scary client for waxing- help!

[sodabubble]

I have a client in later in the week for a half leg wax. She did used to have her legs waxed but one of the previous therapists that worked where I work got sacked because the client was left 'grazed' after waxing, and her skin was red and lumpy a week after her treatment. I know that this client is an ex-best friend of an established and experienced therapist, and I also know that she has been shaving her legs for the past few months, so I will have to explain to her that although I can wax all hair from her legs, she will get re-growth quite quickly as she has not been waxed for so long. But I am scared as to what caused the grazing and redness the last time she was waxed, as I really dont want to make the same mistakes! any ideas geeks?

 

[Axiom]

Hi Soda,

The 'grazing' you describe is where the uppermost layers of the skin have lifted during waxing. This is down to one or any combination of the following reasons:

• Incorrect skin prep
• Wax too hot
• Incorrect removal technique (e.g. strip lifted up instead of parallel to skin, skin not held taut enough, etc)
• Skin condition (e.g. skin is dry, cold or fragile - this time of year can make the skin especially dry and cold, and there are lots of medications and skincare products out there that can also affect the skin's resiliance to hair removal, so check this as part of your consultation)

My top tip is to use a light layer of oil instead of powder under your wax - this will help the wax to release better from the skin and avoid lifting. Any light oil will do the trick - you just want a light sheen after your normal cleanse, blot with a tissue if there is too much and apply your wax as usual. Also make sure you check the temp of the wax and hold the skin taut, etc, which I'm sure you do anyway.

The red bumps are a common reaction to the trauma of hair being removed from the follicles, although for it to last a week sounds like the skin was irritated or a bit of bacteria got in there. The key here is for the client to be very strict with her adherence to homecare, i.e. avoiding heat and friction, and all that jazz. It's a good idea to give her the aftercare advice as a printed leaflet as well, so she can refer to it at leisure. You might also want to suggest a suitable afterwax lotion for her to use at home, which will help minimise and soothe any undesirable reaction. Don't forget that bumps can also appear as the hair starts to regrow, so regular exfoliation and moisturising of the area is essential.

I'm sure you will do a great job, you sound extremely conscientious and you are right about the regrowth from shaving. Don't let her previous unfortunate experience put you off, do the best you can and let us know how it goes! :hug:

Andy x

 

[sodabubble]

wow thank you soooo much! i have been terrified since i saw her in the book! I use phd waxing system, will it be ok to use an oil with that? reading your kind reply, i was thinking of using something like baby oil - but I assume that would not look very professional, could you reccomend a brand at all? Also, the oil trick, can that be used on any body part or just legs? Thanks again for taking the time to reply, will post back on Thursday to let you know how it went - and weather I got sacked or not!

 

[Axiom]

wow thank you soooo much! i have been terrified since i saw her in the book! I use phd waxing system, will it be ok to use an oil with that? reading your kind reply, i was thinking of using something like baby oil - but I assume that would not look very professional, could you reccomend a brand at all? Also, the oil trick, can that be used on any body part or just legs? Thanks again for taking the time to reply, will post back on Thursday to let you know how it went - and weather I got sacked or not!

You're very welcome

You can use oil under any waxing brand and type (soft or hard), and on any part of the body. Baby oil will work, but you are right that it won't look too great, lol! Several companies sell specific pre-depilatory oils, but try a few drops of a massage oil if you have this at work - something fairly light like sweet almond or grapeseed is perfect. Try it a few times on yourself or a colleague first, it takes a bit of practice to get the right amount, but remember that you only need a very light sheen - you can always blot the excess with a tissue if you find the wax slides about too much.

I should acknowledge that there are several fantastic therapists on this board who only use powder and get great results, but give the oil a go and see how you feel. Nothing to lose!

 

[gillian w]

This is where a good consultation will come in.You never know you may find out that she had had a sauna or something before hand, she may be on certain medications that can make the skin fragile.
Make sure that she is aware that you are aware that she has had a problem.Do a patch test before you cover the whole leg and check that you no skin has come off.Shes probably quite worried as well if she has had this experience so talk to eachother reasure her that you know this has happened and you are doing everything you can for it to not happen again.

 

[sodabubble]

thank you so much gillian and andy! a quick Q tho - how does one patch test for wax? I test the temp on myself before I apply, but to do a patch test, would I just pop a bit on her and leave it for a few mins, or whip it right off?

thanks xx

 

[Kim Lawless]

Just to add to Axioms great words of advice. You MUST be in control. YOU are the expert and NOT her. Know your stuff and educate her in a friendly but firm way. Learn it all off by heart. Make sure you go through your pre-wax questions about medication etc. Make her have confidence in you by saying 'Ok, I know you had a few problems before so let me do the first strip and see how that feels'. You and I know that it takes longer than than for a reaction to show but it will make her feel like you know what you're talking about and that you're taking her fears into consideration. Then after that, just go for it and only ask her only once more during the treatment 'How's that feeling?'. Be assertive, in control, calm and know your stuff. Finish off with aftercare advice. Whatever you do, DO NOT run down the other therapist. Then when she's gone, lock yourself in the store cupboard, hide under the towels and say I WANT ME MUM!!!. ' GOOD LUCK !

