Waxing is excellent, especially when it comes to controlling hair growth. But what’s even more important is caring for skin after waxing. Let us discuss it in this article.
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How to Take Care of Skin After Waxing – Quick Guide
The following are steps for caring for skin after you wax it, whether it is in the eyebrow area or other areas:
1. Skip Fragranced Products
Fragrance is a no-no in any skincare product, no matter in what quantity. Fragrance tends to irritate the skin. Sometimes, you can develop an allergy to it even if you have never had one. And this happens when you use it for a long time.
It is even more crucial to avoid using skincare products with fragrance after waxing. The compound can irritate the skin and cause a rash to appear. Worse still, it could lead to a skin condition.
2. Apply Cold Compress
Your skin will feel tender after waxing, and it is necessary to find some relief for the skin. One of the best solutions is a cold compress. There are different ways to make a cold compress, but you can soak a towel in water, store the towel in a bag, and place it in a freezer.
Wait about ten minutes, remove the bag, and apply it to the waxed area. You will get the much-needed relief soon.
3. Use Aloe
Much like a cold compress, aloe vera soothes irritated skin, and then some. The plant contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. And these help different skin conditions and irritations.
Therefore, placing a little aloe gel on waxed skin works like magic. It works even better if the aloe vera gel is straight from the refrigerator.
4. Keep Out from Under the Sun
The pain and irritation you feel after waxing comes from the stripping of the topmost skin layer. You are vulnerable to sun rays. So, when you step out under the sun with such tender skin, you leave yourself susceptible to even more irritation.
If you can, keep out from under the saun for a few days while your skin recovers. But if you must, use the right type of sunscreen.
5. Do Not Touch Ingrown Hair
Keep your hands away from the bumps that appear on your skin after waxing. They contain ingrown hair, and while you feel tempted to touch them, you create additional irritation and possible infection.
Your hands are not always as clean as you think. So, they can transfer the dirt to broken skin. If the irritation persists, see a doctor for proper treatment.
6. Put a Hold on Exercising
Sweat is not one of the things you want on your skin. It will further get irritated and worsen the pain or discomfort. If you exercise, you will sweat a lot. Also, if you have to exercise, you will wear gear that rubs against the skin.
Gym or exercise gear tends to be somewhat tight, so you cannot avoid the friction. The friction will anger the bumps and make matters worse. Therefore, it is crucial to keep away from exercise or the gym for a few days.
7. Avoid Exfoliating
It goes without saying that sensitive or irritated skin does not need exfoliating. If you usually exfoliate a few times every week, take a step back for several days to give your skin time to recover. There is no need to create micro-abrasions on already irritated skin. And you won’t be the worse for wear if you skip exfoliating for some days.
These steps help soothe and relieve bumpy, red skin after waxing.
Discoloration of Skin After Waxing – Solved
If your skin becomes discolored or darkened after waxing, avoid waxing the same area again for some time. It may be that you waxed the area more than once too close together. You did not allow the skin to recover, and this repeated waxing can cause pigmentation.
Also, you can apply cocoa butter to the discolored skin to reduce the dark color. Additionally, consider keeping out from under the skin or use sunscreen to curb more pigmentation.
If you suspect there is scarring, give your skin some time to recover. You cannot say for sure while it is still tender. But if it is healed, you can tell whether or not there is a scar.
Skin Burn After Waxing – Treatment Methods
If your skin burns after you wax, here are some ways to treat it:
- Run cold water on the burn area for several minutes, preferably up to twenty minutes. Don’t place ice directly on it.
- Apply a little mild soap, then rinse the area. Use a cold compress if the soap and water do not reduce the pain.
- Apply some ointment to prevent an infection. Cover it with a bandage afterward. Continue applying the ointment until the burn heals.
- Aloe vera can also help lessen the sting and dry up the wound quickly. It has anti-inflammatory properties. Honey can do the same job, so use it if you cannot get aloe vera.
- If the burn from the skin wax does not start to heal after a few days of treating it or starts to ooze, see a doctor for further treatment.
- However, you may need to give the burn up to 2 weeks for total healing, especially if it is severe. But it helps to start treating it immediately after the burn occurs. It also helps not to pick the wound when it starts scabbing; you only make it fresh and delay healing. In addition, don’t use any oil on it.
- Don’t wax if you already have a wound, a sunburn, or use retinoids. Your skin is sensitive in any of these cases, and waxing only makes it worse.
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What Causes Bumps on Skin After Waxing?
Here are a few causes of skin bumps after waxing:
1. Folliculitis
Folliculitis is damage to hair follicles caused after the removal of hair. They leave the skin susceptible to bacteria. And when the bacteria that naturally occur on human skin invades the follicles, you have folliculitis.
Avoid wearing tight or fitted clothing if you have folliculitis. Doing so further irritates the skin and makes the skin condition worse.
2. Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is an allergic irritation or reaction to a product. While fragranced skincare products commonly cause contact dermatitis, you can also get it from wax. Wax tends to contain compounds or chemicals that irritate the skin.
If your skin swells, burns, peels, or stings along with the bumps, it indicates that you have contact dermatitis. The bumps also tend to be itchy; that is another tell-tale sign of having contact dermatitis.
3. Ingrown Hair
Ingrown hair is hair that grows and fuses back into the follicle. It tends to happen a few days after you wax and can be painful and itchy. If you don’t treat ingrown hair, it can get infected.
If you find pus, a cyst, or feel warmness in that area, you may have ingrown hair that is infected. It is crucial to treat it as quickly as possible.
How to Treat Skin Bumps
Moisturize the area with the bumps regularly. Keep it as clean and dry as you can. Doing these things makes the healing process faster.
