Bikin Wax Nightmare!

[LBR]

Hi,

I had to write to ask you all for advice.

I had a couple of young girls up tonight for bikini waxes, just before their hols.

Anyway, I had a major problem with the wax sticking to the bikini line area and eventually gave up. I was using fabric strips for the removal but the wax would not budge.

In the end I just had to apologise and not charge the poor girl. She'll not be looking forward to her hols now with about only half a bikini wax done! Plus I've probably just lost two potential long term clients.

Has anyone or does anyone use Susan Molyneux Tea Tree Gold Wax. This was the wax I was using.

Any ideas anyone? Your advice as always would be appreciated.

I hate waxing!!!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH! :cry:

 

[Sammie]

Sounds as though you may have left the wax on the skin too long. As you have to be quick when using wax.


Sammie

 

[nailtech]

Hi Yvonne
I am the bikini queen LOL - Sammie is right you need to be quicker & maybe apply the wax more thinly. I haven't used the brand you mentioned, I just use good old honey wax applied with a spatula, stretch the skin (get the client to help) whip it off against the growth (I use paper strips, find the fabric ones too floppy!) et voila. If there are any bits remaining, go over quickly with the same strip, it should remove them.

Best wishes
Karen

 

[LBR]

Hi Karen,

Thanks for your reply.

I can't understand what went wrong at all, as I'm not prone to be slow when waxing but I think with changing brands this has really put me off the SM brand.

Do you think the wax was not hot enough or just basically I was too slow?

Can you tell me which wax you use? Maybe changing to your make will make me feel a bit more confident about the whole thing again, expecially since your the waxing queen!

 

[diesel1978]

I have to agree that the wax needs to be applied thinly in this area as it is so sensitive. Ensure that the area is cleansed sufficiently to remove oils etc.....it may also help if you apply a dusting of unscented talcum powder.
I do a lot of bikini waxes from basic to sphinx and and i don't have a problem with leaving the wax on the skin to long.....unless you are leaving it 5 minutes or so.....
Prior to doing a bikini wax ......check if the client has had this servic done before.....hairs that are waxd for the 1st time can sometimes pretty tough!!!
Also ensure that the length of the hair is'nt to long as this makes the wax clag.
Again ensure that the area is held taut.

Hope this helps
Amanda

 

[Jacky]

I think it sounds more like the wax being to cool.
I had a similar experience once before......a leg wax....fortunately I knew the client well. Applied the wax, popped on the strip, and lo and behold when I whipped the blinkin' thing off...all the wax was still on the clients skin! I could not get it to shift. Reapplied wax over it and still no joy!
This was around about the time the weather had become a bit cooler (end Oct' ish last year) and my little beauty room had become a bit nippy!!!!!

You sound as though you have your technique right so I am assuming that the Susan M is a new line????
Ive not used it personally so cant offer any advice on it.....I prefer Prof Beauty's Lavendar wax and paper strips. Thin application ('specially in this area) and as quick as you can with the removal.
I always get the client to help with the ole skin stretching bit (as Karen suggested)
Dont worry too much......you could perhaps offer the clients a complimentary service on their return.......just explain that it was a new wax you were using and it hasnt quite met your approval!!!!!
Dont let this experience put you off waxing.....you know ya can do it!!

 

[nailtech]

Those are also very good points, some ladies do arrive with hair that needs a trim (it will also hurt a lot more if the hair is too long). I always ask my ladies to trim or even shave a week before they come (they know how fast their hair grows), the hair should optimally be about the size of a grain of long grain rice. Also skin prep, like nail prep is important.

I buy my wax from Capital - I call it honey wax, I'm just not keen on the creme waxes but thats just me, you may find them great. It says super soft wax on the pot.

Amanda what is a sphinx, thats a new one to me. Also I saw an ad for bikini shapes in one of the trade mags & can't find it again, any idea???

Karen

 

[diesel1978]

Hi Karen,
The Sphinx is full removal...everything gone!! There are so many different names for it but i opted for the technical term (lol) that was used in my training.....
As far as these bikini waxing shapes are concerned i have'nt noticed it anywhere....could it have been in professional beauty? I have heard alot about them though....have you heard of the spray on colour templates????

