How to Reduce Waxing Pain | The Complete Guide

Everyone knows that waxing is painful to some degree. At best, it’s annoying; at worst, it’s merely…the WORST. Some wax professionals may downplay waxing pain. They feel like it might be a bad look, so the response concerning the topic of “will it hurt?” is met with answers like, “it depends on your pain threshold,” or, “it’s different for everybody.” Though these are factual statements, they don’t quite cut the mustard.

Today, we’re talking about how to reduce waxing pain—the keyword being “reduce.” Because as many of us know, there is no such thing as a 100% painless wax or magical painless wax beads. We don’t have any advice on how to make a Brazilian wax not hurt entirely, but we do have some ways to shift your perspective on how you focus on the subject of waxing pain with your clients. We’ll give you some tips on approaching pain as a tool to serve your clients better and boost your business at the same time. Waxing and pain are a part of the situation, but how you minimize it can enhance the client experience, improve your services, and go above and beyond for your business. So read on, we promise it will be painless.

WHY IS WAXING PAINFUL?

Essentially, the hair bulb is surrounded by blood vessels and nerve endings. The hair shaft and bulb are being ripped away from the follicle and the attachments to the blood supply. Waxing can be more painful for first-time waxers with stronger, thicker hair and uneven growth patterns and cycles. It can be more painful for those who shave in-between appointments or people who don’t stick to a regular waxing schedule. Clients who don’t follow good skincare habits or practice pre and post wax care regimens may find waxing more intense than clients who do.

The pain from pulling hair from the root is only one kind of pain; there is also pain from soreness and tenderness post-wax and the potential of infection, ingrown hair, and acne after waxing. There is also another psychological kind of pain—the fear of the pain itself. And though there are no ways to guarantee a pain-free wax, you can help ease fears by showcasing your knowledge of waxing pain, what they can do to reduce it and what you do for your clients to make waxing hurt less.

These actions let clients know how you’re different from the rest and how you go above and beyond through the measures you take to take the pain away and make it all better.

READ: A Starpil Wax Guide to Hair Growth

USING PAIN AS A MOTIVATOR

Because some waxing services are, in-fact, extremely painful for some and “not that bad” for others, it helps to not beat around the bush, talk openly about wax pain, and already have the means for reducing pain spelled out for them from the get-go. Being clear about these things on your site can be a motivator for your clients to do the at-home prep stuff—you know, exfoliate the day before, wear loose-fitting cotton, avoid alcohol, and so on. It can also be a stronger motivator for them to stop shaving in-between waxes, maintain regular waxing schedules, and purchase the recommended waxing skincare from you before or after their service.

ADDRESSING CLIENT PAIN POINTS

Telling clients what to do before they arrive at their appointment is very different than telling them why they need to do them. Begin your education by leading with the pain factor. You can say something along the lines of the following.

Waxing can be painful for some and merely an annoyance for others, depending on the service. But no matter where you fall within this range, follow these instructions before you arrive to reduce potential pain and to help avoid ingrown hair and acne breakouts post-wax. 

Then, give them the list of the at-home pre-care they MUST do if they want to reduce pain on all fronts. If you already have the tips on your site, add the few lines regarding pain reduction above them.

Here are a few examples of leading with the “pain points” to highlight the importance of what your clients should be doing at home anyway before their wax appointments, but with a little more incentive behind them.

It might go something like this:

Book Your Wax Appointment After Lunch

Your body produces natural pain killers and releases endorphins in the afternoon from about 3 PM – 5 PM. This is a great time to book your intimate waxing if you’re wondering how to reduce the pain of a Brazilian Wax, for example. Because waxing is the least painful at these times, appointments fill up fast, so book now!

Your Pain-Reducing Diet

Eat clean the day before/of your appointment. A diet full of antioxidants, fiber, probiotics, and high-water content helps keep the skin protected and supported. Excessive alcohol, caffeine, sugar, white flour, fried foods, or saturated fats can be dehydrating and poisons to the body. Your body will go off to “fight” them, increasing your chances for pain, tenderness, acne, and ingrown hair.

Medications

Just like your diet, waxing while on antibiotics (both oral and topical) or other medications can be skin-depleting, increasing the chance of sensitivity, pain, or even cause skin lifting. We recommend being off certain prescription medications (especially acne medications or retinoids of any kind) for at least five to seven days.

You would then go on listing each of the pre-home care steps concerning how it reduces pain and helps avoid the adverse side effects of acne.

