What To Do When You Can’t Go To Your Waxing Appointment

Body hair removal, or lack thereof, is a personal choice. But whatever routine you choose, chances are it has changed at least somewhat due to the spread of COVID-19.

As salons have been forced to close indefinitely, those who have committed to a waxing regimen might wonder how to maintain their progress without undoing all the time (and pain) they’ve put toward all those years of waxing.

European Wax Center education manager, Gina Petak, told HuffPost that ideally, we should be taking this time to let our hair go through its natural growth cycle. In other words, do not shave.

“Take this time to grow out hair so you are ready for a wax when you can go back out,” she told HuffPost over email. “Since most public places and social gatherings are called off, this is a great time to grow hair out.”

It is typically frowned upon by aestheticians to shave between waxes, as waxing removes hair from below the skin surface and promotes a slower, lighter regrowth over time than shaving. Having said that, Petak said you should feel free to tweeze stray hairs, especially to keep eyebrow shape, and if you are going to shave, she has some advice for doing that, too.

“We recommend changing razors our every two to four weeks and if you must shave, only shave the sides of your bikini line,” she said. “This way you still feel groomed but are not starting your waxing results from scratch.”

Both Beata Chyla, lead esthetician at Bliss Spa, and Courtney Claghorn, co-founder of tanning and sugaring salon Sugared + Bronzed, echoed the not-shaving sentiment to The Daily Beast in favor of letting the hair grow out and refraining from shaving if possible. Claghorn recommends trimming if necessary, while Chyla said you will be better off in the long run once you can finally get to that next appointment.

“Allowing hair to reach its full length will make the next waxing experience more effective, [because] there won’t be any little hairs trying to get through,” she told the site.

Waxing, as with any other hair removal process, poses the risk of ingrown hairs and irritation, so the best practice right now, according to Petak, is maintaining your regular skin care and exfoliation routine, which can include using products containing glycolic or lactic acid as well as products specifically formulated to treat ingrown hairs. She also recommends looking for products with the ingredient “narcissus tazetta bulb extract” to help slow the regrowth of hair. It “aids in attacking the regrowth of hair at the root,” she said.

Hair removal is low on the list of things to truly be concerned about at the present, but the most important thing to remember is that this is temporary, and by following these exfoliating and maintenance tips, you’ll be in good shape once you’re able to start getting back to your regular appointments.

A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus

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