Waxing is one of the most effective hair removal techniques out there. But, it can also be painful, especially if you have easily irritated skin.
Post-wax rashes and redness are sometimes unavoidable. Luckily, they’re usually easy to treat. If you want smooth skin but don’t want to deal with the painful rashes, bumps, or redness that can sometimes result from waxing, keep these after wax care tips in mind.
How to Treat Post-Wax Rashes
Take a Shower
One of the best and easiest ways to soothe your skin after getting waxed is to take a lukewarm shower. Just make sure the water is lukewarm! If it’s too hot, your skin will be more prone to dryness and will probably become more irritated.
Don’t scrub with any kind of exfoliating products. Instead, use a hydrating, creamy cleanser to get rid of any wax residue.
Use a Gel or Ointment
There are lots of after wax care products that you can use to treat redness and irritation. If you want to go the natural route, consider products like aloe vera gel, Vitamin E oil, grapeseed oil, and tea tree oil. These products will soothe irritated skin, and some, like tea tree oil, also have beneficial anti-bacterial properties.
If you’re interested in convenience, you can also invest in a special post-wax oil that includes a blend of the ingredients listed above.
Topical ointments that contain ingredients like polymyxin B sulfate and bacitracin zinc will also help speed up the healing process. Avoid ointments that contain neomycin, which causes allergic reactions in many people.
With all of the above products, make sure you’re applying them correctly. Use clean fingertips to avoid infections or additional irritation, and apply just a thin layer of the product — using more won’t expedite healing — evenly across the skin.
Apply a Cold Compress
Ice and cold compresses are also great for reducing post-wax inflammation and redness. Apply them several times per day for a simple after wax care option.
Ice is always a good idea, just make sure you’re not taking ice cubes directly from the freezer and putting them on your skin! They might stick, which would not feel good post-wax. Instead, let ice cubes melt a little, or wrap them in a thin cloth first.
Don’t Touch the Area
With the exception of applying ointment or oil to your skin, try to avoid touching the area that you had waxed.
Touching your skin — especially if you haven’t washed your hands well first — will introduce dirt and bacteria into open pores. This can cause infections and redness. Too much friction on your freshly waxed skin can also cause increased irritation.
Wear Loose Clothing
Wear loose clothing after getting waxed. It’s important to let your skin breathe, and loose clothing will prevent friction and additional irritation.
Ideally, you’ll change into clean clothing after being waxed to avoid infection-causing germs getting into and clogging your pores. This is especially important if you’re having your bikini area waxed.
How to Prevent Rashes
All the after wax care tips discussed above will help treat rashes and irritation. There are also some things you can do before and after your wax to decrease the likelihood of your skin getting irritated in the first place.
Before Your Wax
The first thing you can do to prevent rashes and irritation after your wax is to make sure your hair is long enough before your appointment.
If you’ve just shaved prior to getting waxed, you might develop razor burn, ingrown hairs, or a build up of dead skin cells and dirt. All of these things will make you more susceptible to rashes, irritation, and ingrown hairs.
When your hair is too short, wax also won’t adhere to it as well. This means you’ll need another waxing session sooner than you’d like.
When hair is about 1/4 inch or longer, the change of damaging the hair follicles is decreased. Don’t worry if your hair is too long; a technician can always trim it before waxing if necessary.
You should also be sure to exfoliate and moisturize the skin regularly leading up to the appointment. This will make the waxing process less painful, and it will also help prevent ingrown hairs. While moisturizing is important, skip applying any gels or lotion the day of your appointment; this can prevent wax from adhering to your hair properly.
During Your Wax
Waxing at home is convenient and affordable. But, if you’re not careful, you might be more susceptible to rashes than if you work with a professional. To ensure that you get good results with minimal irritation, keep these tips in mind during your waxing session.
- Make sure your wax is the right temperature. Ideally, it should be comfortably warm — you need to be able to spread it, but you don’t want to burn yourself, either!
- Apply wax in the direction of hair growth, then pull in the opposite direction.
- To prevent rashes, don’t wax an area more than two times in a row.
- Use tweezers to get rid of stray hairs.
After Wax Care
To avoid developing rashes or irritation after getting waxed, be sure to avoid the following things:
- Exercise
- Intercourse
- Tanning
- Saunas
- Hot tubs
- Hot baths
Exercise and intercourse involve friction that can irritate your freshly waxed skin and cause a rash. Tanning, saunas, hot tubs, and baths are not recommended either because your skin is extra sensitive to heat and sunlight after a wax.
Ideally, you would avoid direct sunlight altogether after your wax. If you can’t avoid going out in the sun, though, make sure to apply some good sunscreen — SPF 50 or higher.
Cold compresses are beneficial even if you don’t have a rash, as they will close the pores and prevent irritation, infection-causing bacteria from entering them.
Get the Best Waxing Products Today
If you’re waxing at home, investing in high-quality waxing products will help ensure you get good results with little-to-no irritation. Check out our store today to find the best at-home wax and after wax care products!