Waxing Facial Hair Women: Steps, Pros, Cons & Side Effects

Waxing is one of the most popular hair removal procedures available out there. It basically involves getting rid of excess hair from the root root by using a covering of a sticky substance or material to adhere to body hair, and then removing this covering and pulling out the hair from the follicle.

Here is how to wax your face to remove unwanted hair, including sideburns in female, beards and eyebrows, pros, cons and side effects.

Essential Supplies

Waxing kit – can include cloth strip, soothing lotion, and spatula.

Talcum Powder – used to prevent the other areas of the face from the wax. Any area adjacent to the sideburns will have to be sprinkled with this powder.

Cloth Strips – this is used with the cold wax since the hot wax will eventually cool on the skin and harden, making it easier to strip off.

Soothing Gel – the face will be sore, red, and easily irritated, hence the soothing gel will be used to calm that area of the face. It will also reduce the redness around that area.

Erasing oil – this is a type of liquid you can use to ease out the wax in case it doesn’t get stripped out by the cloth in the process. Simply apply a small amount, tub it gently to the skin and remove the wax.

Method with Steps

1. The first step obviously is to confirm you have purchased the right waxing kit suitable for your skin. Remember you’re dealing with the face which has thinner skin than other parts of the body. You can choose a roll-on wax to hasten the process of applying the wax.
2. Gather up your hair into a ponytail and hold it back using an elastic band. If you have a fringe, pin it too. Do whatever you can to ensure a clear view of your sideburns.
3. Exfoliate and clean your face to get rid of dead skin, makeup, and other dirt and grime. Check for irritated skin with rashes, sunburns, and scarring. Once you’re sure the skin is ready, sprinkle baby powder or talcum powder to protect the area you’ll be waxing.
4. Trim long sideburns, approximately longer than one inch. Leave the hair between 0.25 to 0.5 millimeters in height. That’s a quarter an inch.
5. Heat the wax to the desired temperature if you’re using the hot waxing method. Use the microwave to heat it up faster than test the temperatures on your wrist, which offers the perfect spot for testing since the skin is super thin.
6. Apply the wax to your sideburns and other areas using the spatula or applicator provided in the package. Use the hairline to trace the direction of applying. Cover every area including the roots of the hairs. If you’re finding it difficult, stretch put the face to fully expose the area and apply – remember you only get to wax one spot, no repeating like shaving.
7. Place a cloth over the wax while it’s still warm and give it ten seconds as you stroke gently to ensure it adheres to the wax.
8. Remove the strip by pulling it out, or rather, yanking it out. Rip the cloth diagonally upwards until it comes off completely. Pulling the strip in the opposite direction assures you won’t have hairs breaking.
9. Use the soothing gel to cool the area. It will most probably be red and a bit swollen. If you don’t have, try a cold compress, milk and water mixture, a hydrating salve, an over-the-counter antibacterial or hydrocortisone cream, or aloe vera gel.

If you’ll be heading out to the sun, apply sinners sunscreen to avoid any burns to the face. You can also skip exposure to the sun for a day to spare the face the burning sensation.

If there are remnants of the wax, you can use an erasing oil to remove them. Finally, tweeze any leftover stray hairs to achieve a straight and neat look.

Types of Waxing

You can wax using to types of wax:

• Cold wax
• Hot wax

Cold Wax

1. Apply a thick layer of cold wax over the facial hair apply the direction they grow.
2. Place a strip of cloth over the wax, tightening the skin to ensure you cover a wide surface area.
3. Pull out the cloth fast in the opposite direction the hair growth’s direction.
4. Wash over the area with warm to cold water to clean out the sticky wax. Apply a soothing gel.

Hot Wax

1. Heat up the wax accordingly while following the instructions stated. Avoid microwaving it.
2. Spread some talcum powder over the face directly to the sides. A sprinkle is enough to spare the face from unnecessary heat damage.
3. Once it has the right temperature, smear it all over the sideburns. But a strip of cloth on top.
4. After about a minute or so, yank the strip in the opposite direction. Ensure you don’t wait until the wax has cooled off.
5. Clean up and apply a soothing gel.

Pros of Waxing

Some of the benefits that waxing comes with include;

• It fast compared plucking and other modern methods
• It is affordable
• It is easy. You can do it at home without complicated tools and experts
• It will relief of the cost and time to shave/trim your hair repeatedly.

Cons & Side Effects of Waxing

If you are looking for a permanent solution, waxing is not what you are looking for. It works for a few weeks and then it will grow back. Following are more cons and side effects of waxing .

Pain

Either hot or cold waxing, pain is inevitable. The quick removal of wax with a tight bandage to strip of the hairs is the most painful part of the process. This, however, can further vary depending on your pain tolerance, skin sensitivity, and hairs being removed.

Redness and Irritation

After the facial waxing, the part of the skin where the strip has been removed will be red due to the heavy and fast flow of blood. Irritation occurs due to the wax used and how fast the strip is removed from the skin. Use a cold compress to cool the skin.

Rashes

Some of you may also get rashes on the skin to indicate further irritation. Check to see the severity of the rash if its either mild or harsh. Tou may apply a soothing agent, or consult a physician for more assistance.

Temporary Bumps and Ingrown Hairs

Just like you would experience with shaving, you can get temporary bumps on the skin with waxing as well.

They come about once the pores on your skin are clogged, therefore, it’s best to apply a calming cream to ease the area around the pores for easy clean up after the process.

Waxing should be done calmly and on clean dry skin to eliminate or mitigate the chances of ingrown hairs.

Sun Burns

This is a very common side effect since the process of waxing involves stripping a small portion of the epidermis; the top layer of the skin. This then leaves you feeling susceptible to sunburns after prolonged exposure to the sun.

Allergic Reactions

Unfortunately for some of you, the wax you use will have possible allergic reactions. The ingredients vary from time to time and manufacturer to manufacturer.

This is why one is asked to do a patch test before applying on a considerably larger area on the face. Hives and extreme itchiness are some of the signs and symptoms of allergic reactions to wax.

Bleeding

As mentioned above, waxing greatly affects the epidermis, therefore in some cases where the skin is aged, brittle or super sensitive, bleeding may occur. However, the bleeding is of a small amount, any more and one will have to seek doctors’ assistance.

Infections and Scarring

Last but not least, infections and scarring. After waxing, the skin is like a fresh cut/ wound. Therefore one has to take adequate care of it otherwise you will get infected.

Any cases of swelling, pus, or other odd signs, some should seek for help. Scarring should occur as you were only targeting the hairs, however, it may affect other layers of the skin leaving you with a scar.