Double Dipping

Spring break is just around the corner and before we know it, summer will be here, too.  At the moment, laser is the most popular form of hair removal in this country.  However, a lot of people are still choosing waxing as their preferred treatment for hair removal.  It is very important to find a clean place for your waxing procedure.  How to know if you are at the right place:

When you walk into your technician’s’ room and you see spatulas resting on the wax pot, you are in the wrong place… so run away!  This is because your technician practices double dipping. 

What is double dipping and why is it not allowed? 

• Double Dipping an applicator in the wax is not allowed by the state law. 
• This practice has been banned by the State Boards in all 50 states in order to maintain the highest level of sanitation. 
• To kill bacteria that could be present in a wax pot (i.e. Hepatitis C and Herpes) would require the use of hospital-grade anti-bacterial and anti-microbial ingredients.  The temperature at which germs are destroyed is 220 degrees F and kept at that boiling temperature for about five minutes.  Heating the wax to that temperature would make waxing impossible not to mention the effect high temperatures would have on the chemistry of the wax.
• The temperature at which we heat the wax for use is just above body temperature and is not hot enough to kill germs, but rather give the bacteria an environment to multiply.
• The only way to NOT cross-contaminate the wax is to dispose of the applicator after each application.  Once an applicator has touched the client’s skin, it may not be immersed into the wax again.  It must be thrown away. 
• The Hepatitis C and Herpes viruses can survive up to 45 days in the warm environment of the wax.  Unless applicator disposal method is used, the possibility of picking up dead skin cells and transferring them back into the wax is very great.

What else is important during the waxing procedure?

• Your technician should pre-cleanse the skin before applying wax.  This kills the bacteria on your skin which is important because when hair is removed, the pores are wide open and the bacteria can have an easy access into your body. 
• After the waxing procedure, the technician should apply hydrating and cooling lotions or oils to your body.  Oils are better, especially organic ones, because they do not have preservatives and chemicals and once again, the pores are open so those ingredients (preservatives and chemicals) have an easy way into your blood stream and can lead to pre-cancerous conditions. 
• According to OSHA, the department of health regulation, whenever there is a risk of blood contamination, disposable gloves should be used.  During waxing, that possibility always exists, so insist that your technician wears gloves. If you are allergic to latex, you must inform the technician of your allergy because once again, pores are wide open, and reaction to latex will be instant. 
• If the technician waxes facial areas, he or she should wear a facial mask like dentists do.  A human mouth is full of bacteria.  Some doctors claim that our mouths have more bacteria than our pets’ mouths.  Close face-to-face contact with a technician could lead to diseases spread through saliva, not to mention, the possibility and unpleasantness in dealing with bad breath (on both sides). 
• If your skin is very sensitive, you should ask for hard wax or new on the market, Film Rosin wax.  This wax is very tough on hair and very gentle on the skin. 
• If you are on strong acne medication or take Retinol for skin exfoliation, mention this to your technician before treatment starts because you may not be a good candidate for wax and he or she will have to do the patch test before deciding the best treatment for you.  It is important to know that waxing exfoliates the skin so wax, Retinol or other acne medications can remove epidermis and lead to skin scabbing or even scars. 

Just like it is important to carefully choose your places of vacationing considering what’s going on with our climate and political situations in different parts of the world, it is just as important to choose your beauty parlor or salon with caution. 

Pre-waxing

Waxing is not a pleasant experience; however it is tolerable and can be made safer and more agreeable if rules and guidelines are followed. The more often you wax, the less painful the treatment will be. Schedule your treatments every three to five weeks. If you only wax every 3+ months, your hair will be ‘virgin’ and cause more discomfort during treatment

-No caffeine one hour before treatment

-No sugar enhanced foods one hour before treatment

-No alcohol 24 hours prior to treatment

-No tanning or tanning beds for 48 hours prior to treatment

-No excessive exfoliation of area to be waxed for 48 hours prior to treatment

- No waxing 3 days prior to and 2 days after your menstrual cycle

-Pain relief medication, of your choice, can be taken one hour before treatment. Avoid aspirin due of bruising of the skin. Ibuprofen works best for most clients

-Topical anesthetic can be applied at home 24 minutes before treatment

-No Lotion on the areas to be waxed at least 4 hours prior to treatment

-If you have experienced extreme redness after treatment you pH may be out of balance. If this happens, take anti-acids pills one hour before treatment.

Pain killers work on the top layer of the skin and hair grows in deeper layers. The anesthetic will only alleviate pain, not completely anesthetize the area.

Certain Medication, stimulants especially, can cause extreme skin sensitivity and extra discomfort during treatment. Talk to your technician so that appropriate wax and very gentle techniques can be used.

Post-waxing

When waxing hair, the pores are open. This can result in infection if the area is not cared for properly. To avoid infection, which can be severe, you MUST adhere to the following guidelines for at least 24-48 hours after treatment.

-Wear clean, loose clothes. Tight clothes can irritate the skin and cause infections

-Do NOT TOUCH the waxed areas

-Do not soak in water (tub, pools, hot tubs, etc.) Chlorine should be avoided due to the harm it can cause

-Do not tan or use tanning beds as it may cause discoloration

-Try to avoid activities that may cause excessive perspiration, causing skin rashes

-no sex for 48hours after a Brazilian bikini wax

-DO use creams and lotions. These minimize redness, irritations, or possible pustule infections. Products that contain azulene, tea tree oil, lavender, or lemon essential oils, camphor and menthol are ideal

-Ingrown hair treatment products-these items contain effective ingredients to soften the skin, clear the follicle and allow the hair, when it is ready to grown again, to pierce through the skin. Check content of these products because a high percentage can cause chafing and drying of the skin, which can become very irritated- especially at the panty line

-Hair retardant-these are ideal for dealing with excess hormonal hair growth or for use during the summer when the sun exposure is excessive. Hair retardants are ideal to slow down the growth process, creating finer, sparser, new hair.

-Body wash, lotions and exfoliates-these are ideal to rid the follicle of dry skin, dirt and debris and to maintain the skin’s suppleness

Without the protective layer the skin is more susceptible to ultraviolet rays, so the use of a sun block is highly recommended. If you experience extreme redness after treatment your PH is a measure of the acidity and may be out of balance. If this happens, take anti-acid pills one hour before treatment.