A Black Girl’s Guide To Waxing
Source: Courtesy of European Wax Center / EWC
Self-care is an act of self-love. And sometimes, loving yourself calls for physical maintenance: taking a pilates class, getting the manicure with the expensive nail art, or even getting a bikini wax ahead of a trip to somewhere warm, beautiful and by the sea.
But even if you’re not planning on taking PTO—when you’ve got melanin-rich skin and hair that naturally curls and coils, waxing and other forms of hair removal can look a little bit different than it does for other folks.
This is not to say it’s crazy challenging. If you and your wax specialist are armed with the right tips before you even lie down on their table, the whole process can be a breeze. Plus, it’s a great way to stay on top of your personal grooming, no matter which part of your body you choose to do it on.
Below are some crucial steps you can take before, during, and after you wax to make sure the results reflect the love you just showed yourself.
PREP
It may be tempting to waltz into the center, drop your undies, hop on the wax specialist’s table and let them get to work, but as European Wax Center esthetician Stacie Harding explains, a little preparation can make the overall experience much better. Harding suggests exfoliating the area you are looking to wax at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. “The skin should be prepped and the hair lifted enough to remove,” she says. “We want to make sure that our skin is hydrated and that hair is nice and soft coming out of the follicle. If it’s brittle and dry, the hair can break.”
The brand’s Graceful Body Polish is an excellent choice for pre-waxing. It’s got soothing aloe vera and softening vitamin E as well as granulated pumice to help slough away dead skin cells. As a bonus, it also contains Narcissus bulb extract– an all natural active ingredient derived from Daffodil flowers– which helps to slow hair growth so you can wait longer in between waxing. If you’re seeing a lot of ingrown hairs in the area you’re trying to wax, Harding suggests using a product with a chemical exfoliant like glycolic or salicylic acid.
AT THE CENTER
When you’re prepped and ready to get waxed, Harding says it’s important to pay attention to the kind of wax your aesthetician is using. Quality is key, and if you do have kinky or curly body hair, you may want to be sure they’re using hard wax as opposed to soft wax.
What’s the difference between the two? Soft wax you apply to the skin before placing a strip over it that adheres to the hairs, allowing for their exit from your follicles once you remove the strip. Hard wax, on the other hand, is applied directly to—and removed directly from—your skin. This means: no extra strips. As the wax cools and hardens, it becomes thick enough to grab with your hands and remove as it takes all those pesky hairs along with it.
“A lot of times with soft wax, the wax gets laid on the skin, and when you remove the strip, it takes some of the skin with it.” Hard wax grips onto the hairs itself. Kinky/coily hair types will probably do best with hard wax. European Wax Center’s innovative Comfort Wax® is a hard wax formulated with skin-soothing ingredients designed to nourish and care for skin and help lessen the overall discomfort that comes from waxing.
AFTERCARE
The way kinky hair grows makes us susceptible to ingrown hairs, which can sometimes lead to hyperpigmentation. This is why, Harding explains, aftercare is so important.
She suggests European Wax Center’s Ingrown Hair Serum as a must post-wax. It contains glycolic acid (great to gently exfoliate the skin and give hair a clear path for regrowth) in addition to calming, soothing, moisturizing ingredients like chamomile, vitamin E and lavender.
Harding also stresses the importance of SPF. “Your skin still darkens and you can still burn,” she says. And if you’re someone who deals with hyperpigmentation, you know that more sun is not a great solution to that issue. “We don’t want raised bumps or burned skin,” she explains. European Wax Center’s Brightening Ingrown Hair Serum includes vitamin C and azelaic acid to help brighten any dark areas due to hyperpigmentation.
To make your wax last as long as possible, you can use a product with ingredients that help slow hair growth. European Wax Center’s Slow collection has several products you can use in the weeks after you wax to make maintenance easier than ever. It includes body washes, body lotions, exfoliators and more all spiked with that Narcissus bulb extract to make your hairs grow slower and come back finer and thinner.
We promise—these tips will have your wax on point every time.
Check out the first episode of Listen To Black Women podcast where the cast discusses body hair, self care and more here.
