Waxing Aftercare: How to Prevent Bumps and Ingrown Hairs

For the first 24 to 48 hours after a wax, keep the skin cool, clean and free of friction: no hot baths, hard workouts, tight clothes or scented products. After that, exfoliate gently a few times a week and moisturize every day. Those two habits prevent most bumps and ingrown hairs.

The rules are easier to follow when you know why they exist, so here is the reasoning behind each one.

What is normal after a wax?

Waxing pulls each hair out from the root. That leaves the follicle open and a little irritated for a while. Pinkness, warmth and small red dots where the hairs came out are all normal, especially after a first wax or where the hair was coarse. For most people it settles within a few hours. On sensitive skin it can take a day or two.

What is not normal: skin that gets redder, hotter, more swollen or more painful as the days pass, or pus-filled bumps that spread. That is a reason to call a doctor, not to try a home remedy.

What should you avoid for the first 24 to 48 hours?

Open follicles react to heat, bacteria and rubbing. Until they close, avoid the things that bring those on.

• Heat. Hot showers and baths, hot tubs, saunas and heating pads. Lukewarm water is fine.
• Sweat. Skip the hard workout for a day. Sweat carries bacteria into open follicles.
• Friction. Tight jeans, leggings and tights over freshly waxed legs, or a scarf rubbing a freshly waxed chin. Loose, soft clothing is kinder.
• Touching. It is tempting to feel how smooth the skin is. Clean hands only, and as little as possible.
• Fragrance and strong products. Scented lotion, perfume, scrubs, exfoliating acids and retinol can all sting and inflame the area. After a facial wax, leave makeup off that spot for the rest of the day if you can.
• Sun and tanning beds. Freshly waxed skin burns and discolors more easily than usual.

How do you prevent ingrown hairs after waxing?

An ingrown hair is a hair that curls back into the skin, or gets trapped under a layer of dead skin as it grows in, instead of coming out through the surface. The result is a raised bump, sometimes with the hair visible underneath.

Two habits do most of the prevention:

1. Exfoliate gently. Start two or three days after your wax, once the skin is calm, and keep it up two or three times a week. On the body, a washcloth, a soft scrub or an exfoliating mitt is enough. On the face, use whatever gentle exfoliant your skin already tolerates. If you are not sure how much is too much, read how often you should exfoliate.
2. Moisturize every day. A new hair gets through soft, hydrated skin easily. Dry, flaky skin blocks its way. A plain, fragrance-free lotion is all it takes.

It also helps not to shave between appointments. Shaving cuts the hair at a blunt angle and puts your regrowth on different schedules, so the next wax comes out less evenly.

Why are ingrown hairs worse in winter?

A central Illinois winter is hard on skin. Furnace heat and cold wind dry it out, and legs spend months under jeans, tights and leggings. Dry skin builds up over the follicle, snug fabric rubs against it, and the new hair has a harder time getting out.

So in February, use more lotion than you think you need, and put it on right after the shower while your skin is still slightly damp. If you are waxing before a trip somewhere warm, book the appointment a few days ahead, so your skin is calm before it meets sun, salt water or a chlorinated pool.

What if you already have bumps or an ingrown hair?

Small red or white bumps that show up across the whole waxed area within a day or two are usually irritation, not ingrown hairs. A cool compress and leaving the skin alone is the treatment, and they typically fade in a few days.

For a true ingrown hair:

• Do not pick at it, squeeze it or dig for the hair with tweezers. That is how a small bump turns into a dark mark or an infection.
• Hold a warm, damp washcloth on it for a few minutes to soften the skin (once the first two days have passed).
• Keep exfoliating gently and moisturizing. Most ingrown hairs work their way out with time.
• Wear loose clothing over the area until it settles.

If a bump is very painful, keeps growing or looks infected, have a doctor look at it.

Does it get easier with regular waxing?

For most people, yes. Skin that is waxed on a steady schedule tends to react less each time, and the hair usually comes out more easily. A typical gap between appointments is four to six weeks, which gives the hair time to grow long enough for the wax to grip. If it is your first time, how to prepare for a wax appointment covers what to do beforehand.

Ashley offers face, arm and leg waxing at Spathetics in Effingham, including Half Leg Waxing for anyone getting ready for warmer weather early. You can see every option and the current prices on the waxing page, and book an appointment online whenever it suits you.