Are you in beauty school? Then you are surely looking for the best tips and hacks to perfect your waxing skills. If you forgot making some important waxing questions in class, read through our questionnaire, and you're likely to find the answer you're looking for. From technical issues to waxing products, let's start the Q&A round.
1. How do I prepare skin before waxing?
This waxing question is really easy. It is actually a one-step process. You only have to use a pre-depilatory product to cleanse and protect at the same time. Pre-depilatory products usually have antiseptic and soothing ingredients to do remove sweat and any residue from the skin. They can come in different textures such as gel, oil or lotion.
Hack: If you don't have a pre-depilatory product available, you can apply a few drops of baby oil to remove residue and clean the area, then lightly dust some baby powder to absorb any excess moisture and allow the wax to adhere better.
2. How do you know your wax is the right temperature?
Normally, professional wax heaters have a thermostat that melts and maintains the wax evenly heated and they're preset at the right temperature. You'll leave the wax to melt for 15 to 20 minutes. Once melted, depilatory waxes can range between 86-104 °F.
Hack: The consistency of the wax should be soft but not runny. Hard wax should roll up in a 'lollipop' around the spatula when it's ready, and not drip for at least two seconds when holding the stick firmly. Last but not least, put some wax to the back of your wrist and double check that it's not too hot before you apply it.
3. Can I mix waxes?
We know that you usually have leftovers of different types of wax, like soft and hard or different fragrances of the same type of wax. however, as much as you may wish to save and avoid wasting, it's not advisable to mix waxes of different brands or types. The mixture can alter the original properties of the wax and make it perform badly (crack, come uneven, lose malleability, among other problems). Also, it can turn out to irritate skin.
4. Do waxes have an expiry date
There is no "standard" expiration time for wax products. However, wax can change its properties after opened, especially if not stored correctly. Expired wax won't work well; it can go brittle and break or never actually reach the optimal point where it's not too dry and not too moist.
Hack: if you notice any change in the consistency, color, or fragrance of the wax, toss it. Some manufacturers include the shelf life of the product. Look out for a small jar with an open lid and a number on the instruction sticker on the wax. The number is how many months the wax is at optimal condition after being opened.
5. What's in the wax?
Waxes are made of rosins, a type of resin derived from pine trees and other coniferous trees. This ingredient has the perfect consistency for adherence and malleability. Other ingredients such as titanium dioxide, colorings, and fragrances are included to enhance the performance and appearance of the wax.
6. Why is hair not coming off?
This is one of the most worrying waxing questions. There are several reasons why hair might not come off when waxing.
- The quality of the wax. Bad waxes break and go brittle, so they don't adhere well to the skin.
- Leaving the wax on for too long. If the wax goes cold, it loses malleability and goes dry and brittle, snapping hair instead of removing it.
- Improper skin prepping. If there's oil, sweat or any other residue, the ability of the wax to adhere to the skin will be hampered.
- Skin that hasn't been exfoliated for too long. Old cells will clog the pores and won't allow new hairs to poke through and come out to be removed.
- Not applying enough pressure on the wax strip as you lay it down on the wax (with soft wax), and not applying pressure with the spatula when you use hard wax.
- Applying or removing the wax in the wrong direction. Always apply the wax in the direction of hair growth and remove it against it.
- Waxing on very short hairs.
Look at all these factors to find out whether you're working against your wax.
7. The wax breaks off in pieces when I try to remove it, why is this happening?
There are several possible reasons.
- As mentioned in the previous question, the first possibility is wax quality. Bad quality waxes or wax that has gone too cold can break off and crack, which won't allow them to remove the hair.
- Too much alcohol content in the wax will make it prone to breaking.
- Laying your wax strip too thin (it can break) or too thick (it might smother hairs instead of adhering them).
- Letting wax dry too much.
- The temperature of the room will affect the speed at which the wax gets cool/dry.
8. What do I do if I accidentally get the wax in a place where I do not want to remove hair?
First, don't panic. Depending on the amount of extra wax you put and the type of wax you're using, you can work around it.
For instance, if you are waxing an eyebrow and your wax spilled over the edge and is now covering the brow, you can still put the paper strip cleanly on the edge of the brow. The paper doesn't come on top of the brow, so it won't mess with those hairs. This is obviously when working with soft wax.
If you're working with hard wax, you won't be able to pull the strip in different layers. In this case, you'll have to use a cleansing oil and remove all the wax, then reapply to make sure you don't rip any hairs you shouldn't.
9. What do I do if wax gets on my furniture, clothing or carpet?
Use a special cleaning product for depilatory wax. These products do not contain harsh solvents or other harmful ingredients, and they have a slightly oily texture that glides and removes hardened wax drips and stains without damaging any surface. We love Fast-Net Cleanser.
So, there's 9 common waxing questions explained. You probably have many other good questions about waxing, so feel free to check us on social media and ask us. Beauty Image doesn't only have the best professional waxing products and accessories, but also the most useful tips to get better and better at waxing. Call us at TOLL FREE 888-513-8815 or fill out the contact form below. We will be happy to help you! Subscribe to our newsletter to hear about us right in your inbox.
If you found this article helpful then let us know in the comments section below. Likewise, feel free to share it using the share options below. Want us to cover another topic of your interest pertaining to hair removal products? If so, then like us and follow us on social media, and post to any of our social media profiles the topic you'd like us to discuss: Facebook @BeautyImageUSA, Twitter @BeautyImageUSA and Instagram @beautyimageusa