Have you (like me) envied those IG models who have smooth, silky legs that they flaunt in their vacay pictures? Because let’s be honest, for most women the aftermath of waxing is dealing with pesky ingrown hair instead of flexing smooth AF skin. Those painful, unattractive bumps typically appear after waxing when the hair grows back into the skin, rather than pushing outwards. Two reasons for this - first, when the ‘pull’ is incorrect and the hair breaks above or below the skin’s surface while being waxed. Second is when a lot of wax is being applied to remove hair from a larger area at once.
But, that’s where we step it. To save all your ladies from this nightmare, for once and for all.
Wax Wisely
Like we mentioned before, lousy waxing can directly lead to ingrown hair. So, next time, when you’re waxing at home or getting it done at a salon, ask your beautician to firmly press the wax strip, cover smaller areas at once and have more deliberate pulls. The goal is to pull the entire hair out, not to break it midway.
Always Exfoliate
This step is useful both pre and post waxing. Pre-waxing, you can exfoliate a day prior to clear up dead skin cells and eliminate loose ingrown hair. Then later, once you have waxed, you can exfoliate a couple times in the week to prevent the follicles from clogging up and prevent ingrown hair. Your skin shouldn’t appear red or inflamed before you exfoliate.
Let Your Skin Breathe
Opt for loose, cotton clothing that does not cling to your freshly waxed skin. This prevents friction, does not irritate your hair follicles and allows your skin to breathe freely. Do this for at least 3-4 days after you’ve waxed.
Hot Showers? No!
Waxing is a bit of a shock treatment for your hair and skin. And for this, cold showers and cold compress are the best ways to bring them back to normalcy. On the other hand, if you opt for hot showers, your angered skin will be triggered and become more sensitive.
Tip: You can add some ice cubes to your bath water or massage them on the waxed skin for a couple of days after waxing.
Steer Clear Of Fragrance
We all love the feeling of applying an indulgent body lotion after waxing. But, that might be why you have ingrown hair. Surprised? Most body lotions are heavy on fragrance, which can sting and irritate the tender waxed skin. What you can do instead, is look for a lotion without fragrance, which is well-suited to use post waxing.
Nip The Bud
Quite literally we can say, the best way to tackle ingrown hair is to prevent it in the first place. Any area which is waxed is prone to it, which is why you can use products that contain pore-clearing ingredients like AHAs and BHAs that gently exfoliate your skin and prevent clogging. Using them regularly in your bath routine will help to drastically reduce the recurrence of ingrown hair over time.