Don’t wear tight clothes to reduce the occurrence of friction. And use a cold compress for extra relief. Warm compresses also work, especially in treating ingrown hair. They tend to open the pores and let ingrown hair out.
Additionally, avoid fragranced skincare products because they will do more harm than good, no matter how great they are. Finally, use a topical cream or aloe vera for inflammation relief. But make sure the skin is clean before applying it.
Dry Skin After Waxing – How to Treat
Constantly waxing tends to strip natural oils from the skin. Skin dryness becomes more noticeable if you fail to use the right type of moisturizer after waxing. In fact, you should have a good and regular moisturizing routine if your skin dries out after waxing.
Use thick moisturizers rich in hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and emollients. These ingredients prevent skin inflammation, repair and maintain skin barriers, and soften the skin.
Prepare your skin before waxing. To prepare it, use a pre-waxing product. This product will remove sweat and skincare products’ residue on your skin. It will also nourish and protect your skin before you depilate it. Most of the effects of skin waxing don’t affect your skin when you prepare it ahead of time.
Keep an eye on what you eat. Drink lots of water and stay out from under the sun as much as possible. Staying hydrated encourages more collagen production, and collagen keeps your skin plump and soft.
When bathing, keep the bathwater and temperature moderate. If the water is too hot, it will strip your skin of oils. And if it is too cold, it may not clean your body thoroughly. Don’t use fragranced or harsh bath products or even other products. Also, you can exfoliate but not too often; otherwise, you risk drying your skin more.
After taking a bath, pat your skin dry instead of scrubbing and rubbing it. Leave it a little damp, and apply your lotion or moisturizer. As the skin dries, the moisturizer or lotion gets absorbed into your skin. That way, the active ingredients are trapped in the skin and work better for longer.
How Do I Remove Wax from Skin after Waxing?
Here are different methods of removing wax from the skin after waxing:
1. Using Warm Oil
Heat a massage oil, mineral oil, olive oil, or any other suitable type of oil. When it is warm, get a wad of cotton wool and soak it in the oil until it is saturated.
Then, hold it over the wax on your skin for about three minutes. Clean off the wax with another wad of cotton wool; it should be loose after the oil application.
2. Using Alcohol
Soak a wad of cotton wool in some alcohol. Then, rub it on the wax on your skin, going circularly. And when the wax residue falls off, apply a moisturizer to the skin area to prevent irritation.
3. Using Hot Compress
Soak a clean cloth or towel in hot water until it is hot. Take it out of the water, set it in the skin with wax, and allow it to sit for a minute. The heat from the towel will soften the wax and cause it to fall off. But if it does not fall off automatically, wipe it off with the towel.
4. Using Petroleum Jelly
Get petroleum jelly and apply a good amount to the skin with wax. Wait about five minutes and clean the skin with a clean wad of cotton wool. The oil in the petroleum jelly softens and loosens the wax, so you can easily wipe it off.
5. Using Ice
Take a cube of ice and hold it over the skin with wax for about thirty seconds to a minute. The ice will harden the wax and make it brittle. So, you can easily flake it off. But if it adheres too tightly to your skin, do not try to scrape or pull it off. You may cause an injury. Simply try another method.
Note: Before you try any of the above methods, wash the skin with wax using mild soap and warm water. Then, moisturize it with some water-based moisturizer.
How to Remove Dark Spots after Waxing
The best way to remove dark spots after waxing is to give it time. You can apply some cocoa butter or some other recommended skincare product, but with time, you will be able to see if there is any permanent damage.
However, taking care of the skin before you wax prevents dark spots after waxing. A dermatologist is in the best position to recommend what to do to prevent pigmentation after waxing for your specific skin type. It would not hurt to keep out from under the sun for a while. If you must go out, use a good amount of sunscreen, even if the weather is cloudy.
Blood Under Skin after Waxing – What to Do
If you find blood under your skin after waxing, be aware it is just one of the side effects commonly associated with waxing. It may look like a severe issue, especially if it is your first time waxing or you have sensitive skin. But it usually goes away after a few days. And your skin gets used to the process the more you do it.
When you should be concerned is if the blood under your skin remains, clots, and the area becomes painful. If the effect persists for up to a week, see a doctor immediately.
Bacterial Infection on Skin after Waxing – Treatment
Typically, you don’t need to treat folliculitis, which is a bacterial skin infection resulting from hair removal. Just keep from wearing tight clothing, and allow the skin to breathe. You can also wash the skin with antibacterial soap and warm water two times daily. And when washing it, use a clean towel each time.
Folliculitis is a bacterial infection on the skin that occurs after removing hair. Waxing leaves the skin pores open and vulnerable. And if the naturally occurring skin bacteria get in, the hair follicles become infected.
Recap
Waxing is one of the best hair removal methods. But it comes with some side effects that are frustrating and painful in some cases. However, there are care tips for skin after waxing. And caring for your skin before waxing also helps to prevent severe irritation.
Bottom line: See a dermatologist if you have never waxed before and want to start. If you have been waxing, but get irritated skin each time, this guide shows you how to soothe red, itchy, bumpy, or irritated skin.
Skin After Waxing – FAQs
1. How Do I Treat Peeling Skin After Waxing?
Try not to apply any ointment or salve to your skin if it peels after waxing. Peeling is a common side effect of waxing and tends to wear off after a few days. While skin peeling after waxing causes slight inflammation and itchiness, it is a minor side effect, so it does not need treatment.
2. How Long Does Irritation Last after Waxing?
Typically, irritation after waxing lasts about twenty-four hours before it starts wearing off. Skin irritation after waxing tends to disappear without any treatment, but you can place aloe vera gel on the area. However, if it persists for days or weeks after waxing, see a dermatologist because it may be more than an irritation.
