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Is your local parlour hygienic enough? Find out with these questions.
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Waxing is one of the most common ways to get rid of body hair for women in India. You have parlours at every nook and corner and more often than not, they are local salons run by a lady from your neighbourhood. Yes, you now have several brands as well that have chains around the country but when it comes to pricing, these turn out to be expensive on the pocket. And so, many of us still prefer going to our trusted local parlour that is just around the corner, cheap and familiar where the lady knows what you want be it your eyebrow shape or the kind of wax you prefer. However, local parlours are not always the most hygienic of places and with several customers walking in every day, it becomes essential that they keep it clean and follow some hygiene standards. So before you go for another waxing session, here are questions you should ask your parlour lady to find out if it is really worth saving a few rupees or upgrading to a better salon. (ALSO SEE 8 FAQs about bikini waxing)
How often are the waxing clothes washed?
Chances are, the parlour you go to gives you a cloth dress to put on instead of a disposable one. This means, it isn’t washed after every use and others too have worn it when they walk in. While this itself is unhygienic as you do not know how clean the other person is, what you really need to know is how often is it washed? Do they wash it after four-five uses or is the number much higher? The more number of people who wear it, the dirtier it is. If you still want to continue going there, how about taking your own dress along? Or wear a sleeveless knee-length kurta that you can keep on for both hands and legs waxing.
Are the waxing tools sterilized?
A spatula is often used to apply wax on your skin before the hair is stripped off using a wax strip. The spatula needs to be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized before it is used on someone else as it directly comes in contact with your skin. Simply washing it under running water isn’t enough. Ask your parlour lady if she sterilizes her beauty tools either by placing them in a sterilizing machine or in hot water. Ensure that this does happen so that bacteria and other infections are kept at bay. It is even more dangerous if it is used on a cut. (ALSO SEE How to reduce redness after waxing)
How often are the bedsheets changed?
Many of the local parlous have waxing tables covered with a cloth bedsheet instead of a disposable one. The problem is, all customers who come in for a session lie or sit on it with their skin touching the sheet. The question you need to ask is how often is that bedsheet washed because chances are, it isn’t after every use. You should definitely avoid sitting on it if you see it is stained or stinks. If you are unsure of how clean it is, ask them to remove the sheet before the session begins.
Are the towels used clean?
After you are done with waxing, water is sprayed on them to get rid of the sticky wax residue and then your skin is pat dry with a towel. Most of the times, it is a small hand towel that is used. However, you can’t be sure how clean it is as it may have been used for other customers as well. Ask the lady if they use clean towels or how often they wash them to get an idea of the hygiene levels. Or else, ask for tissue paper that you can use and throw. If that isn’t an option, you can consider carrying your own hand towel along to the parlour.
While standard salon chains might pinch your pocket a little, they are more hygienic as they use disposable stuff and are air-conditioned as well. However, if you’d rather stick to a local parlour, do ensure you do not carry back any infections back home and take these small measures. (ALSO SEE 13 tips to keep in mind before your first bikini wax)
Photograph: Shutterstock
