Waxing waxing waxing!

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Katelisa

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So, after 6 years and 64,936 views (WOW!) I thought it was time to update this tutorial.

I’ve tried to include the recommendations and rules from HABIA’s Code of Practice, an essential read for anyone performing waxing services, which can be found here;
http://www.habia.org/uploads/waxing_code_of_practice_booklet.pdf


It's now 12.50am,
:Scared: I've spent the last couple of hours doing this, I don't think I've made any major c*ck up's in this revised version. But if I don't post it now, I will forget. So please let me know if there's anything I can add.

Thanks xx







The Basics

Starting from the very beginning here…

Greet your client, introduce yourself if they are new -make them feel at ease- take them through to your beauty room. Give your client a modesty towel and explain to them what clothing they need to remove, and if they need to cleanse themselves and wear disposable undies.
Leave them for a few minutes and knock before you re-enter the room (I have a separate private changing area in my room so I don’t have to go out). Make sure you tell your client EXACTLY what they need to do, because they may not know what you want them to do and it’s embarrassing for them.
Before you start any waxing wash your hands in front of the client if possible, then put on your gloves.

Thoroughly Cleanse the area
to be waxed using an anti-bacterial product.
HABIA insist that ‘clients must cleanse intimate areas themselves’. (Item 6.6 in the Code of Practice)

Always use a new spatula for each client, and when you are finished throw it in the bin whilst they are in the room.
With regard to ‘double dipping’ HABIA states ‘If spatulas are used and blood spotting occurs, they should be disposed of before continuing with the service. The area must be wiped and the spatula replaced.’

Check the temperature
of the wax on the back of your wrist.
HABIA also recommend that ‘a patch test be conducted at least 24 hours prior to the clients’ first waxing service. It is essential that a patch test be carried out where the client has a history of sensitivity or known allergies’ Your insurance company can provide you with their individual requirements pertaining to this.



Bikini Wax, Hollywood,

Same technique applies no matter how much hair you remove.
In accordance with HABIA guidelines, leave your client some hygiene wipes and a disposable thong. They need to thoroughly cleanse their intimate areas and wear the thong instead of their own underwear. Make sure your couch (and client) is almost completely flat. this means they are more stretched out and it’s easier for you. DON’T let them sit up; it will make your job near on impossible!

General tips:

-Assess the hair growth, direction, density and length before you get stuck in.
-If the hairs are long you might find that the ends of hairs from the other side will creep over, so you can hold these out the way with the underwear. Or you may wish to trim the hair before you start. (I don’t do this as I don’t want short ‘n’ curly’s floating round the salon!
-Don’t wax any more in one strip than you’re comfortable with. …If you’re unsure, less is more.
-Use a couple of drops of oil on a cotton pad before waxing the labia, as the skin can graze much more easily in this area.

The Waxing:


Area:
Sides and top
Position:
One knee bent and out to the side. The other leg needs to be either in the same position (imagine frog legged) or relaxed and slightly outwards. Client needs to hold underwear upwards (Pref in a straight line if they are having hair left), and will need to move from side to side if no strip.
Hair removal:

-Start on the side with the leg bent, if both legs are bent start either side.

-Work from outside inwards to the centre, in strips approx 1 inch wide and 2 inch long.
Doing this will make it much more manageable, especially if the client has a lot of hair.
Don’t be daunted by an untamed bush, lol. Just do a bit at a time.

-Client should hold the thong upwards, not too tight, don’t want to hurt them!

-Don’t forget to stop where the client wants a strip. Don’t worry about perfecting the strip ‘til you have removed the bulk of the hair. When you’re ready, get the client to straighten their legs, and you can check the strip is straight and even. If they have one leg up when you do this it can make it wonky. I usually leave this bit till very last. It’s a good idea to use the thong as a template.

-Make sure you remove hair from the top of the area too. Ask client to hold thong down so you can get to it. It’s best if they hold the thin elastic by their hips rather than getting their hands on your way.


-If no strip is wanted ask them to pull the thong to one side while you remove the bit in the middle

-It is this area at the top, where you can get some shorted stubborn hairs. These will need to be plucked out to ensure a completely smooth finish.


