What is Facial Waxing? Risks, Precautions, Side-Effects

📅 November 1, 2024 ✍️ By Julie Alvarado ⏱️ 9 Mins Read 🗂️ Blog 🕒 Last updated: November 2, 2024 📌 Tags:waxing

Waxing is a temporary hair removal technique from the roots and the body hair takes a while to grow back. First the Wax is heated and then taken up by a butter knife (preferably) and slightly cooled . after which, it is spread over the area to be waxed in approximate equal proportion . A strip is used that is rubbed and laid on the area applied with wax and pressed gently but with slight pressure and quickly ripped off in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Wax can be either bought or made at home lemon juice, honey and sugar.

Now coming to the most sensitive part of the body , the Face . We don’t hear many doing the facial waxing or recommending it. But, facial hair is a problem too and threading would not be idle on a regular basis. So, what do we do now? Do not worry, we have the problem covered as you further go an reading. Facial waxing isn’t a taboo and should be observed from a practical outlook. Here it goes…

What is Facial Waxing?

Facial Waxing is the removal of facial hair through waxing . There are other methods like bleaching, threading or laser treatments. Laser treatments are expensive and harm the skin to some extent. Threading will results in thicker hair growth and bleaching could pave the way for grey spots. There are several types face waxing as mentioned below:

Eyebrow waxing

Nope it does not mean that your entire eyebrows are going to get ripped. When u get your eyebrows waxed, the wax is gently applied with a thin strip to the area which is getting out of your desired shape and then gently ripped. We can say that threading would be slightly convenient but waxing could leave more clean and lasting results.

Forehead waxing

Wax is applied from one end of the forehead to the other end and then jerked off. Care should be taken of the upper forehead that stretches to the scalp. Its should be your choice if you want it to be waxed at the borders or stop at it.

Jaw and jawline waxing

The narrow stream of excessive hair near your ears and the growth around your jaw that at times gives you the masculine look can be waxed too. The waxing will be done on the jaw till its line, leaving the cheek area. The cheek area is generally left as it is very sensitive and soft. Such hard pull would not be advisable for the cheeks. As an exception, if there is a good amount of growth that has to be removed, the cheeks can be waxed.

Chin waxing

The tiny outgrow of hair on the chin and the chin area could be waxed in a single go.

Upper neck waxing

This area includes the area just below the chin and fading towards the Adam’s apple and waxed swiftly at once.

Full face waxing

All of the above mentioned comes under this waxing and holds the same steps of hair removal. If you want to do all of the above then you can directly go for this option. And if you have only selective needs, you can go for it individually for comparatively less expense.

Risks associated with Facial Waxing

There are few risks involved with this waxing that needs to be taken cares of. The following are the risks that are associated with it:

Quick Burns: Since facial skin is highly sensitive, if hot wax is put directly without slight cooling, there can be a slight burn.
Loose skin: If the face is frequently waxed , it will lose its rigidity resulting in wrinkles .
Quick aging: Frequent waxing makes the skin loose , hence welcoming aging before time.
Face Dullness: If waxing removes tan and dead cells, over waxing can pull out exfoliating cells which would reduce your facial glow.
Bleeding: For first-timers, there might be slight bleeding in some parts while waxing which is pretty much normal.

Side Effects

Reactions: Different people have different skin types. Therefore there might be a possibility of skin rashes, boils or any other sort of reaction.
Redness: There might be certain redness on the face after waxing which could last up to a week or longer depending on the health of the skin.
Breaking Out: It is normal to have a breakout but are usually triggered by low-quality waxes.
Infection: If a person is unaware of the cause of allergies they undergo, there is a chance of skin infection due to the allergy.
Discoloration: Those with pigmentation issues might face this problem. There might be a slight discoloration due to waxing.
Outgoing Limit: There is a 24 hour limit for going out and expose your skin after getting your face waxed. Since all the dead skin has been removed, it will take time for the fresh layer to cover it up. Bare skin is sensitive and there are chances of tanning and pigmentation.
Aging: Due to frequent waxing sessions, the rigidity of the skin is reduced resulting in its elasticity. The skin gets loose and forms wrinkles ad bags.

