Know the history of body waxing? It was possibly practised much earlier in Egypt from around 3000 BC. The handsome Roman bourgeois men liked the legs of the Egyptian women, smooth. But primarily, body hair, especially pubes, was regarded as a sign of the unhygienic and uncivilized. Ways of body hair removal for women ranged from resins and cocoa shells to, sometimes, even bat’s blood to wax eyebrows.
Thankfully, with passing years, waxing has become simpler and faster. Now ready-to-use wax strips have substituted hot wax to avoid burning the skin. But before you remove body hair, always prepare your skin. Here are some simple tips to make your skin ready to be waxed safely at home.
Easy Steps to Prepare Your Skin for At-home Waxing
- Check your skin: If the body area to be waxed is inflamed or affected with rashes, treat it and delay the waxing for the while. Once the skin is healthy, bring on the wax strips.
- Let your hair grow a bit: Allow your hair to be long enough for a good waxing grip. The strips can’t pick too short hairs. However, too long hair don’t adhere fully to the wax and hence, pains. Hair growth for 2-3 weeks or up to a quarter-inch length works well for bikini line, underarms, and legs.
- Moisturize from before: The best wax strips to remove body hair come with hydrating Aloe Vera gel for dry skin and nourishing almond oil and vitamin E for sensitive skin. However, you may still want to moisturize your skin generously on the days leading up to the day of waxing. This lets the strips release more easily and painlessly. But don’t moisturize on the waxing day. The hair would stay coated and disturb the wax’s grip.
- Exfoliate lightly: Gently exfoliate your skin with a rough washcloth the day before you wax so that the strips grab hair, not dead skin flakes. But avoid harsh scrubs as they might leave your skin sensitive to pain.
- Clean and dry your skin: Freshly wash your skin with mild soap to prevent any dirt, makeup, oil, sweat, germs, or other residues from interfering with waxing. Grime may lead to infected bumps. Oil doesn’t let the wax adhere. Right before removing body hair, steam or soak your skin with warm water for a while. This lets the hair soften and expand for a better waxing grip. Then dry your skin well with a clean towel since wax can’t stick to wet hair either.
- Cut the hair if needed: If your hair is longer than a quarter-inch, you may snip off the ends accordingly. This ensures that your waxing experience is smooth and painless.
After following the above steps, grab those wax strips to remove unwanted hair. Just paste them properly on your skin along your hair growth direction, wait for a little and pull them in the opposite direction. You’ll get instant hair-free silky-smooth exfoliated skin for up to four weeks. Start your body-love journey now!
