Hot Wax v Cold Wax

[Urban Geek]

I know very little about waxing but a beauty therapist I currently work with who is great at waxing and has only used warm wax for all her waxing treatments, including Brazilians, has just got accepted for a job in London but, before she can do Brazilians at the London salon, she will have to go on a Hot Wax Course. So it does seem that in certain London salons that Hot Wax is preferred for particular treatments.

 

[littlepinkfairy]

i think that clients are also more in the know about the different types of waxes these days, as i have had a couple of clients actually check that i used hot wax before i've even started the treatment beacuse that's what they prefer. I do think that hot wax is less painful and is better for brazilians/hollywoods however i have only recently started using it again since my training at college and it is definatly not an easy skill to master!! We got Perron Rigot hot wax when we went to excel and it it soooo much better than the clean and easy hard wax!

 

[Axiom]

i think that clients are also more in the know about the different types of waxes these days, as i have had a couple of clients actually check that i used hot wax before i've even started the treatment beacuse that's what they prefer... We got Perron Rigot hot wax when we went to excel and it it soooo much better than the clean and easy hard wax!

I agree, clients are definitely getting more informed when it comes to Brazilian waxing in particular - I often get chaps on the phone asking what type of wax I use before they book an appointment. Somebody somewhere is evidently extolling the virtues of hot wax to the public!

Incidentally littlepinkfairy, you'll love Perron Rigot - their EuroBlonde wax and the new Cristalline hard waxes in particular are fab. No more boiling hot wax that snaps as you try to take it off!

Andy x

 

[Gelly]

Just wondering, are hot wax and hard wax the same thing?
I had only heard of hard wax until reading about hot wax on this site - they sound the same?

 

[Axiom]

Just wondering, are hot wax and hard wax the same thing?
I had only heard of hard wax until reading about hot wax on this site - they sound the same?

Hard wax and hot wax are in principle the same - they "shrinkwrap" the hair as they cool and harden on the skin, and are removed by hand without strips.

"Hard wax" is a name used by some companies to distinguish between the traditional high-temperature hot waxes (which we used to recycle as Gill mentioned earlier) and the newer generation hot waxes that melt at a much lower temperature, spread thinner, and stay flexible as they cool.

To add to the confusion, some companies are using the terms "film wax" and "Brazilian wax"... but in essence they all do the same job, just with slightly different properties (some are creamy, some are gel or honey-like in their consistency, but all set solid on the skin and are removed without strips).

Andy x

 

[Axiom]

There has been a lot of useful information shared throughout this thread, which I’d like to summarise for ease of reading. Sorry for repeating what has already been said by others, but I thought this would be a useful way of collecting everything in one place

Cold wax - sold primarily for home use. Paper or fabric strips are pre-coated with cold sticky wax and warmed between the hands before applying. Some shops also sell cold wax in a tube or pot, which is gel-like in consistency and is spread onto the skin before removing with a strip. As Oey said, you can buy these kits from Boots and Superdrug etc (and after using one you'll never resent paying to get waxed in a salon again!).

Warm wax – a.k.a. strip wax or soft wax, plus honey, gel or cream wax (depending on consistency and ingredients). Warm wax is heated in a pot or roller unit, then applied to the skin with a spatula, roller or disposable tube, and removed with paper or fabric strips. You can also get microwaveable versions for home use... not recommended, as you can end up with hot spots and burns if not careful!

Hot wax – a.k.a. non-strip or stripless wax, hard wax, film wax, and Brazilian wax. Traditional hot wax is applied in a thick layer or built up over several layers, usually in a figure-of-eight pattern to ensure a good coating of the hairs. It is left to cool on the skin and then removed by hand. The wax "shrinkwraps" each hair as it hardens, taking the hair with it when removed. Hot wax used to recycled by reheating and straining through a sieve (or Gill's tights! ), but nowadays it's thrown away after removal.

Newer hot waxes are cooler in temperature, go on much thinner and in one direction (no figure-of-eight needed), and stay flexible as they cool – these new generation waxes are sometimes called hard wax or film wax to distinguish them from the traditional high-temperature hot waxes mentioned earlier. Hot waxes are particularly effective at shifting short or stubborn hairs, but can be tricky to master and often extend your treatment time as they need to cool before removing.

Sugar paste – primarily a mixture of sugar, water and lemon juice, the paste comes in two varieties: strip sugar and hand sugar. Strip sugar is heated in a pot similar to warm wax, and is applied and removed with fabric strips in the same way. The temperature tends to be lower than with wax, and ingredients are totally natural and water soluble. Moom and Nads are variations on strip sugaring, with slightly different ingredients (Nads does not need heating). Hand sugaring involves spreading a semi-solid ball of sugar paste over the skin, then quickly flicking in the opposite direction to remove the hair.

Andy x

 

[Zingara]

OK, not being a beauty geek... at the mo. I have a question, and hope I'm not hijacking this thread but it is linked and therefore seems the perfect place to ask.

Where I occasionally go for a Brazilian, they use a completely different type of wax than any of these and they call it Cold Wax. It doesn't come in pre-formed strips, it comes in trays in cold layers of approx 1cm thick ....looking believe it or not like homemade toffee, but professionally packaged of course.

The therapist is Russian, and has it sent over to her from Russia (i;d read what was on the box, buty its in Russian!). it doesn't require heating, she just pulls a piece off, warms it slightly from the warmth of her hands (yes she wears a glove), kind of flicks and stretches it over the skin and hair and then pulls it back quickly off, doing an area of approx 1 x 3 cm each time, using the same piece of wax each time, until it is 'full of hair', then a new one. I've seen similar methods of using sugaring, but am assured this is wax, and very popular in Russia.

