At-Home Waxing Do: Apply and Pull in the Right Direction
If you're an at-home waxing newbie, then this next tip is especially important in waxing anything at home from, whether it's using a leg and eyebrow waxing kit or attempting your first Brazilian wax at home. Always apply wax in the direction of hair growth, as it allows the wax to adhere more completely. After spreading on the wax, place the cloth strip over the wax and press it down firmly using strokes in the same direction as hair growth. Leave the strip on for a few seconds to set.
When removing the cloth strip, hold your skin taut and quickly pull it off in the opposite direction of hair growth. Stay close and parallel to the skin, like turning a page in a book, don't lift the strip up in the air.
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At-Home Waxing Do: Apply Pressure Post Wax
Beauty is pain, but at-home waxing — even a DIY bikini wax — doesn't have to be unbearable. Immediately after removing the cloth strip, apply pressure to the waxed area to help relieve the sting, prevent bruising and make skin less sensitive.
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At-Home Waxing Don't: Wax the Same Area More Than Twice
Going over the same area more than twice can damage the skin — and be quite painful. If you still have a few stray hairs after applying the wax twice, use tweezers to remove them (try Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezer, $15).
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At-Home Waxing Do: Use Baby Oil Post-Wax
After leg waxing, eyebrow waxing or bikini waxing, you want to make sure you give your skin a little love. A hydrating product, like baby oil, can help clean up any residual wax on your skin and also moisturize the skin. How's that for killing two birds with one stone?
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At-Home Waxing Don't: Pick at Ingrown Hairs
Although it's tempting, picking at ingrown hairs won't help, and it may lead to an infection. If you have stubborn ingrown hairs after waxing (especially common after a bikini wax at home), soak in warm water to soften the skin, gently exfoliate the area and apply a salicylic acid treatment (like Queen Bee Waxing Buzz Off Bumps, $24, or Bliss Ingrown Hair Eliminating Pads), $38, to help further exfoliate the area.
If you really must pick after attempting a Brazilian wax at home (though we repeat, don't), only use sterilized tweezers and only target ingrown hairs that are right at the surface of the skin.
Once you overlook the temporary pain, at-home waxing is mighty tempting. Besides saving money on countless hair removal products and salon waxing treatments, swapping a salon treatment for, say, a Brazilian wax at home means you can look forward to being stubble-free for weeks — minus the razor burn. However, at-home waxing — especially if it in involves a DIY Brazilian wax — takes more than a simple disposable razor.
While at-home waxing is convenient, there are definitely rules for the at-home hair removal life. So as to avoid ingrown hairs, burns and possible bruising, it's important to know your DIY waxing basics. So before you try that eyebrow waxing kit you just bought, read these essential at-home waxing tips so you wind up with smooth, hair-free skin — not ingrown hairs and frustration from a botched leg waxing or at-home bikini wax treatment.
