Having been in the beauty industry for several years and being experts at what we do, we often get questions from clients and today we thought we would answer a few of those questions for you to dispel some myths, iron out some misconceptions and generally answer your beauty want-to-knows.
Can I get a bikini wax while on my period?
The short answer, yes you can absolutely get a bikini wax, or any other wax for that matter, while on your period.
Firstly, don’t be shy, we’re professionals. Pop a tampon in for hygiene and you’re good to go. However, depending on your pain threshold, it might be slightly more painful than usual as we tend to be a bit more sensitive to pain from about 3 days prior, 3 days post, and during Aunt Flow’s visit. In the same way that you can be a bit more sensitive to pain if you’re tired, run down or stressed.
You can take paracetamol 20 minutes before your wax to help with the pain.
Our beauticians are masters at their waxing techniques. They know just what to do to make it as comfortable for you as possible, so don’t worry, you’ll be in very good hands.
Do I need to wear sunscreen if my makeup has SPF?
The SPF in makeup is helpful, but it shouldn’t be used on its own.
People often buy makeup with SPF in it and think that it is enough to protect them from the harmful rays of the sun. The problem is that you need a thick layer of SPF to make it effective and we don’t tend to cake that much makeup on. The small amount you end up using is not enough protection on its own. You are also meant to reapply sunscreen every few hours which you’re probably not going to do with makeup.
You are much better using a thick layer of sunscreen, which protects against both UVA and UVB rays, on your face and then, after a few minutes, applying your makeup on top of that. It’s a bit like using a two in one conditioner. It’ll do, but it’s not nearly as good as using shampoo and conditioner separately.
How long do I need to wait between waxes?
We recommend regular waxing every 4 to 6 weeks.
You need at least 3, preferably 4, weeks of hair growth for the hair to be successfully removed by waxing. Waxing is also less painful the more regularly you wax, so try and keep the break in between waxes to no longer than 6 weeks apart. Waxing regularly gives an overall better effect.
Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to shave between your appointments.
Do I need to let my nails ‘breathe’ between Shellac appointments?
There is no health reason for you to take a break from getting your new Shellac sets every month.
Nails do not receive their nutrients, oxygen, and blood supply from the air, they receive it from your blood stream. So having shellac nails will not prevent your nails from ‘breathing’.
What you do need to do to keep your nails nice and healthy is moisturise. Use cuticle oil every few days to keep your nails looking and feeling their best.
Is post facial care important?
Your skin is especially sensitive after a facial so it’s important that you look after it and give it 24 hours to relax.
Our advice is to avoid touching and picking at your skin and yes, even those little pimples that might come up post facial.
For the same reason avoid heat from hot baths/ showers, the sun and sweaty workouts.
When you get round to washing your face afterwards, make sure you use a very gentle and moisturising face wash.
It might be tempting to get your makeup bag out straight after a facial but try and resist and let the products used work their magic. It is a good idea though to open that makeup bag up and give all your brushes and applicators a good cleanse.
Your therapist will recommend post care that is specific to you following your facial with us. The above are just guidelines.
Do I need to exfoliate between waxes?
It is so very important to keep up your exfoliating regime in between waxes.
The reason for this is that exfoliation removes dead skin cells, impurities, dirt, bacteria and excess oil. Not only will it help to leave your skin feeling moisturised, radiant and fresh, doing it regularly stops ingrown hairs and encourages hair growth in the correct direction.
If your skin hasn’t been exfoliated and is dry, then your hair may break off rather than being removed from the root during your wax appointment. Your wax could also be more painful if you haven’t exfoliated and moisturised regularly, and also the day before.
We recommend exfoliating up to three times a week and moisturising every day to keep the skin supple and help new hairs to grow through normally.
Having healthier and softer skin will guarantee a smoother finish.
Can I get my face waxed and have a facial on the same day?
The short answer is yes, you can get waxed on the same day as your facial. However, all our facials will include steam and exfoliation and that could irritate freshly waxed skin.
It is better to spread out your treatments if you can and have the facial a few days after your wax to give that skin time to recover.
If you’re pressed for time and need it all done together, then waxing is always done first, prior to your facial, and any waxed areas are carefully avoided during the steam and exfoliation part of the facial so as to protect the skin from any further irritation.
Will having Shellac on my nails damage them?
Having Shellac on your nails will actually protect your nails from fraying and splitting and stops nail biters and pickers from adding damage to their nails.
Shellac is a hybrid of gel and traditional nail polish that’s set and hardened under a LED lamp. Its long lasting and because it has a very quick dry time there is much less chance of smudging the colour.
It’s also softer than gel and soaks off very easily with acetone, making it a lot gentler to get it off your nails. Shellac is a good option, and a better option than regular nail polish, if you have thinner or more brittle nails to begin with. As a salon we only offer Shellac.
The only way Shellac will damage your nails is if you don’t have them applied or removed properly. Picking or peeling your Shellac off risks removing layers of your natural nails and thereby weakening them.
Using cuticle oil regularly will keep your Shellac nails looking their best.
Will waxing make my hair grow back thicker?
Waxing might make your hair softer, but it definitely won’t be thicker.
The hair all over your body naturally grows at different growth rates and is all different lengths as a result. Waxing pulls your hair out by the root and after about three waxes, all your hair will start growing out on the same hair growth cycle. It essentially makes your hair appear thicker than usual, although you technically will still have exactly the same amount of hair that you had to begin with.
