-6 weeks!