How to Get Wax Off Skin: 5 Safe and Easy Home Methods

how to get wax off skin

Waxing has become an integral part of many people’s body grooming procedures, especially because it leaves the skin feeling smooth and evened out. This is the process of removing unwanted hair from the root and dry or dead skin cells.

However, sometimes the heated wax used for waxing gets stuck on the skin, making your skin appear and feel sticky. In this article, you’ll learn tips on how to get wax off skin.

Why Is the Wax Sticking to My Skin?

Wax

The effectiveness of your waxing sessions is premised on the hope that the wax will come off smoothly, thus removing the unwanted hair and dead skin. So, if the wax doesn’t come off completely and as intended, you’ll still have unwanted hair and skin flakes. But what causes the wax not to come off as it should be?

According to waxing experts, the main reason why your wax doesn’t come off properly is not following waxing guidelines properly. Something you’re doing unknowingly could be preventing your wax to come off well. That’s why it’s advisable to let a waxing professional do it for you.

But if you don’t have the time and money to go for professional waxing, you should familiarize yourself with the correct waxing guidelines before you start waxing.

You should also learn the common waxing mistakes that can cause the wax to get stuck on your skin. Here are some of the mistakes to avoid if you want your wax to come right off.

1. Varying Hair Length

This may seem inconsequential but the length of your unwanted hair makes a huge difference when waxing. For instance, if the hair is too short, it won’t be fully grasped by the wax, and some of the wax will get stuck on your skin.

Also, if your hair is too long, your waxing will be unnecessarily painful and some of the hair will break or be missed by the wax.

Therefore, only wax when your hair has the perfect length, which is about a quarter of an inch, or a little longer. If your hair is weak or breaks at the tip easily, you should wax it when it’s a little longer than a quarter of an inch.

If your hair is too long, trim it to the ideal length before waxing. That way, you’ll avoid having waxy residue on your skin.

2. Pulling Off the Wax in the Wrong Direction

The principal waxing guideline is to apply your wax in the direction of your hair growth and pull it against. So, start by understanding how your hair grows. If you just spread the wax in any direction, you’ll have trouble pulling it and you might not get the desired results.

You can know which direction your hair grows in by rubbing it down to level it. Start applying the wax once you’ve established which direction your hair grows in. Remove the wax by pulling it against the direction of your hair growth. If you aren’t sure which direction your hair grows in, seek help from a waxing professional.

How you pull the wax off is also very important. The best way to pull it off is to do it in one swift move, parallel to your skin. The hair doesn’t come off properly if you pull the wax slowly. It will also cause you serious pain.

You should pull the wax at a very steep angle because it exerts an extra pull on the hair, causing more pain.

3. Extremely Dry Skin

Although it’s important to dry your skin and hair completely before waxing, it’s important to have moisturized and hydrated skin during waxing. Dehydrated skin has tight pores that make waxing difficult.

So, while some people may advise you to take a few glasses of wine before waxing to manage the pain, it might prove counterproductive if you take too much alcohol. Instead of taking alcohol, drink enough water two or three days before waxing to ensure that your skin is fully hydrated.

4. Using the Wrong Wax

If you want excellent results from your waxing sessions, you must choose the right wax. Take your time to find high-quality wax used by professionals. Low-quality wax will not only yield shabby results but will also stick to your skin. The golden principle is to use soft wax on large areas and hard wax on small areas.

Also, soft wax works better on fine hair, but it shouldn’t be too thick. When applying wax, aim at creating a light wax strip that is easy to pull. Hard wax works more effectively on coarse hair, but it should be a bit thicker than soft wax because you’ll use it as a strip to pull the hair out.

5 Tips on How to Get Wax Off Your Skin

Tips

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Unfortunately, sometimes you’ll end up having wax residue on your skin no matter how keenly you follow the waxing guidelines. Here are five simple and do-it-yourself (DIY) methods to help you remove wax from your skin immediately.

1. Hot Water Compress

This method involves soaking a piece of cloth in hot water and compressing it on the wax residue. Compress the wax with hot water for about one minute to soften it completely. Then, use a piece of cloth to wipe the wax off your skin. This technique should get the wax off immediately.

2. Oil

You can use mineral oil, olive oil, massage oil, or any other natural oil that’s not harmful to your skin. If possible, use warm oil because it works more effectively than cold oil. Just soak a cotton pad in the oil and place it on the wax for about two minutes until it’s completely saturated. Then, use a clean cotton pad to wipe the wax off.

3. Petroleum Jelly

This technique involves applying petroleum jelly to the wax until it’s fully saturated and giving it time to soften the wax. So, you should leave the petroleum jelly for about five minutes. Then, wipe the wax off with a clean piece of cloth or cotton pad.

4. Alcohol

Soak a cotton pad in alcohol and use it to rub the area with wax residue. Use a circular motion to rub the area until the wax melts or comes off. Wipe your skin with a clean piece of cloth and apply moisturizing lotion to avoid skin irritation.

5. Ice

Place an ice cube on the wax residue and leave it there for about 30 seconds. Then, flake the wax off. Don’t try to peel or scrape the wax off because it might damage your skin. If the flaking technique doesn’t work, try any of the other four wax removal methods.

4 Ways to Prevent Wax from Sticking to Your Skin

Prevent

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Even with the above tips on how to get wax off your skin, you should strive to prevent the wax from getting stuck on your skin in the first place. Here are some of the measures you can take to prevent wax residue.

1. Moisturizing the Skin

As mentioned above, dehydrated skin isn’t good for waxing. Therefore, moisturize your skin and keep it hydrated by drinking plenty of water a few days before waxing. However, don’t use a greasy or oil-based moisturizer immediately before waxing because it’ll prevent the wax from sticking.

2. Trim Your Hair to the Ideal Length

If your hair is too long, trim it to the perfect waxing length so that it doesn’t get snarled up in the wax. Long hair becomes messy and tangled up when you spread the wax, making it difficult to get a clean wax. If your hair is too short, give it time to grow longer to about half an inch.

3. Use Hot and Thin Wax

Whether you are using soft or hard wax, heat it before applying so that it becomes easy to spread. Make sure it’s liquid when spreading it. However, it shouldn’t be too hot because it might burn your skin.

4. Use Powder

Dust your skin with powder before applying the wax to prevent the wax from getting stuck on your skin. Make sure the powder is safe for your skin.


Featured image source: Pinterest.com

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