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Why Do You Wear Gloves When Waxing?
October 06, 2020
A wax session is not complete without the right accessories. Several tools simplify the esthetician's work while ensuring a safer treatment for the client, and when we think of accessories that can't be absent from a wax session, gloves are usually standing at the top of the list. Disposable gloves are necessary for countless esthetic procedures to stop the spread of germs and bacteria while coming in close contact with sensitive parts of the body. Whether you're working with hard body waxes or strip waxes, gloves are a sanitary requirement that's essential while performing a wax treatment. Let's see exactly how wearing gloves when waxing can help you upkeep the hygiene standards of your esthetic center.The Importance of Gloves in Waxing
For professional estheticians, gloves are a sign of good practice. Germs, viruses, and bacteria are a risk shared by all the participants of a wax session, so estheticians know gloves are their best asset after washing their hands thoroughly between one client and the next. They work as tools to effectively keep these elements from spreading all over different waxing appliances and, more importantly, on the client's open pores during the wax treatment. Not wearing gloves during a wax treatment is an instant red flag that will drive away clients and erase all chances of a repeat visit, even when your salon is in pristine conditions and you own top-of-the-line equipment. No client wants to spend their time worrying about what the esthetician has been touching before the appointment.
For the Esthetician: First of all, gloves are the only barrier separating your hands from the skin right before stripping it of its first layer of protection. This is important for the client, but it also protects the esthetician, since wax treatments also expose estheticians to the bacteria coming from dead cells and dirt particles that are removed from the skin. It's a given that gloves are essential before conducting a Brazilian wax to avoid both diseases and awkward situations, but these are problems that should be equally avoided in other types of treatments. Direct contact with blood spots left after ripping or other body fluids stuck to the skin before the start of the session will result in a host of health problems that will ultimately affect your business and reputation.
Even if the skin is fully clean from the get-go, gloves are a sign of professionalism and commitment to your work. For some estheticians, certain glove materials are unpleasant to the touch and harder to work with, but by using them, they put their clients' need first, and this will reflect favorably on the client's perception concerning your professional experience and capabilities.
For the Client: As mentioned above, clients are especially vulnerable to germs and bacteria during a wax session. Even the smallest contact with germs (from the esthetician's hands, used wax strips, or unclean spatulas) is enough to aggravate the post-wax irritation, causing severe swelling and spreading a nasty infection beyond the waxed area. STD's are also a concern that's very present in the client's mind. A gloves-free procedure makes it nearly impossible to avoid direct contact between the client's skin and the esthetician's nails which, despite your best hygienic efforts, are collecting thousands of germs and bacteria at any given time.
Tips for a Safe Wax Treatment
As the esthetician, you set the rules, so the outcome of an appointment is in your hands. On top of establishing a regular cleaning schedule to keep dirt and clutter out of your workspace, there are specific habits you must have in your daily routine to ensure the well-being of all your clients. Here's what you need to do:- Hand washing and gloves are both steps toward a single goal: Don't evade one just because you've done the other. There are never "too many" ways to prevent an infectious illness.
- Be careful while purchasing the gloves you'll use on your clients: Thanks to their elasticity, latex gloves are the most popular choice, but for some clients they are also a common cause of allergies. Vinyl and nitrile gloves can repel many chemicals along with germs and bacteria, but it might take longer to adapt them to your waxing technique. In terms of workability and safety, a tight fit is the recommended choice over baggy gloves.
- Beware of double-dipping: Although there are many opposing claims on the subject, waxing pots are not heated at a high enough temperature to kill all the germs and bacteria within, so the right practice for you is eliminating the remainder of the wax and using fresh waxes for each new treatment. Instead of seeing this practice as product waste, think of it as an important step in upholding the sanitary conditions of your establishment. Sanitize the pots before a session and dispose each spatula after the first use, even if you have to charge a little extra to cover for the investment needed to have enough spatulas in stock at all times.
- Talk to your Client: Clients are more receptive when you are clear with them about the risks and what they can do to avoid them. They will properly clean and exfoliate their skin in advance, saving you some efforts during the pre-wax treatment. With your guidance, clients will also know to keep their hands off the waxing accessories, and your discipline in setting these preemptive measures will reassure them of your commitment.
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