Area:
Underneath (outer labia)
Position:
Ideally both knee bent and out to the side. Client needs to hold underwear upwards, in a straight line if they are having hair left. You can also use the underwear to hold the other side and even inner labia out the way.
Hair removal:

-This is where the thongs are really helpful. You need to position it so it either covers the hair they want left ( for brazilian) OR completely cover one side the labia (for honeymoon & hollywood),

-For this bit you will need to touch the clients to hold the skin tight etc (sometimes in awkward places, I just say 'dont mind me pokin around' and they usually laugh!)

-Once again, start applying the wax in smallish sections (until you gain confidence to do a bit more at a time) make sure you stick with the normal rules of applying with the hair growth removing against.

-When you apply the wax upwards, and pull it off downwards, you should support/pull the skin at the pubic mound. When you apply wax downwards (toward the couch), you should hold the skin by the bum cheek, as though you’re pulling it down to the couch.
If you remember that you apply the wax and pull the skin taught in the same direction, and you pull the strip off in the opposite direction.


-You really do need to be efficient when you do this because if you don’t take remove the strip properly you can leave bruises. Make sure you press the strip on properly. And if, even after following all the instructions, it doesn’t come off clean and wax stays on the skin, you can apply a tiny bit more wax over it, press down firmer, pull skin more taught and try again.
If you need to, punch the couch when removing the strip in a downwards direction as it means you are pulling off the strip correctly



Area:
Bum / Between the cheeks
Position:
First, lying on back, one knee in chest, one knee bent out to the side. Then Client lying on their side (facing away from you) with knees up in front of them.
Hair removal:

-Ask client to raise one leg so their knee is in their chest, the other leg should be in the knee bent position. This will reveal some bits of hair by the bum cheek. Don’t forget the thicker hairs that might be growing just under the bum cheek (very top of the leg). Repeat on other side.

-Get client to lie on her side (facing away from you) with her knees bent up in front of her. Using the hand that’s on top your client needs to hold the thong and her bum cheek right up. If your client is shy this can be difficult. They need to hold it RIGHT up. You will usually find that the hair in this area grows towards the centre from the sides, and the away from the centre at the top (by the coccyx). From this position you can also ensure that you haven’t missed any bits by the perineum (the bit between the front and back).

After wax
Once you are satisfied, ask client to return to changing area, check everything is ok (tell her to let you know if there is a problem). She can then apply after wax oil to remove stickiness, this can then be wiped off and some after wax aloe vera gel applied to cool her down.

N.B. There are some comments on this tutorial, asking why I won't apply the clients aftercare products. this is something I have never done, as I feel it's too personal. This is somewhat backed up by the following quote which is taken from item 6.5 of the HABIA Code of Practice;

'It is important to maintain a professional manner during intimate waxing treatments to put the client at ease. To avoid any misinterpretation, it is important to use appropriate and professional language, conversation and behaviour.

Following this guidance is crucial to avoid potential legal implications, as there is a risk that the behaviour and actions of the practitioner could be misinterpreted as sexual assault.'


Protect yourselves, because no matter how ridiculous some of you may think it is that someone could come for an intimate wax then accuse you of sexual assault, you just never know!




Half / full Leg

For leg waxing I use crème strip wax with pot and spatula for the inner thighs, and roller wax for the outer thigh and lower leg. The reason for this is that the roller can sometimes drag, so it is best kept for areas with more taught skin.

I usually split each leg into 6 sections; Outer thigh, outer lower leg, Inner thigh, inner lower leg, back of thigh, back of calf (lower leg). I sometimes do it in 3; Inner leg, outer leg, back of leg, all going from ankle to groin.

Always try and wax as much as possible from the front as it makes it easier to do the back!!

If the client is just having a leg wax (no bikini) I start on one side, and work my way across; Right leg outer > Right inner > Left inner > Left outer> Right back > Left back.

When doing a full leg be really careful to check which way the hair is growing, because if you have a look at your thighs now, you will see that it generally grows downwards at the front, and then if you look to the outer side it grows almost sideways, towards your bum and the inner thigh grows in towards your other leg... hope this makes sense! lol.

If The client is having a bikini wax and half leg, I normally do the Bikini first, and the leg next. Then when it comes to turning the client over for backs of legs, I do the bit between the bum cheeks with them on their side, then the back of the legs with them on their front. It just flows better this way.

