What Your Esthetician Wants You To Know - Waxing Part II

In addition to receiving facial and massage services, I also receive waxing from other Estheticians. I’ve waxed everything (upper lip being the worst for me). I know what it’s like from the waxer’s perspective and also the client. So many clients come in for body waxing and are SO NERVOUS. Of course, you need to know that that’s 100% normal. But besides that, here are a couple more things that your Esthetician would want you to know.

#1 - We are doing a job of removing hair. We are looking for the best waxing patterns to do our job efficiently while providing the most comfort to you, the client. That’s all we are looking at. For me, it’s about combining speed with comfort.

#2 - Holding skin tight and breathing are essential to making sure you limit the pain associated with waxing. Especially when it comes to intimate waxing, trust me on this. Watching where the wax is going or trying to lift up does not help anything. It creates more anxiety for you and the waxer.

#3 - There are no questions that you can ask your Esthetician that haven’t been asked before. We are here to answer anything you have, but we’ll be sure to share with you what to do and not to do after waxing. These recommendations are helpful in creating the best waxing experience.

#4 - The aftercare instructions are important. Don’t ignore them … as this is what causes problems like bumps and ingrowns. Try to purchase the aftercare that day or as soon as possible.

#5 - Doing surgery on yourself on an ingrown will result in more problems, including dark marks (hyperpigmentation.) Instead, use the home care products and ask your Esthetician to help you remove ingrowns if possible.

In the end, every waxer has a unique pattern that they’ve learned and made into their own. They may use different waxing patterns, different wax or even sugar, or have different positions for your legs or arms. A great Esthetician has figured out what works best for him/her as well as their clients. Trust the process and their expertise that has created raving fans who come back month after month.

Don’t forget to

Breathe. Let Go. Relax.

Zoey Jolley, LE

Quick Waxing Checklist

You’ve thought about intimate waxing for months, maybe years. You make the leap of faith and schedule an appointment, only to then think that you know nothing about waxing, but want to ‘get it right.’ Here is a quick list for you to reference to make sure that you are ready for the big day, including before, during and after a wax.

Before Waxing

Grow out hair 2-3 weeks (3 is ideal) if shaving

Exfoliate in the shower the day of your appointment

Avoid or limit caffeine and alcohol

During Waxing

Try to stay relaxed

Make sure to breathe

Hold the skin tight where your Esthetician recommends

After Waxing

Apply the hydrating serum daily

Exfoliate about every other day

For 24 hours avoid anything hot (tanning, saunas, etc.), sweating, and sex

If you still have questions, don’t be embarrassed to ask your Esthetician! We’ll explain and go over how the hair cycle works, the after care, and answer any of your concerns before or at your appointment.

99% of my clients have said it wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be … and that they’d wish that they would have come in to try it sooner. So what are you waiting for?

Don’t forget to

Breathe. Let Go. Relax.

Zoey Jolley, LE

How Do I Grow My Brows Back In?

So you may have tweezed one hair too many for a decade, or your previous waxer may have gotten a little carried away. With full brows being in for a couple years now, I’ve seen many clients that want to add more back in to create a natural, full brow. Brow rehab is a thing, and I’m here to help you on your journey!

What can you expect when you are needing to grow your brows back in? Each hair on your body goes through a growing, resting and falling out phase. When it falls out, another hair is set to take its place. For brows, it could take 6 to 12 months for one brow hair to return. And because you don’t want to keep a hair that isn’t next to and in line with the other hairs that are apart of the current brow, it could take up to a year (or maybe a little more) to transform your brows.

This awkward stage will be minimized. We will work together and communicate what you like and don’t like about your brows. Then I will show you the brows that are in question and we’ll make a decision of how much awkward one can take. During this process, I encourage you to throw your tweezers away. Hide them. Out of sight, out of mind. Do not tweeze any brows so that I can see what is coming in, where it is coming in, and find your natural shape. This makes my job much easier AND (bonus!) helps you to get to your natural full shape sooner!

If brows are being stubborn, then I encourage you to use a growth serum to help speed up that process. Because it can take time for each hair to grow in, it is important to cultivate patience. Also, you’ll still want to keep up regular brow appointments (usually between 3 and 4 weeks). When we keep paying attention to something, it’s remarkable how that encourages them to grow in sooner.

Waxing versus tweezing. Another thing to note here is that when you wax, you are doing more damage to the follicle of the hair (which is great if you don’t want hair clear down on your eyelid.) Tweezing doesn’t have the same effect on the hair follicle. So if we are wanting a hair in the brow shape, but it’s too awkward to keep for now, I will continue to tweeze it versus waxing. Which is also another reason why you need to get rid of those tweezers!!!

If you’ve tried for months (or years) without success to grow your brows back in, it may be time to consider permanent makeup. Since we know every brow has it’s place, adding a little to the head of the brow, or the underneath side can make a world of difference. When choosing a permanent makeup artist, be sure to check out their portfolio, ask about their training and certifications, and make sure that you communicate and feel comfortable about the brow shape BEFORE they begin the service.

If you are ready to change your shape and even just fine tune what nature gave you, let’s get going today!

Don’t forget to

Breathe. Let Go. Relax.

Zoey Jolley, LE

Is Waxing or Dermaplaning Better?

When explaining hair removal options, I often get asked whether Dermaplaning or Waxing is better? These treatments are both amazing options, but work in different ways.

Dermaplaning's first job is to the exfoliate the skin. This is done by gently moving a dermatological scalpel back and forth on the skin. The scalpel picks up the dead skin cells away from the healthy skin cells. What does Dermaplaning feel like? I think that the best descriptions are a credit card is sliding back and forth on the skin or a cat's tongue is licking your face. While exfoliating is number one, as a by product mostly of the peach fuzz hair on the face is also removed in the process.

Want an instant glow? Dermaplane. Would you like better makeup application? Dermaplane. Would you like your products to do their job 100%? Dermaplane.

Waxing's first job is to remove unwanted and unsightly hair. There are 2 different types of wax: hard wax which sets up completely and soft wax, which uses strips to remove. I only use hard wax on the face, as it is more gentle and works by essentially shrink wrapping the wax around the hairs of the skin. What does waxing feel like? I would describe this service to have a little bit of sting or tingle. The pain is very short lived. Clients may be a little pink for a couple hours after a wax which is very normal. While removing hair is the first priority of this service, waxing will also naturally pick up a little of the dead skin cells that are ready to go.

Want to remove dark or coarse hair? Wax. Want smoother skin for a longer period of time? Wax. Would you like facial hair to grow in a little finer and softer? Wax.

So let's review. The Dermaplaning service exfoliates first and removes hair second. Having a waxing treatment removes hair first and exfoliates the skin second. The main benefits of Dermaplaning are to give you an instant glow, give you better makeup application, and better product penetration. The main benefits of Waxing are to remove dark hair, have a smoother feel of the face for a longer period, and for facial hair to grow in a little finer and softer most of the time. I should note that dark, coarse facial hair is related to hormonal changes and it's always a good idea to get those checked with your doctor.

I also will offer to include waxing the upper lip with a Dermaplane service, so you can get the best of both worlds! When looking at your skin, I will let you know if this is what I recommend for you to do.

Let's set up a treatment that is right for you!

Don't forget to Breathe. Let Go. Relax.

Zoey Jolley, Licensed Esthetician