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Hair
removal by waxing
Waxing is one of the oldest and best known methods of hair removal.
Whilst it is used to remove facial hair from the upper lip and chin,
it is probably more popular these days for chest, arm and leg hair
removal. Until around the late 1960s the wax product was indeed
just wax, but from the 1970s onwards product formulations have been
developed that are a mixture of wax and resins to give better and
more consistent results.
The principle of waxing is a simple one. The wax is heated and
the melted wax is applied to the skin. The wax is allowed to cool
and then quickly stripped off in the direction of the hair growth.
The hairs are embedded in the wax and they get plucked out as the
wax is pulled away from the skin. In a modification of this traditional
approach, the wax is applied in a thin layer to the skin and then
a piece of cloth is put over the top. The wax congeals and binds
to both the hair in the skin and also the cloth. The cloth is pulled
away pulling the wax and embedded hair with it. This approach is
sometimes known as "zipping". With the development of
newer wax/resin mixtures heating is not always required. Some products
(sometimes called cold waxes) can now be applied to the skin without
heating and the resins in solution harden in a chemical interaction
with the air. The solidified resin is then ripped away. The principle
in all cases is the same, the hair becomes embedded in the wax/resin
product and is plucked out.
When hairs are plucked out, the hair fibers usually break at just
above the hair follicle root, deep in the skin. Because of this,
the results from waxing and other forms of plucking are longer lasting
than shaving or chemical depilatories. It usually takes several
weeks for new hair growth to become visible above the skin surface.
The immediate down side to waxing is the pain involved as the wax
and hair fibers are ripped from the skin. This is a short term problem,
but waxing can also cause longer term skin irritation, particularly
if the wax applied to the skin is too hot. People with sensitive
skin may also be allergic to some of the additional ingredients
in modern wax/resin products. There is also a risk of developing
ingrown hairs. As the hair fiber regenerates after plucking it can
curl around and dig into the skin at the side of the hair follicle
canal. This can cause focal irritation - ingrown hair. The wax can
further exacerbate this irritation. Finally, for waxing to work
the hair fibers have to have some length for them to become properly
embedded in the wax. So before the next waxing procedure can be
performed, the hair must be allowed to regrow.
Although there are wax products available over the counter from
most pharmacies for home use, waxing is probably best done in a
professional salon by someone with experience. There is some art
to getting the best results from waxing. The wax has to be at the
right temperature, left on the skin a certain time, and pulled off
with the right amount of force to pluck the maximum amount of hair
possible. Because it is quite irritating to the skin to wax more
than once in quick succession, you really only have one chance to
pluck all the hair. If you find there is still hair left after waxing,
the best response is to shave the remaining hair a day after the
wax procedure. Shaving is the least irritating method of hair removal.
Another wax procedure or using a depilatory shortly after waxing
will be more likely to result in irritated skin. People using isotretinoin
and accutane should not wax as the retinoid drugs apparently make
skin quite sensitive to wax and extensive irritation can occur.
Hair
removal by waxing references
- Trueb RM. Causes and management of hypertrichosis.
Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(9):617-27.
- Goossens A, Armingaud P, Avenel-Audran
M, Begon-Bagdassarian I, Constandt L, Giordano-Labadie F, Girardin
P, Coz CJ, Milpied-Homsi B, Nootens C, Pecquet C, Tennstedt D,
Vanhecke E. An epidemic of allergic contact dermatitis due to
epilating products. Contact Dermatitis. 2002 Aug;47(2):67-70.
- Young HS, Coulson IH. Granuloma annulare
following waxing induced pseudofolliculitis-resolution with isotretinoin.
Clin Exp Dermatol. 2000 Jun;25(4):274-6.
- [No authors listed] Isotretinoin and skin
lesions during wax epilation. Prescrire Int. 1998 Dec;7(38):178.
- Woollons A, Price ML. Roaccutane and wax
epilation: a cautionary tale. Br J Dermatol. 1997 Nov;137(5):839-40.
- Abdullah A, Walker S, Tan CY, Foulds IS.
Sensitization to oleth-3-phosphate and oleth-5 in a hair wax.
Contact Dermatitis. 1997 Oct;37(4):188.
- Mimouni-Bloch A, Metzker A, Mimouni M.
Severe folliculitis with keloid scars induced by wax epilation
in adolescents. Cutis. 1997 Jan;59(1):41-2.
- de Argila D, Ortiz-Frutos J, Iglesias L.
Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from colophony in depilatory
wax. Contact Dermatitis. 1996 May;34(5):369.
- Richards RN, Uy M, Meharg G. Temporary
hair removal in patients with hirsutism: a clinical study. Cutis.
1990 Mar;45(3):199-202.
- Goldberg NS, Zalka AD. Retin-A and wax
epilation. Arch Dermatol. 1989 Dec;125(12):1717.
- Watts RW, Dall RA. An outbreak of Pseudomonas
folliculitis in women after leg waxing. Med J Aust. 1986 Feb 3;144(3):163-4.
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