5 Ways to Offer a Painless Waxing Experience for Clients

January 25, 2019

Clients dread the pain of waxing and want to know that their estheticians are going to do their best to offer them a painless waxing experience (or at least if not painless, with minimized discomfort). While waxing is bound to cause some pain, there are ways to soften it. As an esthetician, it is your duty to provide a safe waxing experience that's also pleasurable and painless – as much as possible.

Shaving doesn't hurt because it only removes the hair that pops out to the skin surface, and hair is dead. Waxing, on the other hand, removes hair from the follicle, which is in direct contact with nerve endings, so ripping hair from the root causes pain. There are several strategies that will minimize discomfort during waxing for your clients, especially if you apply them all at the same time. From the choice of hard or soft body waxes to playing some relaxing tunes in your wax room, here are 5 ways to offer a painless waxing experience.

1. Ask the Client to Prepare

Prepped skin can withstand the waxing procedure more easily and produces better results. However, this preparation won't work as something immediate; it's more about keeping a healthy skin care routine that includes exfoliating and moisturizing.

Advise clients to exfoliate at least once a week as this will avoid old cell buildup to reveal softer, healthier skin. Also, tell them to moisturize religiously, so that their skin remains healthy and bounces back more quickly from the normal side effects of waxing.

2. Use Only High-Quality Waxes

The quality of your waxes determines the success of the waxing procedure – and your client's comfort – in a great measure. For example, when it comes to hard waxes, low-quality ones go brittle and break as they dry and as you rip them off, which means that you will most likely have to re-apply and hair will break, resulting in more pain and discomfort and sloppy results. By the same token, bad waxes can cause allergic reactions in sensitive clients.

Choose waxes that have low melting points and light or no coloring. Clients with sensitive skin will thank you because they'll have less risk of any unwanted reaction. Normal skin types will also get extra-special care if you use sensitive skin products in all your procedures.

There are several ingredients with special emollient qualities that will pamper skin, minimizing pain and discomfort during the procedure. Try chocolate or strawberry-based waxes or sugaring paste for extra smooth skin care.

Here are some benefits of high-quality waxes, especially those for sensitive skin:

• Their low melting point means that they will have a very comfortable temperature. They will barely feel hot, which is great for very sensitive skins and people with low tolerance to heat (like the case of circulatory issues).


• They are highly malleable, so they are easy to apply and rip off without breakage of wax or hair. This is one of the most important features of wax to ensure flawless results.


• Sensitive skin waxes are only slightly perfumed or have no added fragrance. This reduces the risk of allergic reactions.

3. Perfect your Technique

There are rules of thumb to the waxing technique: firstly, keep the skin taut to avoid extreme pulling and tugging once you have to rip the wax off. Second, the right hair length (about ¼ inch, nothing above an inch) allows wax to adhere correctly to the hairs, not the skin. Third, the ripping motion should be firm and swift. Hesitation will cause extra pulling and therefore much more pain. Fourth, it's important to watch the surface of hair you remove at once. If the surface you apply wax at is too large, you'll be generating much more hair pulling at once, along with more pain. And finally, apply some pressure on the skin the moment you rip off the wax. Pressure will "soothe" the pain receptors since they are overactive from all the pulling.

Also, mind the area you're waxing. The intimate area and the face can cause more discomfort than other body parts, so be very careful and follow the recommendations we have in our related blog post, "3 Areas Most Sensitive to Pain and How to Wax them."

4. Create a Relaxing Atmosphere in your Wax Bar

One of your first goals is to make clients feel comfortable, safe and cared for from the moment they walk into your place. Clients probably come in worried enough that they will undergo a procedure that might be painful, and it might even be their very first time for some. Everything about your wax bar must tell clients that their needs will be attended perfectly; this will ease up some of their tension and might make the procedure more enjoyable. They will have less time to focus on the pain.

Here are the details you should keep in mind:

• Cleanliness
  All the spaces in your wax bar must look – and be – impeccable. From the reception desk to every treatment room and even the offices must be cleaned daily and sanitized regularly. Cleanliness makes clients feel relaxed and safe because they will know you're reliable; no risk of catching something in your treatment room! And they'll have one less worry that might make the waxing procedure more painful or uncomfortable. Needless to say, strict hygiene measures are also a must for all professional beauty practitioners to avoid infection and safeguard their clients' and estheticians' health.


• An approachable and knowledgeable staff
  Your estheticians must be always ready to deal with clients' doubts. Advise them to stay friendly and approachable, so that clients don't feel embarrassed or intimidated to ask anything. An open attitude will foster communication, and knowledgeable answers will create trust. Once you are in the hands of a professional who has everything under control, you're less tense and so less prone to pain.


• Pleasant surroundings
- Everything around your place has to invite to relaxation and well-being.

- Use good lighting but don't make it too bright; it might feel uncomfortable for clients. You can create a cozy atmosphere with candles.

- Use comfortable and simple furniture. An uncomfortable bed will tense up clients.

- Make sure the space is lightly scented since this reassures the feeling of cleanliness and relaxation.

- Play some background music. Instrumental works best and it will give clients something to focus on and get distracted from any discomfort in the waxing procedure.

5. Conduct a Client Survey

As much as you can, conduct a survey before your client's appointment; it'll allow you to choose the best products and procedures for each specific client. You can conduct the survey online to save time and effort. Make sure you include questions to have a general idea of the client's skin type, allergies, and medication they can take. The latter is important to recommend taking painkillers responsibly, which is important although most of them don't need any prescription.

Your clients will thank you and keep coming back to your wax bar for watching all these details. Show them you care about their well-being by minimizing their discomfort and offering a virtually painless waxing experience. You also show concern for them by choosing the best waxes! And you get them with us at Beauty Image USA. Learn more about our wide range of hair removal products by calling Beauty Image USA or filling out the contact form below. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news about hair removal and the best waxes!

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