Many women want silky smooth skin, but are cautious of the discomfort that waxing could bring. Waxing doesn’t have to be painful, however, because there are a few steps you can take to help alleviate the pain. If you’re thinking about waxing to remove unwanted hairs, then you should take the time to prepare your skin for getting waxed.

Check Out Your Skin

Look over the area that you want to get waxed. Check to see if there’s any irritation, such as a sunburn, rash or breakouts. Skin with these irritants should not be waxed, so you should wait until the skin is clear to get waxed. Also, you need to be careful if you have any moles, skin tags or lesions on your skin. These could be pulled off during the waxing process. Prevent this by covering them with a band-aid and be sure to point them out to your aesthetician.

Check Out the Length of the Hair

Examine the hair you want removed. If the hair is too short, the wax will have difficulty grabbing on to it and pulling it out. If the hair is too long, the hair will break off above the root. The aesthetician may ask you to trim your hair if it is too long. You will want to grow out your hair for at least two weeks prior to your appointment. The ideal hair length for getting waxed is 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

Clean and Exfoliate

You’ll want to make sure that your skin is clean before waxing. Cleanse it using a gentle soap and warm water. If you take a warm bath right before your appointment, it may help open up your hair follicles, making removing the hair easier. Avoid cleansing with hot water, because this could irritate your skin.

Next, exfoliate the skin. You can do this with a loofah, your favorite body scrub, or a washcloth in circular motions. Exfoliating will help remove dead skin cells that may be clogging up hair follicles. This softens the hair follicle, which will make waxing easier, and helps prevent ingrown hairs.

Take an Anti-Inflammatory

It’s no secret that waxing can be uncomfortable. To ease any discomfort, try taking an anti-inflammatory 30 minutes before your appointment. Not only does it help with the pain from getting waxed, but it helps keep the skin from swelling. There are some topical pain relievers or numbing creams that you could try too.

It’s important to prepare your skin for getting waxed prior to your appointment. This will help with the ease and comfort of your waxing experience. If you want to get a part of your body waxed, contact The Spa at Richard Francis. We use Nufree-Nudess® anti-microbial, wax free, soy based hair removal system that is very gentle, yet effective. Schedule your next appointment today!