By Khanak Mehta
You’ve done the right prep, you showed up to your waxing appointment in time, and you sat through the pain with just the occasional wince. You may feel like a superstar walking out of your session, but the work doesn’t just end there. In fact, it’s only half the battle won.
After a wax, your skin becomes sensitive and is prone to redness and irritation. Plus, there’s also the occasional ingrown hair that shows up and just refuses to go away, too. So, here are three easy aftercare tips to follow after your waxing appointment that will help keep your skin healthy and irritation-free, and help your waxing results last longer.
Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise
The best thing to do right after your wax is to apply a soothing moisturiser or lotion that has calming ingredients like oats. This will help soothe and moisturise the area and accelerate skin repair by forming a protective barrier over it, too. Stick with gentle and hydrating lotions and shower creams for the first few days after your wax to protect your skin and help keep it supple. You can also apply cool gels like aloe vera to battle redness if you have particularly sensitive skin.
Time to exfoliate
Two to three days after your wax is the perfect time to exfoliate. Your skin would have started recovering from the session, and it’s the best way to prevent ingrown hair and remove any dead skin cells. Avoid using harsh scrubs – instead, hydrating sugar scrubs are a great, gentle alternative. Use them two to three times a week while your hair regrows to make sure that no ingrown hair or bumps show up.
The no-no's
After a wax, loose and relaxed is the name of the game. Scale back your morning routine and skip the three sprays of perfume for the first one to two days after your wax to avoid irritating your skin. Choose loose clothing that gives your skin lots of breathing space, and skip the HIIT workout – go easy on the sweating to avoid bumps and redness showing up. If you do have to step out into the sun, be sure to liberally lather on an SPF.