If you’re normally a shaver then your legs won’t feel completely smooth after your first wax, but after three consecutive waxes all your hair will be on the same growth cycle and you will achieve a much smoother finish post wax.
If you wax your legs regularly, you will find though that the hair grows back smoother than normal, and much less coarse and spikey than when you shave. This is because waxing changes the direction of hair growth and the follicle starts growing in the natural direction.
Waxing regularly over a long period of time will decrease your hair growth in those areas.
Do I need to tip my therapist?
We get asked this a lot as clients just don’t know if they should or not. We usually associate tipping with a waiter/waitress, or even a hairdresser, but we tend to overlook or forget that Beauty therapists need love too…
Therapists love receiving tips. All our therapists take great pride in what they do. They all spend a long time qualifying to get to where they are now and have spent hours upon hours practicing and improving their techniques to make sure that you get the best treatment possible.
Their aim is to make sure that you feel as comfortable as possible during your treatment and leave our salon feeling pampered and relaxed.
Of course it’s not obligatory, however leaving them a tip is always well received and shows them how much you appreciated their excellent service.
We also love receiving Google Reviews and these go a long way for our small business.
Does Make Up cause acne?
If makeup is applied and removed properly, it should not cause you acne. Follow some basic rules to make sure it doesn’t cause you acne.
Firstly, always cleanse and moisturise your face before putting make up on for the best results.
Always make sure that you apply makeup with clean fingers and brushes. Dirty fingers and brushes can be breeding grounds for bacteria.
Understand the ingredients in makeup and learn to recognise if there are any particular ingredients that you are extra sensitive to. Make sure the products you use are non-comedogenic (anti clogging) as certain ingredients in makeup can clog pores, which in turn will create the right environment for acne.
Look out for products which say hypoallergenic as although they technically are not a full proof solution to allergies from makeup, they do tend to have gentler ingredients in them.
Use a primer as a base to your makeup and to act as a shield to impurities getting into your skin.
Always remove your make up thoroughly at the end of the day. Use a good makeup remover and use a good facewash. Makeup wipes are not recommended.
Can I have a wax when pregnant?
Wax doesn’t penetrate the skin so it is perfectly safe for you to get a wax while pregnant.
Pregnancy hormones, especially in early pregnancy, naturally make your hair thicker and make it grow faster than normal. You may also find hair growth in places you wouldn’t normally worry about, like your upper lip and chin.
Always let your therapist know that you’re pregnant. Especially in the first trimester of pregnancy when risks are higher. Salons may have policies in place to say they would prefer not to wax you. If they do wax you, make sure they are using clean equipment and wax so that there is no risk of bacterial infections. It’s also a good idea to do a patch test, even if you’ve been fine before.
It could be slightly more painful than normal though. Hormone changes and increased blood flow will make you more sensitive to pain.
It may also cause some, harmless but visible, broken blood vessels.
Who knows, you may also find the smell of the wax nauseating.
To make it as pain free as possible we suggest you exfoliate and moisturise the area a day/ few days before so the skin is soft and supple. This will help loosen all the dry skin around the hair follicles making the hair removal easier.
Keep up a regular waxing schedule as the less hair there is, the less painful it will be getting it off.
You can also take paracetamol 20 minutes before your appointment to help with the pain. Try avoid caffeine before your appointment as well.
Please don’t be tempted to shave between waxes.
Is post wax care important?
Waxing can leave your skin feeling a bit irritated so it’s important to follow these post wax rules.
- Keep the waxed area clean, only touch it minimally and with clean hands
- Avoid friction so no sport, gym, exercise for 24 hours
- Avoid tight clothes, try to wear only cotton underwear for at least 48 hours after the wax
- Avoid any friction around the area, so no sex for 48hrs after any bikini wax
- Avoid any perfumed products i.e., deodorants, body sprays, powders, lotions, self-tan etc.
- Avoid heat so no hot baths, hot showers, saunas, hot tubs, steam treatments or tanning for at least 24hrs post wax
- Important that you exfoliate three times weekly, but leave it a week after your wax
- Ensure you are moisturising daily. We recommend an E45 or any non-perfumed cream for this as its gentle and soothing
- Any itching is normal; you can apply a cold, wet cloth to soothe the area or take an antihistamine if the itchiness is unbearable
- Tea Tree oil is always great to soothe skin if needed
Can I cancel or reschedule my appointment last minute?
We are a very popular salon and our appointment slots are always in high demand. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment and if you give us at least 24 hours’ notice then we have time to call another client to take your appointment slot.
If you cancel or reschedule your appointment at the last minute then not only does our salon lose out on the cost of that appointment, but our therapist is left without a client and their time is wasted.
We will always do our best to accommodate your schedule and in return we ask that you please give us as much notice as possible when changing your appointment times.
We ask for 24 hours’ notice as a minimum and less than that then you may still be charged.
Will waxing pull my skin and leave me wrinkly?
No, waxing will not age you or leave you wrinkly. Wrinkles appear when the structure of your skin breaks down, either through natural ageing, or through factors like smoking, drinking alcohol, bad diet, sun exposure and stress that accelerate the natural aging process.
There is very little skin movement when wax is removed from your body as your skin is held as taught as possible when removing the wax strip.
So unless you waxed every day, (which we do not recommend by the way) then it is highly unlikely that your skin would be stretched enough, even over time, to cause wrinkles.
We hope you found these questions and answers helpful and if you think of any that we have missed or any that you have always wanted the answers to but have never asked, then please feel free to email us at info@noahsarkspa.com.