Precautions

The most important precaution is that; always get your waxing done by a trained personnel.
Do not expose your face to the sun right after being waxed to avoid skin disease or tanning.
Do not apply any sort of creams for a while after waxing , just let the skin breathe for some time.
Try not to take a shower couple of hours before getting your face waxed as it may open up pores and make it vulnerable to infections.
Post waxing, powder your face to adhere the was to your hair and not your skin ,thus, minimizing the redness .
After getting your hair uprooted, you should soothe your skin post waxing by applying aloe vera-based gel for cooling.
You can also apply ice to cool the burning sensation.
Avoid frequently touching the face as it can cause irritation and small pimples to occur.
Avoid waxing while on periods as it may cause more redness.
Scrub your face properly at regular intervals to delay the facial hair growth.
Do not go to the pool after waxing as it is a must to stay away from chlorine for a day or so . Chlorine can react with your waxed face and cause irritation or rashes.
Once you have waxed, your skin seems to be tender. To get it back to its previous state , you should gently massage your skin.
Wash your face with raw milk since it helps in minimizing redness and nourishes your face.

We often tend to lend our ears to all those free advice but it is a real task to decide if it is a myth or a fact. We bring to you all the myths as well as facts.

Myths:

The top of the brows should never be waxed: Waxing always gives tidier look . The professionals can help you decide what shape suits your face the best.
Waxing exfoliates your face: Waxing exfoliates the first layer of the skin. Prepping the skin by washing and exfoliating is still required to get rid of the redness post waxing.
Wait for the hair to grow really long to wax again: Facial hair growth should be around 1/8 inch long for it to be waxed again.
Frequent waxing minimizes the growth of hair: Ingrown hair grows under the skin and if not cared for well can grow back after each wax.

Facts:

Waxing exposes the pores: Waxing leaves the pores open and becomes slightly vulnerable. It should be kept clean and nourished.
Skin turns red post-waxing: Waxing leaves the skin sensitive that results in redness which is pretty normal.
Waxing will keep your face free of hair growth for long: Waxing jerks off the hair from the roots and keeps the hair from going for approximately three weeks.
After each session of wax, the hair grows finer and at reduced rate: Regular sessions of waxing makes the growth to be finer and at a comparatively slower rate.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

It’s the only way out for women with extensive facial growth. The two options available to them are either bleaching or waxing. There are high chances for the bleaching to go totally wrong in many ways and might not be so delightful to look at. Hence, it’s waxing that comes in handy.
Any other method of hair removal other than waxing, results in thicker and hardback growth of hair.
Waxing stays effective for a good period of time, comparatively way better than any other methods.
Waxing removes hair evenly and accurately. Bleaching can turn out to be patchy and shaving would not remove hair evenly.

Cons:

Has to be the first one! It is a painful procedure as the facial skin is the most sensitive and such hard pulls can pain like a shot of bullet (an exaggeration but we get it).
Waxing at times results in patches of blood on the face which might not be so good to look at, but it is not as scary as it sounds and is very normal.
Waxing has to be done regularly not frequently though, which results in more pain.
Once done with waxing you are bound to stay at home for like 24 hours since the skin is sensitive and prone to any harmful bacteria during this time.

We have some advice for the Mommies and new Mommy to be. Waxing is not age bound and can be done to kids as well. Though, it is not restricted , it would be advisable to keep children in their puberty periods to keep away from any sort of waxing. As they are still under growing period , it would not be idle to experiment with their skin, As an exception, if there is an extensive hair growth, they can go for the waxing procedure. Now, for the ladies with babies yet to come out, it is essential for you to get a patch test done to see how receptive is your skin to waxing. Same applies for the Breastfeeding mums.

We have brought you a quick guide for a healthy facial skin:

Drink good amount of water on a daily basis.
Avoid too much exposure of the face to the direct sun.
Reduce the usage of soap or face wash to twice a day.
Have good and sufficient sleep.
Always remove makeup before going to bed.
Eat healthy like fresh fruits, green vegetables, proteins. Try to maintain a balanced diet
Sweat all the toxic through regular yoga or exercise.
Try to adopt home remedies instead of chemical-based cosmetics. Go for malai,haldi,multani,etc.

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