If the client is having a full leg and bikini, I would usually start with the bikini and do the inner thighs with it (using crème strip wax and pot and spatula method), I would then proceed with my normal routine for a full leg as outlined above. Doing between the bum cheeks (is applicable) before turning onto their front.



  • Apply wax in the direction of growth to the entire side / section of the leg.

  • When it comes to removing the wax with your strip, Ialways start at the top of the area of wax as this prevents wax stringing off the end of your strip. Much less messy. Just make sure you leave about 3-4cm at the bottom for you to grip. – Depends wether you have fingers like sausages or twiglets! ;)

  • Smooth the strip onto the leg using firm pressure. I like to smooth upward then hold the skin taught above the strip, unless I’m doing the inner thigh, this needs to be held much more taught from below to prevent bruising.
  • Quickly and fluidly pull the strip off parallel with the leg in the opposite direction of the hair growth.
  • Repeat, working your way down the leg. You really don’t need to take too much time pressing the strip down, as you become more confident you will literally slap the strip onto the leg, give it a quick press and whip it off!

  • When it comes to doing the knees you may find it can be awkward due to the irregular shape. I cover the knee in wax (pot and spatula, not roller), and remove the strips as normal. Look carefully at the direction of the hair growth to ensure you are applying the wax in the right direction.

  • Before you turn the client over to do the back of the legs, you may wish to ask your client to bring their knees up into their chest (one at a time) and you can wax most of the back of the thigh and get right up to the bum cheek with ease.

  • You should only have a strip at the back now, so use the same technique as the front of the leg. The hairs usually grow in a different direction on the back of the legs; they grow kind of to the side, so apply the wax in the direction of the hair growth, and pull off against.

As a guideline, A Half Leg wax takes me 10 minutes a full leg 20.





Male Waxing

Axiom has written a tutorial for male waxing, which can be found here;

http://www.salongeek.com/beauty-tutorials/40519-gorilla-warfare.html

 
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Hi Kate Excellent tutorial!

You have done a fantastic job of explaining it, clear enough for everyone, i think?
And like you say practice makes perfect.
Love your tutorial very tact full and long awaited for! lol

luv 'n' hugs
xxxxxxxx
 
Absolutely well done Kate. You are sooo proactive and thank you for the tutorial..!
 
Just one small tip I got from someone who just completed her NVQ3 in beauty therapy and also works in a salon.... was to rock the skin when the strip is in place, makes it adhere better to the hairs!
 
rock the skin...? Im not sure what you mean. would love you to explain. xx
 
Thank you so much for this. So simple to understand. Feel more confident going on a waxing course now.xxx
 
The Beauty Therapist who told me about 'rocking the skin' said that when you put the strip over the wax instead of pressing down just do a rolling like motion so you are kind of getting the strip in a better position and more hairs will be picked up?! Hard to explain this! Guess its almost the same as pressing firmly with the strip, so I'll stick to that!!!!
 
Cheers Kate, just what I needed!
 
This is fantastic - I am not a waxer but thoroughly enjoyed reading this!! Big thumbs up and well done!!
 
this is great, im not a waxer either, but did enjoy reading it.
 
hi kate can you do me a favour im confused over the different types of bikini can you give me a run down on what is what i know the modest but thats it hun! i have been waxing a while now and sometimes my cleints ask me and i have to say i honestly dont know ! i just ask em how much they want off and away we go! the problem with that is they all tend to get charged the same rate and i should be price structuring cheers babe
 
nailsbynicola said:
hi kate can you do me a favour im confused over the different types of bikini can you give me a run down on what is what i know the modest but thats it hun! i have been waxing a while now and sometimes my cleints ask me and i have to say i honestly dont know ! i just ask em how much they want off and away we go! the problem with that is they all tend to get charged the same rate and i should be price structuring cheers babe

Below are my definitions and what i charge (and in brackets what i charged in city centre). You should definately charge more because a. its kinda like danger money and b. it takes longer!

