Why You Shouldn’t DIY Wax at Home
DIY waxing at home, especially the bikini region is not the best idea. Although waxing at home seems convenient, there are many reasons why it makes total sense to leave waxing to the professionals. Let’s take a look.
Learning Curve
We’ve all learned a lot of skills through YouTube – it’s pretty awesome, for some things. While beauty vloggers have made waxing look easy, it’s not. It requires a lot of preparation and expertise. That’s why it’s best to seek the help of waxing professionals for your hair removal needs. They’ve been expertly trained and certified by accredited boards. If they make waxing appear easy, it’s because they’ve mastered it. Practice makes perfect, after all.
Technique
Even if you follow a YouTube tutorial to the tee, there is a big chance that you’ll still end up using the wrong technique. Instead of pulling the hairs from the follicles, you may end up breaking them – especially if you’re working on shorter hairs. Unfortunately, this could lead to the growth of pesky ingrown hairs. Also, an incorrect waxing technique can lead to rashes, infection, and burns (more about this below.)
If you’re waxing your eyebrow, you may remove more hair than intended. Eyebrow hairs are hard to grow, so you may need to draw your brows in for a few weeks. These are just some of the many valid reasons why you should get waxed by a professional. They know (and employ) the proper waxing technique and pre/post-wax treatments. As such, the abovementioned issues are less likely to happen under their watch.
Burns
A skin burn is one of the worst (and most painful) things that could happen when you wax at home. For one, you need to heat the wax to a specific temperature. As an amateur, you might end up overdoing it (or doing it the wrong way). And, if you don’t know the proper technique, you may end up applying excessive amounts of wax – essentially burning a larger swathe of skin! And even if you manage to treat this a burn at home, there’s another consequence you may face: skin darkening or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially in your underarms and bikini line areas. Not good.
Hygiene
Wax is sticky – that’s why it’s great at removing hair in the first place. Then again, it’s the very reason why at-home waxers can find themselves in a *literal* sticky mess. Again, this all boils down to the technique. If you don’t know the right way to wax, you’ll most likely end up with a lot of sticky, hard-to-remove residue. This is especially true for hard-to-see/reach areas like the bikini line or buttocks. The good news is you won’t have to worry about these sticky remnants when you go to the spa/salon. Professional waxers know how to treat your skin before and after waxing. That’s why you don’t feel sticky after your session. Salons, we, also use sterilized equipment/materials, which helps reduce your chances of getting a skin infection.
Pain Level
Waxing is uncomfortable and can be painful. But if you do it yourself, you can experience more pain. And yes, your amateur technique is to blame. Even if you know how to wax yourself well, the pain you anticipate or feel can distract you from doing so correctly. So if you want less discomfort, head to the waxing salon. Professionals know how to wax hair correctly (and less painfully).
They can also advise you when’s the best time to get waxed – some circumstances may worsen pain, too. For example, if you have your period or take medications that affect skin sensitivity, you may want to get waxed at a later time.
Wax Quality
Drugstore kits are easy to buy, but the quality of the wax is not as good as professional wax. It’s not as effective, so you must wax your hair multiple times. As a result, you may end up removing the top layer of your skin. This can lead to redness, irritation, and even infection. Poor wax quality is another reason why DIY waxing hurts so much. The good news is that waxing professionals ALWAYS use professional quality wax. Combined with the expertise, this will give you a great hair removal experience.
Results
This is especially true if you’re waxing hard-to-reach/see areas, such as the bikini line or buttocks!
So if you want to be hair-free and smooth as a baby’s bottom, make the appointment. You may pay more, but you’ll surely get your money’s worth.
Final Thoughts
Waxing at home seems easy and effective, but for the most part, it isn’t. You may end up irritating, infecting, and burning your skin. The good news is these events don’t have to happen at all. With the help of a professional waxer, you can get hair-free without the pain, sticky residues, and whatnot.
Recommended Aftercare Products
Waxing aftercare includes taking steps to help prevent ingrown hairs and irritation. We use Strip products at our salons. You can now get these products too!
Purchase your products online – before or after your visit – and get 10% OFF – Use code WAXLASH10 at checkout!
Strip’s Smooth Operator treats and prevents razor burns and bumps resulting from waxing, tweezing, shaving, laser hair removal, and electrolysis. Used after shaving or waxing, Smooth Operator helps to nourish and smooth your skin. A convenient roll-on application ensures even coverage for optimal results.