wax allergic reaction

[orchid26]

Hi

i have just started doing case studies for my waxing. i did one lady (lower leg) and that was fine. The next lady i did was ok, but she has just emailed me to say that she has had a reaction, her legs have gone really red mainly around the back.

i did not do anything different, and she said that she had followed her aftercare advice. I was using Tea Tree wax so i am not sure what has happened. She says that she does have a few allergies and she did mention when she did a home wax that her legs came up in blisters.

Could there have been anything else i may have done wrong???

i am worried as i have another case study tomorrow........

orchid

 

[weezie]

It may just be a normal reaction especially if the hairs were stronger in that area. Some people react more than others. She should cool the area and maybe put some aloe vera on it. You would really need to see it to tell if something has gone wrong.

Blisters would result from the wax being too hot. The skin would immediately look red and sore. This is likely to be what she did to herself with home waxing.

Red follicles are a normal reaction as are hives on a sensitive skin.

If after the skin has stopped being red it starts to peel it was probably a burn.

If it just goes down it could be a hive response or a normal reaction.

She could be allergic but if she had allergies she should have told you what they were to in you consultation so you could check the ingredients of the wax. Ask her to let you know what they are to for the future.

If it is just red on the backs then it is unlikely to be an allergy as this would have affected them all over.

My legs are slightly demographic and take 48hrs sometimes to settle after waxing. :hug:

 

[orchid26]

ok thanks for the reply.

i did test the wax heat before hand, her legs came up with raised follicles, but i know that is normal.

i really dont know what it was. she said it was red where the strips had been. feeling a bit nervous about doing my lady tomorrow night now.

 

[weezie]

ok thanks for the reply.

i did test the wax heat before hand, her legs came up with raised follicles, but i know that is normal.

i really dont know what it was. she said it was red where the strips had been. feeling a bit nervous about doing my lady tomorrow night now.

Saying it is red "where the strips have been" is a strange comment to make as that would mean all over the leg! Ask her how it is now to show you care and she will probably say fine. If not tell her to put on some pure aloe vera gel and cool the area if it is still irritated- she can even put the aloe vera gel in the fridge first.

If she was really worried she would have asked to see you in person to show you, this is the only way you could truly assess the situation. It may be hardly any reaction, some people perceive things to be more than they are. She may have been telling you to try and help you with your technique in the future. I am guessing she doesn't have waxing regularly so may not know yet what to expect. Sometimes it help to tell a new client what the reaction is likely to be so they don't get worried after.

It is unlikely this will happen again if you still test the temperature of the wax and ask the client about allergies. If it does happen again it may be an idea to change to a better quality wax.

Don't worry people can have different reactions to things and it is not your fault if you have taken all precautions before hand. Holding the skin firmly but gently above or below the strip you are waxing when you wax especially on the backs of the legs may reduce the discomfort for the client and any reaction, as will putting a thin layer of oil (my preference) or talc on the legs after cleansing and before waxing :hug:

 

[Brandywine]

I just thought I'd add that when I first started waxing I did a patch test on all clients 24hrs before waxing. I then had a client who came back after the 3rd time of waxing having had a slight allergic reaction even though she'd been fine before and I had been using the same wax each time!
I now don't patch test (as I've learned on here that most people don't) clients, as skin changes all the time and for no obvious reason may become sensitive.
Good luck with your next case study and I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

[Marlise]

i really dont know what it was. she said it was red where the strips had been. feeling a bit nervous about doing my lady tomorrow night now.

The only thing that I can think of with this statement is way back when I was still training, I applied my wax too hot.

When I removed the strip, you could actually see a red rectangle where the wax and strip had been because my wax was too hot.

Does that make sense ?


Marlise

 

[orchid26]

hi thanks for all replies and suggestions.

i did a lady tonight, she hardly had any hair at all, so i did not have much to do. Gave all aftercare advice and hope that it all goes ok.

i tested the temperature as i did with the last one. i would really be surprised if i did burn the other lady. i have the tea tree creme wax, and so i had the the temperature at 2 1/2 to 3 on the heater, and tested it on myself before i put it on.

i feel ok about the lady i did this evening, just hope she has no problems!!!

Thank you all for your advice.