Life is full of mistakes. The point isn’t to completely avoid them, but to learn from them. That holds true even when doing everyday activities like waxing. Knowing how to handle common waxing mistakes as a home or professional wax artist is just like learning how to handle any other mistake in life. While the presence of wax can make things tricky, anyone can learn how to handle and avoid these mistakes. Keep reading to learn more.

Communicating Poorly

If you’re a professional wax artist waxing someone else, failing to properly communicate before the waxing appointment is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Professional estheticians should always consult with their clients beforehand, discussing expectations for the appointment, telling the client how they should care for their skin beforehand, and answering any questions they may have. Failing to do this can lead to various problems throughout the appointment, from a client feeling uncomfortable to needing to switch wax due to a skin reaction.

You can’t rectify the failure to communicate beforehand once you’re in the appointment. However, you can start communicating once something goes wrong. If your client hasn’t properly prepared their skin, if they share that they’re uncertain or uncomfortable, or if they’re asking lots of questions, pause your appointment. Take the time to discuss what’s going on now, what will happen throughout the rest of the appointment, and what they can do to help the appointment go smoothly.

Use this as a learning opportunity. Make sure you communicate with all your clients better in the future, writing down notes during conversations if necessary.

Leaving Skin Dirty

As a professional, you probably expect your clients to cleanse their skin beforehand and may think questioning them about their skin’s cleanliness is inappropriate. If you’re waxing yourself at home, you probably think that your skin is clean enough to start waxing as long as it’s not visibly dirty.

Both assumptions are big mistakes. Skin starts producing oil and picking up dirt almost immediately after a shower. Even if your client showered right before they arrived at your salon or you showered right before you started preparing your wax, the skin is still full of germs you need to cleanse before waxing. If you’ve already started waxing your client, then stop immediately. Apply pre-depilatory oil on the rest of the unwaxed skin to help cleanse and prepare it for the waxing process. If you’re at home, apply a similar cleansing oil or clean your skin another way before you start the waxing process.

If you get through the entire waxing process before reflecting on how dirty that skin might be, then adjust your procedure for next time. Leave a note for yourself to politely question clients’ skin cleanliness before waxing and then apply the pre-depilatory oil, explaining the importance as you do so. If you’re waxing yourself, leave a similar reminder so you can keep your skin clean and healthy throughout your next home wax.

Keeping Hair Too Long or Short

Hair length affects waxing effectiveness, which means you need to make sure the hair you’re waxing is the right length before starting. Ideal hair length for waxing any part of the body is between 1/4-1/2 inch long. Keep a measuring device near your waxing area so you can make sure that hair is the appropriate length before starting the waxing process.

If the hair is too long, you can always give yourself or your client a quick trim before you start waxing. Just make sure not to cut the hair too short or hurt the skin, as this can cause a delay in the waxing process. If the hair is too short, you can try to apply hard wax to the area. Hard wax is the only wax you can reapply to an area if all the hair doesn’t come out the first time, but reapplication can cause skin irritation. It’s best to let hair grow to the proper length before waxing.

If you don’t measure the hair beforehand, you might notice problems during the waxing process. You can pause the waxing process to trim hair that’s too long or switch to hard wax if shorter hair isn’t responding to soft wax. Alternatively, if the waxing process is unsuccessful due to hair length, you can ask your client to come back when the hair is long enough or delay your home wax. While delaying waxing isn’t ideal for anyone, sometimes it’s necessary.

Allowing a Messy Workspace

If your waxing at home, your workspace can look however you want. As long as the wax and your tools are clean, you don’t really need to worry about making a mess because it doesn’t affect anyone outside of your household.

However, professionals should do their best to keep a clean workspace. A messy workspace is off-putting for clients who worry that the disorganization is a sign that your space isn’t clean. This can make them uncomfortable and could even cause a client to leave or at least not come back for another wax with you. If you want clients to feel comfortable and come back to you for your waxing services, you need to keep a hygienic, organized workspace.

If you realize your workspace is too messy right before a waxing appointment, do your best to quickly tidy up. While you probably can’t fix anything in a few minutes, you can at least make the area more presentable. Own up to the messy environment and assure your client that everything is properly clean at the start of the appointment. If possible, you can also offer to use another workspace if your co-workers’ spaces are clean and empty and they don’t mind sharing. Make sure to clean their space as gratitude after the appointment.

Some of the most common waxing mistakes a wax artist can make include failing to communicate with clients, leaving skin dirty, trying to wax hair the wrong length, and keeping a messy workspace. Knowing how to handle these situations is necessary if you want to safely wax clients or yourself. If you’re trying to start waxing, either professionally or at home, Bombshell Wax can help. Our hair removal wax beads come in various sizes and colors to meet any waxing needs you might have.