Its very quick...takes approx 3 or 4 seconds to do each small area and a full Brazilian (very deep) done in about 10-15 mins. The results are excellent, the pain is minimal (well...for a bikini wax), and the skin left very soft and hardly any reddening.

Does anyone here know what this is, or if there is an equivalent?

 

[Gelly]

Wow! That sounds amazing!
I too would love to know about this please.

OK, not being a beauty geek... at the mo. I have a question, and hope I'm not hijacking this thread but it is linked and therefore seems the perfect place to ask.

Where I occasionally go for a Brazilian, they use a completely different type of wax than any of these and they call it Cold Wax. It doesn't come in pre-formed strips, it comes in trays in cold layers of approx 1cm thick ....looking believe it or not like homemade toffee, but professionally packaged of course.

The therapist is Russian, and has it sent over to her from Russia (i;d read what was on the box, buty its in Russian!). it doesn't require heating, she just pulls a piece off, warms it slightly from the warmth of her hands (yes she wears a glove), kind of flicks and stretches it over the skin and hair and then pulls it back quickly off, doing an area of approx 1 x 3 cm each time, using the same piece of wax each time, until it is 'full of hair', then a new one. I've seen similar methods of using sugaring, but am assured this is wax, and very popular in Russia.

Its very quick...takes approx 3 or 4 seconds to do each small area and a full Brazilian (very deep) done in about 10-15 mins. The results are excellent, the pain is minimal (well...for a bikini wax), and the skin left very soft and hardly any reddening.

Does anyone here know what this is, or if there is an equivalent?

 

[Axiom]

Where I occasionally go for a Brazilian, they use a completely different type of wax than any of these and they call it Cold Wax. It doesn't come in pre-formed strips, it comes in trays in cold layers of approx 1cm thick ....looking believe it or not like homemade toffee, but professionally packaged of course.

...it doesn't require heating, she just pulls a piece off, warms it slightly from the warmth of her hands (yes she wears a glove), kind of flicks and stretches it over the skin and hair and then pulls it back quickly off, doing an area of approx 1 x 3 cm each time, using the same piece of wax each time, until it is 'full of hair', then a new one. I've seen similar methods of using sugaring, but am assured this is wax, and very popular in Russia.

It sounds very much like a variation on hand sugaring, but I would be intrigued to know more if any Geeks out there have come across this with wax before?

Andy x

 

[huberella]

As Axiom said, I am a lover of the strip wax. I use it for everything. I am a strong believer that it is the technique of the waxer that makes a waxing session less painful, not the wax.

 

[Jeni Giles]

I am partial to hot wax my self, but learned with hard wax, the really old hard bees wax that you melted over a candle (I still like it the best, but have moved forward to an electric heater) A tip we give to students is "soft skin hard wax, hard skin soft wax" if a strip can be applied firmly and there is ample room for application and removal, such as an arm or leg where the hair grows in a more obvious and larger pattern, then by all means use a strip.

Underarms, bikini, soft male tissue hard wax is more effective because it does "shrink" around the hair and the growtn patterns are usually more erratic.

Something to consider for safety and sanitation (this is just coming to light in the industry but is really common sense) is Pot wax and single use applicators to prevent cross contamination. Roller applicators are becoming very popular and they are difficult to disinfect between each client or area and can cause an infection from a cold sore (herpes) to be spread to the eye if doing the lips and eyebrows on the same client. I know things are done slightly different here than they are there, has this begun to affect waxing in your area also?

 

[pinkmummy]

I am partial to hot wax my self, but learned with hard wax, the really old hard bees wax that you melted over a candle (I still like it the best, but have moved forward to an electric heater) A tip we give to students is "soft skin hard wax, hard skin soft wax" if a strip can be applied firmly and there is ample room for application and removal, such as an arm or leg where the hair grows in a more obvious and larger pattern, then by all means use a strip. I was taught this way too Jenni, still loving my hot wax.



Something to consider for safety and sanitation (this is just coming to light in the industry but is really common sense) is Pot wax (only if you dip the spatula once than throw away, as re-dipped spatulas can cause cross contamination of skin cells etc.) and single use applicators to prevent cross contamination. Roller applicators are becoming very popular and they are difficult to disinfect between each client or area and can cause an infection from a cold sore (herpes) to be spread to the eye if doing the lips and eyebrows on the same client. I know things are done slightly different here than they are there, has this begun to affect waxing in your area also?

I use the Australian Bodycare TT-Hy Wax (tube system) for my strip wax. It comes with disposable applicators, that have a no flow back routing. I can just use another applicator if changing areas and there could be a cross contamination issue, and always a fresh sealed applicator for new clients.

 

[Jeni Giles]

I use the Australian Bodycare TT-Hy Wax (tube system) for my strip wax. It comes with disposable applicators, that have a no flow back routing. I can just use another applicator if changing areas and there could be a cross contamination issue, and always a fresh sealed applicator for new clients.

I'll admit honestly it is hard to keep students from double dipping and contaminating the whole pot, right now we are using the Clean and Easy system with separate applicators for lips and eyes, we don't do body waxing as a public service, but I have many students who have arranged for a "private" session, usually it's a rather large group and we do the demonstration after hours, so they can wax each other and learn to do it correctly.

The end of this month I am going to a management conference and we are looking for a couple of suppply vendors for some of our spa type services, I'll keep your type of waxing system in mind as it is one of the things we are looking at.

 

[scattyfox]

Thank you lots, you ahve really helped me with my homework with this thread adn i have learnt loads and in words and jargon i can understand. Rep points on the way x