waxing 101

you gals are loving my beauty posts right now, and after i wrote all about eyelash extensions i had quite a few requests to do something similar for waxing! before i dive into all the info and frequently asked questions about it, i thought i'd give you some background for anyone new here. last year, i did a six month ambassadorship with European Wax Center {EWC}! before that, i had worked with them on a handful of campaigns, so it was an honor to be chosen for this ambassadorship along with other incredible women. my very first wax was with my bff the week of her wedding back in 2012, and we went to EWC! so it's been really fun to work with a brand whose services i've been using for years.you know how much i love and post in swimsuits {year round!}, so it probably makes sense to you that i get brazilians routinely. i also started getting my brows waxed as well, and i love that service! it's quick and easy and painless. brazilians on the other hand... are not {haha!} but i'll get into that more below!how do i prepare before my appointment?!my biggest advice is to exfoliate!!! by exfoliating, you are removing dead skin and essentially help the hair follicle come out easier {i use this honeycomb mitt in the shower, same one i use before getting a spray tan too}, which in turn will decrease the chance of getting in-grown hairs. if you're worried about pain, you can take some advil before you appointment. that's about all you need to do.do i need to groom at all prior?no! your hair needs to be at least 1/4 an inch to get waxed, which is about the length of a sprinkle. it's actually best for your hair to be longer than shorter.what if i'm nervous?don't forget, these are professionals and they've seen it all. there's zero judgement and their job is to help you feel comfortable and walk out feeling confident. it's normal to feel nervous, especially if you're new to these services. that's okay! i think it's actually better to tell your wax specialist how you're feeling because they will help you feel comfortable and at ease! i also know that some gals feel self-conscious going to get waxed, and that's totally okay and normal, too. somebody will definitely be up in your personal space, but once again, these are professionals and it's their job to help you feel comfortable.what i should i expect from my appointment?you check in, the front desk person will ask if you need to use the restroom prior to your wax, and your specialist will walk you back to a private room! from there, it totally depends on your service. eyebrow waxes take less than 15 minutes typically--quick and easy and pretty painless. they can shape your brows, or if you go often like me, i just need a touch-up! if you're getting a brazilian, that takes more time. since i go every 3-4 weeks, mine only takes about 20 minutes. my hair comes out easily at this point, but if it's your first time your wax could take much longer. plan on an hour or so if you're a newbie! also, your wax specialist will most likely use baby powder to combat sweating and that's totally normal! when you sweat, the wax doesn't adhere to your skin well, so that's why they use the powder. sweating during a wax is totally normal, too!!!! it's your body's natural reaction. don't be alarmed!will it hurt every time?i've only ever gotten my brows and brazilian/bikini waxed. i shave my legs, thighs, and underarms myself at home. getting brows waxed isn't a big deal at all, and on a pain scale i'd say it's about a 2 {just a tad bit uncomfortable here and there}. bikini waxes aren't quite as painful as brazilians, but that's definitely sensitive skin and takes some time getting used to. i don't necessarily find brazilian waxes to be painful anymore, but they are definitely still uncomfortable for me. luckily, the most "painful" wax pulls are done at the beginning, and they get less painful during your service. in my experience, the more often you wax, the less painful it is, but it's never 100% pain-free. if you're new, i would expect a 7 or so on the pain scale. i would say for me, it's about a 4 or 5 at this point. you can do it!!! taking the advil before your appointment will help ease some pain/discomfort.how often should i get waxed?the more often you wax, the easier your hair comes out! because you're pulling the hair out by the root {as opposed to just cutting off the head by shaving}, your hair actually grows in thinner and finer. waxing has became a part of my beauty routine {like getting my hair done or getting a mani}, and i 100% see the benefit of doing it regularly all year round. my appointments are quick and easy! i'm usually in and out in under a half hour for an eyebrow AND brazilian wax. any wax place will typically suggest getting services done every 3-4 weeks.will my hair grow back thicker and darker?NO! in fact, the opposite! your hair will grow in finer and thinner, especially the more often you wax.how do i maintain my wax after my appointment? how long does it last?i usually stay super smooth for an entire week and pretty smooth for two weeks. by week three, there's definitely some growth and so on and so on. the important thing here is NOT to shave in-between appointments. like mentioned above, your hair needs to be at least 1/4 inch to wax. the more regularly you wax, you're basically training your hair to grow on a certain schedule. when you shave, you off-set that schedule. i plan my appointments accordingly to being in a swimsuit, going on vacation, etc, and i don't shave in-between appointments. exfoliating is a great way to help maintain your wax before and after your appointment!how can i avoid in-grown hairs?prepping is an important part of getting waxed. exfoliate or use a scrub to avoid in-growns before and after your appointment. now it's normal to get some at the beginning {or even here and there}, and many wax places will have specific product to help with that {EWC has two products and both are great! sadly you can only purchase them in-store right now}.will i be sore after getting waxed?it's possible, especially if you're new! your skin might be pink and tender, but that usually only lasts for about a day.is waxing pricey?it costs me about $70 every month or so to get my eyebrows and brazilian waxed {plus tip!}. if it's something you love and helps you feel more confident, totally worth budgeting into your monthly beauty costs, IMO. of course, price will vary from company to company.this obviously isn't a sponsored post, but i'd be remiss to skip over this point! your first wax at EWC {eyebrow or bikini or underarm} is FREE! it's a great way to experience the Center and get a feel of waxing services. since they are located all over the country, it's a pretty safe bet there's one near you. i love EWC and couldn't recommend them more!if you have any more questions, leave them for me down below and i'm happy to answer anything i missed! hope you enjoyed this post! next i'll be sharing my tips and tricks for getting spray tans. xx

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