Modest - Just the sides - £9 (£10)
Brazilian - A strip on the top and underneath - £12 (£15)
Honeymoon - Just a strip on top, all hair from underneath and round the back removed - £14 (£17)
Hollywood - Everything removed - £17 (£20)
 
Hi

very imformative kate x
 
Thats great Kate, I've only been doing waxing a few months and still finding it a bit hard especially the bikini and underarm areas and when the clients skin is older and less elastic. I cant always hold all the skin firmly which I think is why I get brusing. Any tips?

Also I've had clients come to me almost wax virgins with a lot of bikini hair which is really stubborn and they often want it taken quite far back. Would you use a hot wax for this? Its really tough to remove and I find it quite stressful myself (and I'm not the one having my hair pulled out!!). I've tried trimming first but it doesnt seem to help in most cases.

One last thing.....sometimes I get clients who have a mixture of short and longer hair say on a 1/2 leg or eyebrow. Maybe they shaved/ plucked some bits and the rest is longer. The shorter hair doesnt wax off. What do you say to them when they leave with visible hair left which if you sat and plucked them all out would take you until midnight?

Hope you dont mind.
Emma
 
Thats great Kate, I've only been doing waxing a few months and still finding it a bit hard especially the bikini and underarm areas and when the clients skin is older and less elastic. I cant always hold all the skin firmly which I think is why I get brusing. Any tips?

If you cant support the skin always ask your client to hold it, and if they get in your way just manouver them so they dont. You will often find me tying myself in knots using only one hand whilst im keepin hold of skin with the other - imagine applying ur wax, then grabbing your strip with the same hand, lol.

Also I've had clients come to me almost wax virgins with a lot of bikini hair which is really stubborn and they often want it taken quite far back. Would you use a hot wax for this? Its really tough to remove and I find it quite stressful myself (and I'm not the one having my hair pulled out!!). I've tried trimming first but it doesnt seem to help in most cases.

You just have to get on with it! At first i was terrified of 'wax virgins' because i really didnt like the fact i was hurting them so much. But now i just slap on mi wax and whip it off in a flash. I do sometimes have trouble with the odd client, where the wax doesnt come off properly (usually if its cold weather). in which case i just put a tiny bit more wax on, press really firmly, hold taught and pull the strip off very quickly.

One last thing.....sometimes I get clients who have a mixture of short and longer hair say on a 1/2 leg or eyebrow. Maybe they shaved/ plucked some bits and the rest is longer. The shorter hair doesnt wax off. What do you say to them when they leave with visible hair left which if you sat and plucked them all out would take you until midnight?

I always just explain to clients before i wax them that there are underlying hairs waiting to come through that are too short for the wax to catch. you can tell before you wax them if this is going to be the case. i had a girl in the other day like this, so i advised her to pop back in a couple of weeks when there was better re-growth. she liked the fact i wasnt gonna rip her off!! lol. with eyebrows i tweeze the little'uns out, get a pair of good sharp pointy tweezers!!

Hope you dont mind.
Emma
 
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Fab tutorial Kate - Well done!!
I only offer as far as Brazilian ATM but my friend said she would volunteer to be a Hollywood model. Your Hollywood method is so much more dignified than the one I was taught - i.e. on all 4's doggy style. I feel like giving it a go now.
Thanks KxXx
 
hi
could you help me i have done an chest and back wax on an man, the only problem that i have found that about a week later he now has lots of spots on his back and a few on his chest.
i applyed after wax lotion to the areas afterwaxing but he has all of these spots and he said that he has never had spots on his back or chest.

hope that you can help me
jo
 
Most men will experience this, simply because they sweat and the grime sits in the nice open haor free folicles. he needs to exfoliate thoroughly every other day for a week or so, then use maybe australian body care lotion on the areas after.
 
Wow thats a really good tutorial. Fantastic
 
That was really interesting reading, thanks for that. I have been waxing for over a year now and like the other lady I dont like hurting my clients especially when it comes to the bikini area....i also find it quite stressful..so I stopped doing hollywoods, even though I did the specific training for it.
I actually waxed a friend of mine the other day there and I dont hink I bruised her but she said that the skin was red and then started to peel...I feel so bad...its not happened before. Do you think tat she may be allergic or is it a braising problem....I should say also that she recently had a baby and when I was waxing her she found it painful at the time....help! please!:eek:
:hug:
 

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