 

[LBR]

Thanks Jacky for your words of encouragement.

I tried it on my legs after my clients had gone and it was doing just the same thing on my legs. It didn't matter if it was thin, thick, paper strips or fabric strips, did it really quick and it was rather hot.

I think I'll give the SM wax a miss and write it off as a bad joke. I'll go back to my trusty Just Wax from Sally's.

Here's me thinking I'll try a "better" brand of wax and be a bit more "upmarket" - what a joke!

I was thinking I'll send the client and her friend a gift voucher for any treatment they want when they return from their hols. Hopefully this will make them return and by then I will have mastered the bikini wax again and got my confidence back too.

Off to Sally's tomorrow lunchtime I think!

Thanks for all of your suggestions/advice. You always come up trumps!

:|

 

[Sherry2k]

I was laughing to myself when I read this....... did you see the episode of Sex In The City when Samantha coloured her..... y'know! If you did you'll understand where I'm coming from, if you didn't you'll think I'm a twit! Just thought I'd share. Cheers. x

 

[TracyUK]

the water soluble waxes are v good...any tiny bits left on the skin just come off very easily with a little cotton wool soaked in water! Or they just dissolve away with afterwax lotion ...any drips or spills are easily removed too!

 

[rachmcw]

Those are also very good points, some ladies do arrive with hair that needs a trim (it will also hurt a lot more if the hair is too long). I always ask my ladies to trim or even shave a week before they come (they know how fast their hair grows), the hair should optimally be about the size of a grain of long grain rice. Also skin prep, like nail prep is important.


I hope i dont sound cheeky but why ask them to shave before they come for a waxing appointment. Isn't the whole point of waxing to achieve slower and finer regrowth. I would say shaving between appointments defeats the purpose of waxing. Sorry if this upsets anyone.

 

[nailtech]

I was laughing to myself when I read this....... did you see the episode of Sex In The City when Samantha coloured her..... y'know! If you did you'll understand where I'm coming from, if you didn't you'll think I'm a twit! Just thought I'd share. Cheers. x

No, you're right that was a hilarious episode, but then it was her character all over LOL!

 

[Do-it-all Deb]

Those are also very good points, some ladies do arrive with hair that needs a trim (it will also hurt a lot more if the hair is too long). I always ask my ladies to trim or even shave a week before they come (they know how fast their hair grows), the hair should optimally be about the size of a grain of long grain rice. Also skin prep, like nail prep is important.


I hope i dont sound cheeky but why ask them to shave before they come for a waxing appointment. Isn't the whole point of waxing to achieve slower and finer regrowth. I would say shaving between appointments defeats the purpose of waxing. Sorry if this upsets anyone.

I absolutely agree; my nightmare are clients that shave between appointments. How do you convince some people that the benefits of waxing will come if it is the ONLY hair remover system they use? So many of the benefits are undone when you shave or cream as well.

I had a nightmare of a bikini wax many years ago when I had just started my first job. Believe it or not, it was so long ago that warm wax had only just started being used and I was only trained in hot wax! It was my first bikini wax using warm wax and the client had a very hairy bikini line and I just got into a terrible mess. She always made sure she never had me do her treatment again!

I have problems with waxing according to the weather :lol: . Too warm or too cold makes the wax misbehave and if the hair is too long OR too short it gives problems! Waxing truly is an art and I guess I must be doing something right with customers returning after a decade and more!

Keep your chin up and remember that life is a learning curve and none of us are too old to learn!

 

[Up To Scratch]

Thanks Jacky for your words of encouragement.

I tried it on my legs after my clients had gone and it was doing just the same thing on my legs. It didn't matter if it was thin, thick, paper strips or fabric strips, did it really quick and it was rather hot.

I think I'll give the SM wax a miss and write it off as a bad joke. I'll go back to my trusty Just Wax from Sally's.

Here's me thinking I'll try a "better" brand of wax and be a bit more "upmarket" - what a joke!

