Waxing: how to prepare, and how to avoid ingrown hairs
Hair length, timing, what to avoid beforehand, and the simple routine afterwards that keeps skin smooth and bump-free between appointments.
Good waxing is half technique and half preparation. The studio uses Outback Organics hot wax for intimate and underarm areas, which grips hair rather than skin, and finishes with a rosemary, tea tree or jasmine lotion to calm things down. Your part is the few days either side.
Before your appointment
- Hair length: about 5 mm, which is roughly two weeks of growth after shaving. Too short and the wax cannot grip; much longer and it is more uncomfortable. Do not trim it yourself; that can be done in the studio if needed.
- Exfoliate gently two days before, not the day of.
- Skip the sunbed, fake tan and retinol on the area for a week beforehand. Freshly tanned or retinol-treated skin lifts with the wax.
- Pain: waxing a few days after your period, rather than just before, is noticeably more comfortable. A paracetamol half an hour before is fine if you are nervous.
- Wear loose clothing to the appointment.
Afterwards: the first 48 hours
Freshly waxed follicles are open, so for two days:
- No hot baths, saunas, steam, sunbeds or swimming
- No tight clothing or gym sessions that cause friction and sweat on the area
- No perfumed products, deodorant on waxed underarms, or fake tan
Redness and small bumps on the day are normal and settle within hours.
Preventing ingrown hairs
An ingrown hair is one that curls back into the skin as it regrows. The routine that prevents them is simple and starts on day three:
- Exfoliate two or three times a week with a gentle scrub, a washcloth or an exfoliating glove. This keeps dead skin from trapping the new hair.
- Moisturise daily. Soft skin lets hair through; dry skin does not.
- Do not shave between appointments. Shaving creates blunt-ended hairs that are the most likely to ingrow, and it resets the growth cycle so your next wax hurts more.
- If a hair does ingrow, do not dig at it. Warm compress, exfoliate, moisturise, and it will usually surface on its own. Leave anything red and sore to a pharmacist.
How often
Every four to five weeks for most areas. Regular waxing weakens the follicle over time, so hair grows back finer and sparser, and appointments get quicker and easier. Packages that combine areas work out cheaper if you wax more than one.
A note on hot wax versus strip wax
Hot wax is applied warm, sets on the skin, and is removed without a strip. It wraps around each hair and pulls from the root with less pull on the skin, which is why it is the choice for sensitive and intimate areas. Strip wax is quicker over large areas such as legs. The studio uses whichever suits the area, so you do not need to choose.