Other directions should include:

• Exfoliate with dry brushing and/or a gentle scrub
• Avoid over sun exposure, wear sun protection, and supplement with vitamin D.
• Wear clean moisturizers and lotions.
• Stay away from fragrances and toxic chemicals.
• Take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen about an hour beforehand.
• Do all your sweaty, wet stuff beforehand (working out, pool, sauna, etc.).
• Don’t self-tan beforehand.
• Avoid wearing makeup to your appointment to reduce bacteria.
• Book an appointment on a day where you don’t have to wear makeup after.
• Waxing around the time of menstruation can be more sensitive, so it’s best to book when not on your period.
• Wear comfy, loose-fitting, cotton fabrics.
• Be freshly showered. A warm shower or a long hot bath opens pores and increases circulation.
• Apply a numbing cream about a half-hour before your service.
• Avoid wearing heavy lotions beforehand.
• Wear only cotton underwear to your appointment and for a day or two after.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing over freshly waxed body areas for one to two days after your appointment.
• Avoid sex, working out, saunas, or sunbathing for one to two days after your service.
• Use talc-free powder or powder sprays on body parts that get “humid” or sweaty.

FOR MORE TOPICS READ: Don’t Go to the Wax Salon Without These Tips 

For Continued Pain Reduction and to Avoid Negative Side Effects, Keep the Following Products and Things On-Hand and In Mind After Waxing.

• Using Cortisone Cream is a great way to reduce tenderness after waxing.
• Use Starpil Ingrown Hair Serum 24-hours after waxing to flush the skin and stop ingrown hairs.
• Apply Post-Wax Intensive Care Lotion to balance the skin’s pH levels and to reduce inflammation.

Don’t Shave and Keep Your Appointments Consistent

Getting your hair growth on the same cycle by not shaving and keeping your appointments regular can reduce pain, ingrown hair, and acne. Uneven growth cycles will have you waxing some longer hairs and some hard-to-pull, shorter hairs; the waxing can be choppy and more painful. If you refrain from shaving and are consistent with booking, hair should all be on the same page by your third or fourth appointment. Then, hair should be finer, thinner and the attachment to skin weakened, making it a lot easier to remove and considerably less painful. In some cases, regular waxing can make it so your hair won’t even grow back. Regular appointments also help to acclimate mentally to waxing sensations.

USING PAIN TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

Here’s the part where you educate your clients about what you do for them to provide the most pain-free wax possible.

Products, Methods and Wax We Use to Reduce Waxing Pain

We provide numbing treatments that can be applied during another service to give time for it to take effect. However, we recommend you applying numbing creams an hour before your service.

• We carry multiple pre and post wax care products to care for the skin according to your specific skin type and needs. All of our provided products sanitize, disinfect, and reduce pain and inflammation before and after waxing. We use Pre and Post Waxing Care for most skin types, Starsoft Pre and Post Wax Care for hypersensitive skin types, and the Starpil Calendula Collection (Coming soon!) for sensitive, acne-prone, and oily skin. All of our pre and post-wax care treatments are used to increase blood flow, hydration, and protection against acne and ingrown hair.

• We only use the highest quality wax and include Starpil Starsoft Film Hard Wax into our wax varieties for those with extremely sensitive skin, and though our tablets aren’t painless wax beads, they do contain neurosensory properties that soothe potential pain from waxing. We recommend using film hard wax for sensitive skin as it grips merely the hair and not to the skin making it less irritating.

• We set the mood with diffused lighting, calming music, and encouraging meditative breathwork throughout the service to increase oxygen flow and avoid tensing up.

How to Reduce the Pain of a Brazilian Wax

Our post-wax mini vajacial helps to flush the skin, alleviate tenderness, and keep the vulva and bikini areas clean and protected. We provide gentle skin flushing, mist the area with a blend of chilled aloe vera and rosewater, and then apply a cooled Brazilian Waxing Mask to infuse antioxidants and provide a soothing post-wax treat.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While you don’t have to use doom, gloom, and pain to drive your business ad nauseum, or be as extra as we were in our examples, pain can be a motivating factor for clients to take the proper precautions for a successful wax. For us pros, some of us who don’t do so already can benefit from being more transparent about pain and making it a stronger focus in approaching everything we do to help clients rest easier and keep them more comfortable. For those of us who are on top of pain reduction, feel free to join The World of Waxing and let us know the following:   

• How do you prep the skin to reduce pain, inflammation, redness, and any post-wax issues like ingrown hair or acne?
• How do you soothe the skin post-wax?
• What post-wax-homecare do you recommend to reduce pain?

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