Hi guys

Had a phone call from an old fellow student who has done a few back waxes, but a few days after the clients have had a breakout of spots on the area that was waxed.

I've not yet done any back waxes so is there any advice you waxing gurus can give me on what can be done to stop this breakout of spots on back waxing.

many thanks - on behalf of Anne.

x x x

Mentioned to her that it may be the after wax creme but not sure?!?!?

I would suggest applying T tree after wax or an astringent such as witch Hazel after the waxing.This can be quite a sensitive area for guys, in particular under the shoulder blades and the sides of the torso,near the tummy.

Sometimes clients do get a break out of spots following waxing in these areas.A bit like upper lip waxing.Its perfectly normal and hopefully if they apply a good astringent as recommended then this will help keep the spots at bay.HTH

Iv done plenty of Back waxes, and honestly? dont worry about it, nor should the client worry. We are all sensitive in different areas, and sometimes these outbreaks accure. It is not forever, and the more wax sessions the client has, in my experince, the less spots, the skin gets used to this type of truma, and it usualy seems to cease all together.

I mean lets face it, these are not real acne or youth spots, its just a reaction to a trauma.

Prepering before hand, and soothing as after care, including giving after care advice to the client, should calm all parties down.

All that, unless the client has a real bad and unusuall reaction, but one should chack for contra indications prior to treatment, which ever it is

I hope iv helped

spots after waxing are usually caused by bacteria getting in the open follicles, they are quite common just as the others have said. the client just needs to make sure that area is kept as clean as possible by using tea tree or witch hazel, also the therapist needs to use pre wax prior to the treatment to make sure the area is clean and avoid touching the area with dirty hands or fingers after the hair has been removed. Men have to be careful of sweating after a back or chest wax as this can lead to bacteria forming which then leads to spots things like going to the gym and sauna's are a big no no for 24 hours.

All of the above is great advice. Spots on the back and chest are indeed a common reaction, particularly for first time waxees - red bumps are a normal (although irritating) histamine reaction and should fade fairly rapidly (an anti-histamine tablet an hour before the appointment might help if the client finds they are prone to this), whilst white pus-filled spots are a sign that bacteria has got into the open follicles.

As with all waxing, male clients need to keep the area as clean, cool and free from friction as possible after their treatment. Guys do sweat more than women, and freshly waxed follicles, sweat and friction from clothing are not happy bedfellows. I advise my chaps to bring a clean, loose-fitting cotton t-shirt with them to their appointment, and as Littlepinkfairy said, definitely no sport or other exercise for the rest of the day at least. A mineral salt bath and/or antibac cleanser will help keep the pores free from nasties, and will also help the healing process should any infection occur.

Andy x

Thank you all guys for your advice.

Your answers were very much down the lines of what we thought.

I knew you would provide me with answers this one Andy - I knew I could rely on you mate. Thanks.

x x x

Im directing this at you Axiom because i know its your specialist area and thought everyone would like to know rather than sending a pm.What wax do you use for backs and chests? If you prefer to not name brands just say cream or whatever..Thanks x

Thankg Gillian - great question for us all to know the answer to.

I'm an advocate of waxing polygamy, lol, and always have two pots on the go!

I use a cream wax by Perron Rigot for most areas, and their Cirepil EuroBlonde hard wax for stubborn/short hairs. Their hard wax is the best I've ever tried, and it's my wax of choice for Brazilians, underarms, necklines, and for tackling that awkward multi-directional hair around the navel - it grips like a trooper, goes on thinner and at a lower temperature than other hot waxes I've tried, and stays flexible as it cools. I generally prefer a cream wax for strip waxing, but that's just a personal preference - I know loads of folks who use honey or gel wax and get brilliant results.

Hope that helps

Andy x

Thanks for sharing.The multidirectional problem you mentioned is just what i find difficult when i do men and you get left with some hairs that have snapped.I think i may have used something similar to the hard wax you mention many years ago and it never became popular but i really liked it, It was pink at the time a cross between a cream and hard wax,I think it was called film wax i cant remember whether it went with or against the growth but it was put on a bit like hard wax but in smaller pieces and then pulled off it was very pliable,i am talking maybe 20 years here.I think it was unpopular because it was really expensive i think my salon only purchased about 6 trays.

I love the Cirepil hard wax for that very reason. I find it helps with multi-directional hairs to really push the hard wax close to the skin when applying it, and on really tough hairs I will smear the wax both with and against the hair growth to make sure it grips the little blighters nice and firmly! (I still remove against the dominant direction of hair growth, as with strip wax)

Funnily enough, the wax you describe sounds a lot like the pink Cirepil Eurose, which was their first hard wax from years ago and can still be bought in trays a bit like muffin tins (the wax is in individual "cakes"). Not saying that's 100% what it was, but would be a funny coincidence if it was!

Andy x