Before undertaking or performing a waxing treatment, you should read this list of known contraindications for waxing to best avoid any negative outcomes.
- Contagious Skin Diseases
- Skin Trauma
- Post-Surgical Scarring
- Keloid or Hypertropic Scarring
- Sunburn
- Dry Skin
- Thin Skin
- Pregnancy
- Musculoskeletal Injury
- Low Pain Threshold
- Related Topics
Contagious Skin Diseases
- Wooden spatulas must be used, not rollers or reusable knives. Spatulas should be used once only, and not both ends of the stick;
- Gloves should be worn at all time;
- All surfaces should be wiped down thoroughly afterwards with 70% isoproply alcohol;
- All metal instruments used during treatment, eg tweezers, should be sterilised afterwards.
Skin Trauma
If someone presents with lesions, sores, skin inflammation, boils, pus, or open wounds, the area should be avoided.
Post-Surgical Scarring
Post-surgical scarring is very deep and takes a long time to heal fully. For that reason, you shouldn't wax over scars that are less than six months old.
Keloid or Hypertropic Scarring
People who are prone to keloid or hypertrophic scarring are at greater risk of skin trauma from waxing, especially if the skin is torn. If you are waxing someone with a history of keloid scarring, you should inform them of the risks.
Sunburn
Skin that is obviously red from recent sunburn should definitely not be waxed. The top layer of skin can laminate, which is very painful both at the time and for several days after.
Also, skin hyperpigmentation issues can result from waxing sunburnt skin, months or years later due to exposing underlying skin prematurely.
Dry Skin
Skin damage or tearing can occur where skin is very dry. Men's backs can be notoriously dry. Dry skin will attempt to absorb moisture from any source, including the wax, which can increase adhesion exponentially and cause a skin tear.
Applying a very light layer of pre-wax oil before waxing can help alleviate dry skin but adopting the habit of moisturising regularly is by far the best preventation.
Thin Skin
Thin skin can result for many reasons, such as diabetes, aging, use of prescribed skin care creams, and off-the-shelf depilatory creams and sprays. Extreme care should be taken.
Again, moisturising is the best prevention. To help heal the condition over the longer term, RF Skin Tightening has a good track record for achieving results.
Pregnancy
To avoid unnecessary harm to an unborn child, it's wise to err on the side of safety during the first trimester of pregnancy, and perform no waxing at all.
In the week leading up to delivery, women often book for a Ladies' Brazilian Wax to avoid being shaved at the hospital.
Musculoskeletal Injury
Musculoskeletal injuries are any injury to muscles or bone or associated tissue. Fractures, sprains, broken bones, torn ligaments, muscle cramps, pain in the vertebrae or joints.
If you're a waxing therapist, all of these are signals to think before you wax. Some lesser injuries can be worked around, but anything extreme, tell the client to come back once they're healed. You don't want to make things worse.
Low Pain Threshold
While someone might not admit to being in pain during a wax treatment, it's important that you know when they are. Telltale sigs can present as excessive sweating, body language, and jerking.
Trust me when I say this puts you both in danger. You don't want a fist or knee to the face because the client lost control of their pain.