Waxing Precautions & Warnings

What You Should Know Before Getting Waxed

Waxing precautions and warnings left unchecked could leave your skin extremely red, burned or scabby. If you’re ever unsure about waxing for any reason, always do a patch test first. This is only a reference guide, talk to your doctor or waxing technician if you have any concerns or questions.

When to Be Cautious:

• You’re pregnant, take birth control, hormone replacement or antibiotics. Your skin may be more sensitive to waxing, so it’s best to have a patch test (like a small area on your arm) and see how your skin reacts for 24 hours before getting an entire eyebrow or leg wax.
  
  
• Smokers or those with Rosacea. Waxing can irritate dilated capillaries (weak or broken blood vessels) which are commonly found on people with Rosacea and smokers. If the capillaries are very red, stay away from waxing in that area.
  
  
• You take blood thinners, have diabetes, phlebitis or want post- cancer hair growth in side-burn area removed. These all relate to medical conditions, so first get your doctor’s approval before waxing.
  
  
• You use powerful exfoliators on your skin. Salicylic acid, alpha-hydroxy acid or enzymes all strip cells from the skin. It’s all too much exfoliation combined with waxing, and could make skin red, bleed or even turn scabby. So stop using these products in the area getting waxed for three days before, and three to four days after waxing.
  
  
• You recently drank a lot of caffeine or alcohol. These stimulants in your system can cause skin to be extra sensitive to waxing, meaning you could get more red or inflamed than usual. Give yourself a couple hours after drinking coffee or alcohol before getting waxed.

When Not to Get Waxed:

• You currently take Accutane, or have stopped taking it less than a year ago.
  
  
• You use Retin-A.
  
  
• You have lupus or AIDS.
  
  
• You recently got Botox or collagen injections, waxing shouldn’t be done in that area.
  
  
• You’re in cancer therapy getting chemotherapy or radiation.
  
  
• Leg waxing if you have varicose veins.
  
  
• You have been in direct sunlight for a long period of time or tanning bed within the last 24 hours.

Areas Not to Wax:

• Irritated, inflamed, cut, or sunburned skin.
  
  
• Anywhere that has pimples, cold sores, moles or warts.
  
  
• The inside of ears and nose, eyelashes, nipples and male genitals.

Remember, even if you can’t get waxing done, there are other hair removal options such as tweezing, threading, sugaring or depilatories.

Other issues from waxing like ingrown hairs, pain, bumps, bruising and more can also occur.

• How to Avoid and Treat Side Effects of Waxing