The Do’s and Don’ts of Post Wax Care

Waxing is great! The long lasting smoothness of your skin (plus all the other benefits I talked about in 7 Reasons to Try Waxing instead of Shaving) make waxing a great choice for hair removal. But, is it working out the way you wanted it to? You’re supposed to not have as many ingrowns, so why are they still showing up? Waxing is supposed to leave your skin smooth and exfoliated, so why is it all red and irritated? Good post-wax care is a MUST for proper results. In this post I will go over the necessary do’s and don’ts for post wax care to ensure you’re getting the best results every time.

Do Wear Loose Clothing

Still getting those pesky ingrowns? Well, your skin needs to breathe too! Eventually that hair is going to grow back, and by wearing tight clothing, it’s restricting where that hair will grow. If it doesn't have adequate space to poke through the follicle it’s going to grow right back inside the skin!

Do Exfoliate After 24-48hrs

Exfoliating (after 24-48hrs) will help keep the dead skin cells from reforming over the follicle and keep the path clear for the hair to pop back out. Continue exfoliating until those hairs are all poked out for best results. Don’t know what to exfoliate with? BushBalm has an amazing body scrub that I use in my post wax care routine.

Do Keep Clean

Your skin is highly susceptible to bacteria and infections post wax. By pulling the hair completely out of the follicle, you have now opened up a pathway straight into your system. It’s recommended to change clothes, bedsheets, and even pillowcases after a wax to help limit the amount of bacteria introduced into your skin.

Do Apply Post-Depilatory Creme

While changing clothes and bed sheets is necessary to keep your post wax skin clean, you can also use a post-depilatory creme to help keep bacteria out. If waxing is going to become a part of your hair removal routine, it’s best to keep a little on hand for the first couple days following a wax, when the follicles are most susceptible. I, personally, like the antibacterial creme, Finipil to use for the first few days post wax.

Do Keep a Schedule

Although the hair only needs to be, at minimum, the length of a grain of rice in order to be waxed, it’s not great to go much past that. The longer the hair is, the higher chance for tugging. A wax already is uncomfortable enough, we don’t need tugging too! Staying on a consistent schedule, roughly every 3-5 weeks will keep your wax the optimal length for a smooth service.

Don’t Touch/Pick

This one cannot be stated enough. I know it feels smooth, but the skin is so susceptible to infections, it’s best to just leave it alone. If you do end up getting an ingrown, even after all the Do’s of post wax, please, please, please do not pick at it. It will just open up the follicle to infection again.

Don’t Workout

You should wait at least 24 hours before resuming any workout routine. Open follicles and sweat really do not mix well. Aside from that, all the rubbing on the newly waxed skin will probably just cause more irritation overall. It’s best to wait until your skin has healed from a wax before working out again.

Don’t Overheat

Saunas, hot baths, and sunbathing are all amazing! But not after a wax! Irritation and heat just do not go well together. Just be sure to wait until your skin has healed from the service before planning on spending a day in the sun.

Don’t Swim

Whether it’s a pool or a lake, you really do not want to expose your freshly opened follicles to any unnecessary chemicals or bacteria. Once again, it’s best to wait about 48hours so those follicles can close back up and protect your body from outside forces.

Don’t Exfoliate Immediately

While exfoliating is good and necessary for good post wax care, exfoliating too soon is not so good. Your skin has already been exfoliated during the waxing process. Waxing not only removes the hair, but also the top layer of dead skin cells in the process. Exfoliating within the first 48hours after a wax will only irritated already super sensitive skin. After 48hours are up, go for it!

Waxing is really a great service, but we can’t do it all. Any service requires post care to ensure you get the best results overall. So keep yourself on schedule, and book your next wax with Jefferson City’s own, Respiro Spa.