Key Takeaways
- Waxing your legs and bikini area is a common choice to remove hair before hitting the beach, but you could be doing damage by exposing your skin to the elements too early.
- There is a 72-hour window in which you need to take some precautions to protect your skin from damage after waxing.
- Follow this guide for step-by-step post-wax care, including applying a calming oil, cool compress, or cooling gel after waxing.
You may think that actually making it through your waxing appointment is the most important part of the hair removal process. Wrong! You may unintentionally damage your skin by neglecting to properly care for your most sensitive areas after a waxing session.
Learn more about the 72-hour safety window post-wax session and take all the proper steps to enhance your waxing service and protect your skin here.
1. Immediate Post-Wax Care
Post-wax care and maintenance are crucial considerations after a waxing session. Does your specialist apply any special products after they’re done waxing? If they don’t, you may have to do it yourself.
- Post-Depilatories: These products serve a crucial purpose after waxing, including removing any wax residue, soothing your skin, and minimizing irritation or ingrown hairs. You can find calming oils, creams, or gels that are all designed to protect and rejuvenate the skin after a treatment.
- Cold Compresses: If your waxing session was particularly intense, you may feel the need for a cold compress to soothe your skin. A cold compress can also reduce visible signs of irritation, like bumps, redness, and inflammation.
- Cooling Gels: Packed with calming ingredients like aloe vera and tea tree oil, a cooling gel offers a sensation similar to a cold compress, but with the added benefit of potent ingredients to aid skin recovery. These products should be applied several times after waxing for optimal results.
2. Choose the Right Clothing
Most people wax before exposing their legs and bikini area in swimwear or shorts. In the first 72 hours after a waxing session, your skin is especially delicate and can react negatively to harsh fabrics. You’ll want to avoid rough weaves and synthetic materials, as well as tight clothing. These types of materials won’t allow your skin to breathe, increase friction, and cause sweating.
Even your choice of swim bottoms can affect how your skin reacts after waxing. Choose swimwear with minimalist seams and moisture-wicking materials to minimize irritation, sweating, and friction.
3. Exfoliate at the Right Time
Exfoliating is an essential step in post-waxing care. However, you shouldn’t be exfoliating the same day! Wait three days after your waxing session before using any exfoliation on your legs or bikini area, as your skin should have mostly recovered by then.
You should also be moisturizing 24 hours after your treatment. Use moisturizers with minimal fragrances and chemicals to prevent irritation to still sensitive skin.
4. Consistent Waxing for Better Results
One overlooked waxing maintenance tip is consistency. You’ll want to schedule your waxing appointment between four and six weeks apart to ensure the ideal balance of skin healing and hair regrowth. Waiting too long can lead to hair overgrowth that’s difficult to manage, while going too frequently can lead to constantly sensitive skin and patchy hair growth.
Gauge your needs by tracking skin recovery and hair growth speed to determine if four, five, or six weeks is best for you.
Skincare Mistakes
Now that you know what you should be doing to address your personal skincare needs after a waxing appointment, it’s time to talk about a few things you should avoid at all costs. Take a look at these big skincare mistakes you might be making!
- Touching Your Skin: You may want to scratch an itchy place or touch a freshly waxed area after a waxing session. Don’t! Oils and bacteria from your hands can irritate your skin.
- Using Oily or Drying Products: Products that are too thick, drying sprays, and overly scented skincare products can all cause irritation, clog pores, and slow the healing process.
- Picking at Ingrown Hairs: You may occasionally notice ingrown hairs in the treatment area after a waxing session. Leave these hairs alone! After two or three days, you can use an exfoliating treatment to try and remove them.
- Working Out: Sweating can cause friction at the treated area, as well as invite bacteria to grow on your skin. Don’t do anything that gets you hot and sweaty after a waxing session, which includes getting intimate with your partner.
- Exposing Yourself to the Sun: Freshly waxed skin is extremely sensitive, making it prone to burning and scarring from even brief sun exposure. Avoid exposing your skin to the sun for at least 48 hours, and when you do, always apply sun protection to prevent hyperpigmentation and sun damage.
- Going Swimming: Whether you want to hit the beach or the pool after a waxing session, both are a bad idea. Salt water and chlorine can both affect your skin harshly after a waxing session, making it more sensitive and prone to redness and bumps.
- Avoid Actives: Skincare actives are ingredients designed to target specific skincare concerns, such as acne, dark spots, or signs of aging. Skincare products feature actives, inactives, and preservatives that contribute to their effectiveness. Actives, specifically, can be problematic to use on sensitive or irritated areas.
Keeping Your Skin Healthy
Whether you love Korean skincare products or you have European favorites in your skincare lineup, following these recommended guidelines after a waxing session will provide the best opportunity for healing. Use any products with caution and ensure you wait several days before using products with potent active ingredients, like vitamin C, retinol, or alpha hydroxy acids.