At one time or another, a person comes across a patch of unwanted hair. Whether in a common spot like the legs or

Waxing is basically a temporary solution to a permanent problem, unwanted hair. Basically any area of the body can receive a wax treatment. The most common places are legs, eyebrows, bikini line, back and chest. Areas that should not be considered for waxing include the ears, nose and eyelashes. While waxing can be completed at home, a professional should be sought for waxing in any genital area, male and female, including the nipple area.

The benefits of waxing hair removal are what make it a popular method of hair removal. One of the main benefits is the long period of re-growth for the hair. This can be anywhere from three to eight weeks following a waxing treatment. Once hair begins to grow back, it is often softer and thinner than the original hair. Repeated waxing treatments can also result in minimal re-growth. After a period of waxing treatments, the method can almost produce permanent hair removal results.

Typical waxing substances are made of paraffin or beeswax, chemical resins, fats and oils. These substances provide an end result of skin irritation, dryness and red bumps in the area treated by waxing. A healthier approach to waxing would be the selection of waxing substances made of natural, organic ingredients. Herbs, water, plant and vegetable derived ingredients and essential fragrant oils can be found in natural, organic waxes. This type of wax moisturizes dry skin, alleviates irritation and leaves skin feeling soft and refreshed after a waxing treatment.

To alleviate skin irritation, organic waxes may contain tea tree oil, lavender oil and chamomile oil. The primary function of tea tree oil is to provide skin with a natural soothing, healing agent for irritation. The use of this oil protects the skin from becoming dried out and breaking out in red, itchy bumps after a waxing treatment. Lavender and Chamomile oils are essential oils that have aromatherapy uses. Lavender provides a calming effect that reduces tension and anxiety. Likewise, chamomile aids in reducing a person’s feeling of stress and nervousness. Each of these could be felt by a person undergoing a waxing treatment.

There are two basic types of wax: hot and cold. With hot waxes, there is a certain amount of sugar contained in the wax. This helps to alleviate some of the pain of hair removal. Hot waxes are generally applied directly to the skin surface. This is done in the direction of the hair growth. Once the wax has been applied to the skin, it is allowed to cool for a few moments. It begins to cool as it hardens.

After a few moments, the wax is removed from the skin in the opposite direction of hair growth. Ideally, hot wax should be utilized at body temperature. This promotes safe removal of the hair as the skin is not burned or damaged in the process. Following a treatment, hot wax should wash away with water. No additional wax remover is required. Cold waxes are utilized in much the same way as the hot waxes available. The only difference is that this type of wax does not need a cooling period once applied to the surface of the skin.

For ideal results, unwanted hair should be at least 1/8” long before proceeding with a waxing hair removal treatment. A small area of the skin should be tested for allergic reactions or skin sensitivity as well. Once the skin is ready for waxing, the area should be washed with soap and dried. The presence of cosmetics or lotions may result in poor adhesion of the wax to the skin. In addition to the wax substance, several cloth or paper strips, a tongue depressor or other flat surface tool, and a moist towel are needed.

Using the tongue depressor, the wax should be applied in a thin layer on the surface of the skin. Next the cloth or paper strips are placed over the waxed surface. In one quick motion against the direction of hair growth, the strip is removed. This needs to be completed as close to the skin surface as possible. Otherwise, the treatment may not remove as much hair as desired. The area should then be wiped with a moist towel to remove excess wax.

After the waxing treatment has been completed, the skin may appear irritated and dry with red bumps appearing after several moments. For this reason, a pain reducing gel is suggested for use approximately one half to one hour before treatment. Typically this gel contains about 4% lidocaine. The lidocaine gel provides pain relieving properties during the treatment itself. A more natural approach to pain relief would be utilizing breathing techniques with lavender aromatherapy to minimize the discomfort of waxing. Also consider utilizing a wax containing Aloe, a natural pain reliever.

Waxing hair removal treatments not only result in removing unwanted hair. The treatments can also improve on self esteem, self worth and overall well being. When a person has treated a problem that relates to appearance, the overall view is that the world finds that person desirable again. For this reason, waxing works as a way of treating an underlying self issue. When this occurs, a happy, healthier person is ready to once again greet the world.