 

[gillian w]

thank you so much gillian and andy! a quick Q tho - how does one patch test for wax? I test the temp on myself before I apply, but to do a patch test, would I just pop a bit on her and leave it for a few mins, or whip it right off?

thanks xx

I would just do a small strip up the front bottom of the leg along the shin bone if anywhere is going to skin its there,take it off and just check to see if it has skinned.If you think she may have had an allergy then you would want her to go away and wait 24 hours to see what happens. Most people get some redness,poss bumpyness and slight irritation but if this is extreme then you may have to reconsider using a different wax and testing again.

 

[sodabubble]

thanks so much! brow queen - i do feel confident with my waxing, however i dont know how to react if she starts saying 'oh well my old best mate is a therapist and she was fantastic and i know everything about waxing' because as you stated I am the pro here, but the last thing I want is to offend her (or anyone for that matter!) and I will not say bad things about other therapists, its unethical and unprofessional, I just need some tips about how to stay in control of the situation. I'll talk her through the whole process, as I would do with any client, do you think it would be a good idea to ask her if she has any q's at the end of the treatment?

 

[stampy]

Maybe would be a good idea to give her written aftercare advice if you can, just to cover yourself, and I'd also try and retail some appropriate afterwax cream/gel as people tend to put all sorts of moisturisers on after waxing when of course they shouldn't! It will be fine, good luck. x

 

[sodabubble]

yep, thats a great idea, will give her written aftercare advice, would love ot retail her a decent afterwax product, but we only retail dermalogica products at the moment, although in theory it would be nice to retail a bit more!

 

[dee]

thanks so much! brow queen - i do feel confident with my waxing, however i dont know how to react if she starts saying 'oh well my old best mate is a therapist and she was fantastic and i know everything about waxing' because as you stated I am the pro here, but the last thing I want is to offend her ?

i would have to kindly ask her why she doesnt go to "her" friend then?
that might sound snotty but i dont mean it that way , its just clients like that do my head in , :lol:

 

[sodabubble]

glad you have experienced know-it-all clients too, i thought it was just me!

thanks for the tips everyone

 

[Katelisa]

i find using even the tinyiest bit of oil with strip wax stops the wax from sticking to the strip. does my head in!!

the first strip is fine, but then when i use the strip again the tiny bit of oil stops the wax on the skin from sticking to the wax on the strip, because the wax on the strip has oil on it. make sense? lol.

 

[sodabubble]

think i get you....yes lol
i tend to use a max of 2 strips per half leg when im waxing a half leg....but still, i'll give the oil trick a go and see what happens!

 

[huberella]

i find using even the tinyiest bit of oil with strip wax stops the wax from sticking to the strip. does my head in!!

the first strip is fine, but then when i use the strip again the tiny bit of oil stops the wax on the skin from sticking to the wax on the strip, because the wax on the strip has oil on it. make sense? lol.

Perhaps you have applied too much oil to the skin.

I don't have any problems with oil interfering. I usually use 2 strips per leg on the front of the body and 2 strips per leg on the back (for a full leg)

 

[Kim Lawless]

thanks so much! brow queen - i do feel confident with my waxing, however i dont know how to react if she starts saying 'oh well my old best mate is a therapist and she was fantastic and i know everything about waxing' because as you stated I am the pro here, but the last thing I want is to offend her (or anyone for that matter!) and I will not say bad things about other therapists, its unethical and unprofessional, I just need some tips about how to stay in control of the situation. I'll talk her through the whole process, as I would do with any client, do you think it would be a good idea to ask her if she has any q's at the end of the treatment?

If she mentions the mate, just ask in a cheery voice 'Doesn't your friend do waxing anymore?' I wouldn't ask her if she has any questions as you'll have gone over everything at the start. Anyway, don't start treating her like she's someone special or you'll have to keep that up every time. Treat her the same as all your other clients which I'm sure is just fine. xxx

 

[the nail file]

oh my god ... i can use at least twice that many strips .lol ... mmmmmmm i need to get more practice in
:green: xx

Perhaps you have applied too much oil to the skin.

I don't have any problems with oil interfering. I usually use 2 strips per leg on the front of the body and 2 strips per leg on the back (for a full leg)

 

[Kim Lawless]

oh my god ... i can use at least twice that many strips .lol ... mmmmmmm i need to get more practice in
:green: xx

Make sure you spread your wax thinly then your strips won't get too loaded. x

 

[Angelaznailz]

Hi,
I once had a client whose skin had become so papery (she was pretty old - 80ish) I had to stop waxing her eyebrows as she once got this graze on her browbone. I think that, although I held the skin taught, her skin had virtually no flesh underneath.
In your case, perhaps the previous therapist waxed over the same area twice, which could result in a 'graze' if the skin was thin.
HTH