We are required to do a half leg wax to above the knee, front and back, both legs in 20 minutes! This is to include washing our hands, applying gloves and applying pre-wax and talc to the client ! I have been working very hard at this but quite frankly I don't think any of the students in my class can do it yet and I have been told that it takes time to master.

To do a rush job means missing patches and leaving the client stuck to the couch!

We don't fail if we don't complete the wax, but we do lose precious marks. So here is my question? Do I do a rush job to try and finish in 20 minutes or do I take it more slowly and thoroughly, not complete the wax, but keep my client less sticky?

I am sure I can manage to turn my client but know I won't be able to complete the back of the legs.

What do you recommend and what have you tried to achieve in your exams?

When we did this last year I don't think that anyone in our class managed to do this in 20 mins yet we all eventually passed because we ensured that all hair was removed as well as all wax residue.

If you take too long, or use too many strips then yes, you could be referred but personally I would try to provide the best outcome I possibly could.

BTW I only mastered the 20 min wax once I bought the roller wax system in the salon, now its a doddle!

Apply wax to the entire lower front leg and sides of the knee and wax off.
Bend the knee, apply and wax off.
Have a quick check over and quickly dab wax on any remaining hairs or use your strip that has wax on already.
Then wipe the area you've waxed with a clean strip to catch any sticky bits. Turn her over and apply wax to the entire lower back leg.......wax off and check.
Do feet if you're required to and finish.
Max of 2 strips for front and 2 for back. 1 spare clean strip to wipe residue.

Work quickly and methodically. Wax on, Wax off. No stopping to look at the hairs on the strip. Keep moving.

Time youself as you go..........9 mins each leg. Don't lose marks for anything. Good luck. xxx

If you are able to use your own model make sure its someone with skinny legs and pratically virgin hair thats a good length.
Blimey they are asking a lot.I think i would go with the option of doing things right though over time. That is what is more important to the client and speed comes naturally with experience and confidence.

Ta so much for this Kimmi . Can I please ask if your advice is based on the lovely wax system you were demoing at Excel or bog standard warm wax? College only gives us the bog standard type, lol.

You are the wax queen, so I am going to imprint this advice on my brain. xx

I may change to the roller wax system when I have qualified, but i don't like the college roller system. It is used by students who don't clean up after themselves and the cartridges are sticky and fiddly.

It's interesting Gillian that you mention a model with skinny legs! We are all expect to complete in 20 mins regardless of the size of the client or thickness of hair! I can wax a petite model alot quicker than somebody who is 6ft tall weighing 18 st.

Make sure your wax is a lovely fluid working temperature too.

Thanks hun, how do I avoid dripping? I do use a strip as a drip tray but often drip as I am applying the wax.

My other problem is getting the wax load to the bottom of the leg. If I load my spatula too much, it drips everywhere.

To stop wax running off your spatula keep iturning it all the time till you get to the area to wax .

Thats where the working quick comes in.You dip wipe off back of spatula and then on to leg you push the wax ahead of you in a quick smooth movement.Turning your hand as you go its quite difficult to explain but you can get from knee to ankle in a swift movement but remember its not spreading its more pushing the wax ahead.

Hi Tracey,

A few tips for making things faster:

• Apply as much wax as you can before using your strip – I will often cover the front of both lower legs with wax before even getting a strip out, but this will depend on how quickly your wax cools on the skin (and remember it cools quicker on the feet and knees, so these areas need to have the wax applied and removed as quickly as possible).
• Stretch with one hand while you rub and remove with the other. Don’t put your strip down or swap hands between rips. Use your stretching hand to press the skin afterwards to take away the sting, but only do this for a second before you go on to remove the next bit of wax.
• If you can, for the exam lie your client flat throughout the entire treatment – this saves time as you don’t have to lower the back of the couch when you turn her over.
• When applying wax to the front of the legs, let your client relax with her legs in a natural position and apply what you can only to the skin you can see – don’t bend and turn the ankles to rotate her leg as you’ll find she is more likely to stick to the paper and you’ll end up in a sticky mess. This is a great tip I picked up from Lori Nestore and it's prevented many a torn paper couch roll over the years!
• Remove wax in rows rather than columns – i.e. work from left to right and clear an entire row so that there is no more wax along the ankle before moving up and repeating the process. This will help to avoid accidentally putting your hand smack-bang in the middle of wax and also means you can stretch the skin better as you don’t have to worry about avoiding wax on the skin.
• When you put the legs into the ‘figure of 4’ position, wax the side of the knee at the same time.
• When you bend the leg to get the knees, remember not to wax around corners – wax to the apex of the knee (stretching the skin down towards the foot), then treat the area above the knee as a separate section (you can ask your client to help by using a hand to stretch her thigh towards her).
• If there is still hair on the outside of the leg, you can also wax this area while the knee is bent. I also wax the feet and toes from this position.
• When you turn the client over, there should now be just a narrow line of hair running down the calves.
• When waxing the back of the legs, ask your client to shuffle down the couch so that her feet are hanging over the end. This puts a natural stretch in the skin that gives you clear access to the back of the ankles and makes your job easier.
• If you are allowed to, rub massage oil into the legs once you finish, then wipe fairly firmly with a folded strip over any sticky bits of wax you can see – as Kim advised, this will shift the residue nice and quickly. A specific after-wax oil or oil-based lotion is even better as it’ll do a double job of removing wax and calming the skin at the same time!

HTH's a bit, but the best advice I can give is don't get too hung up on clock-watching, work methodically and calmly - you'll be fab. Best of luck in your exam.

Andy x

Thank you all for your replies and support. So much appreciated xx