An ancient and effective technique, hot wax comes to your rescue for underarm, leg and bikini depilation. Let’s take a detailed look at what hot wax epilation consists of and what its advantages are.
How does hot wax epilation work?
Hot wax is a molten resin that traps hairs, whether short, fine, long, or coarse, and pulls them out with their roots. Hot wax is mainly used to remove hair from areas such as legs, arms, armpits, and bikini lines. But, if you have the precise gesture, you can also try waxing the more sensitive areas of the face (eyebrows, mustache) with this method.
The wax used for hot wax depilation comes in the form of small resin balls to be melted. It is commercially available in the form of a roll-on, or a jar to be heated in the microwave, or in the form of pebbles to be melted in a special wax heater for epilation at home. Alternatively, you can go to a beauty salon that offers this hair removal method.
Applied to the skin with a wooden spatula or a roll-on that pours a continuous dose of wax, the depilatory wax, once dry, can be pulled off with a quick jerk. It is most effective when hot because its heat opens the pores of the skin: the hairs can then be pulled out more easily, making it one of the main advantages of this depilatory method. The other major advantage is that depilation with hot wax allows you to be at peace for 3 to 4 weeks.
Preparing your hot wax
This is the negative point that could be blamed on hot wax: the risk of burns. Even if the brands do their best to limit the risks, some precautions must still be taken. Before using hot wax in your home, remember to read the instructions for use, which normally specify the heating and waiting time before applying to the skin.
To avoid worries, also remember to test the wax on a less sensitive area such as the hand before you start.
It should be noted that depilation with hot wax is not recommended for all those who suffer from venous insufficiency or varicose veins because the heat dilates the blood vessels and often causes small hematomas.
Tips for successful hair removal
Do a leg scrub the night before. This will remove dead skin and prevent ingrown hairs during your hair removal session.
Epilate on clean, dry skin.
The wax is heated in a saucepan or a specific appliance equipped with a thermostat that keeps the wax at the right temperature. First, check the temperature with the back of your hand before you start applying your wax to the different areas you want to epilate.
To depilate the legs, use the spatula to apply wax strips about 5 cm wide and 1 cm thick. Start at the knee and move down to the ankle in one go. Press lightly with the spatula and wait until the wax no longer adheres to it before tearing it off with a quick movement. Then let the skin cool down before applying a little wax to perfect the result. Proceed in this way on the whole leg.
After depilation, to soothe, moisturize, protect and balance your skin but especially to provide an Anti-Regrowth action that delays regrowth, reduces the diameter and number of hairs as well as improves hair follicle sensitization for a definitive or a natural long-term solution, we strongly recommend Dr. Elix Hair Growth Inhibitor Serum tailored to combine efficiency with pleasure.
Note: If you pull out the wax in the opposite direction of hair growth (from the ankle to the knee), the hair removal will be effective but hair growth will be hindered: they may become ingrown and form small pimples. Therefore, it is better to depilate with wax by pulling in the direction of the hairs even if this requires several applications
Good to know
Wait for your hair to reach the ideal length of 5 mm on the legs and 6 mm on the bikini line before epilating.
Prepare for bikini line epilation by cutting the longest hairs with scissors and apply an exfoliating lotion a few days before epilation to avoid the risk of ingrown hairs.
Take advantage of the development of “ready-to-use” methods: a jar to be heated in the microwave with its fabric strips or an electrically heated roll-on with a thermostat that keeps the wax at a constant temperature.
In the case of depilation in an institute, check that the wax is single-use, to avoid any risk of skin infection.
Dr. Elix – Nature’s Finest Elixirs
Very nice informational post. Thanks for sharing all the tips of hair removal. The hot-wax method looks great. Keep sharing!