I was thinking I'll send the client and her friend a gift voucher for any treatment they want when they return from their hols. Hopefully this will make them return and by then I will have mastered the bikini wax again and got my confidence back too.

Off to Sally's tomorrow lunchtime I think!

Thanks for all of your suggestions/advice. You always come up trumps!

:|

Hello!

I've used lots of different types of wax including Salon System Tea Tree Wax (lovely)...

and Duelli Tea Tree Gold Wax. The latter was an absolute NIGHTMARE!! Wouldn't wax off properly & went on too thick etc

Serves us both right for trying to be posh, I guess?! :o You're not on your own.

G. xx

 

[LBR]

Hi,

E-mailed SM last night after my "Nightmare" and they replied today saying that they have never had any problems before but it may be that I had a bad one either from the beginning or end of a batch.

They are either going to refund my money or give me two other tubs of wax that are Essential Cream Wax and I've to let them know what I wish.

Seems quite fair really.

 

[liza smith]

all the previous points made were great.
i've been waxing for nearly 20 yrs now, & i've got clients that i've waxing for nearly that long.
waxing is 1 of those things that when someone does it very well, it looks damn easy!! but isn't!
there is definately an art to it, & personality helps. lets face it, if you're going to climb on a couch, in teeny tiny knickers, & drop your knees , then it helps if the person that's doing it doesn't...
a) snigger
b) cringe with embarrassment
c)have the biceps of a russian shot putter!!!

one of my clients has said that she would b happier to change her doctor & dentist before she found someone else to do her waxing!

the main problem in this weather is that people r obviously hotter than usual.
have u ever noticed that the 2nd side is the 1 that has "sticking" problems?
that's because waxing the 1st side causes some people (especially 1st timers) to pespire slightly, which forms a pocket of moisture under the talcum powder.
this can cause at best "sticking", at worst, removal of a layer of skin &/or bruising :cry:
we've recently had a lot of interest from men in waxing
i don't have a problem with relieving them of their unwanted hair, but i draw the line at a B,S & CRACK!!!
my husband is the only one that will b lucky ( or should i say unlucky!) to experience that. for some reason he paled a bit when i mentioned trying it!!!
lol liza xxx

 

[nailtech]

I hope i dont sound cheeky but why ask them to shave before they come for a waxing appointment. Isn't the whole point of waxing to achieve slower and finer regrowth. I would say shaving between appointments defeats the purpose of waxing. Sorry if this upsets anyone.

I should have said this was for first time bikini clients, saves ladies arriving with way too much hair to deal with sensibly! Around the corner from my salon was an industrial park with loads of ladies working there & word got round about how quick & (relatively!) painless I waxed. But most of the ladies had never had a wax done before so I would ask them to shave then leave it for a week, this usually did the trick. I have been faced with bikini parts that need hedgetrimmers & that takes time & its embarrassing for the client. Like Liza says you have to be professional no matter what you are faced with!

As for men, I live in Brighton, a lot of men here get waxed but we had a ladies only policy. Just our choice.

Karen

 

[prettynails]

Ouch,
I have been in hysterics at this thread, but it also bought some painfull memories of X amount of years ago when I did my beauty therapy course at college. We did the waxing bit..... me being very fair skinned and a red head, wasnt warned that we had to be realy carefull, we had to work on each other.
The poor girl who did me nearly fainted, every strip she pulled off me, I bled. I ended up going home with half a leg and half of one arm pit done, as for the bikini, No way, she wouldnt try it and I wouldnt let her LOL.
It put us both off, she never did anything to do with beauty after the course and I have never been waxed (stick to me bic lol)

 

[dee]

that makes me laugh,i remember the first time i had my underarms waxed by my mate who owns a beauty salon,(she isnt a therapist though) it was for her wedding and coz she has been waxed for years i thought she would be ok at doing it, :lol: well she wasnt! she nearly pulled me off the bed, and i only ended up with one half done, needless to say i went straight on a beauty course to learn how to do it myself, so far i have managed to keep all my clients on the bed ,