How to Use Hard Wax Like a Pro:
The Complete Guide

Hard wax is one of the most popular waxing mediums among estheticians. It works its magic by only attaching itself to the hair follicle but not the skin for a relatively pain-free waxing sesh that prolongs future hair growth. Hard wax is popular because you don’t need a strip, so it’s less overhead and can be easier to use than other wax types. 

So today, we’re going beyond giving just giving you some hard wax tips by showing you how to use hard wax like a pro. To keep you expanding your craft, enhancing the client experience, and increasing sales, we’ll start by giving you an in-depth lesson on how to create your bulbs, the best hard wax application technique, and removal practices that protect the skin. Then, we provide all the bells and whistles to go from waxing pro to hair removal guru!

How Do You Use Hard Wax?

Only use high-quality hard wax and care for the skin before and after waxing for best results. Always use the correct wax application temperature and proper pre-and post-wax care products. Apply wax in the hair growth direction and remove it parallel to the skin against the hair growth direction.

Let’s dive deeper into each of these hard wax tips by detailing each aspect of how to use hard wax.

How to Apply Hard Wax

When learning how to use hard wax, you need to know how to create a bulb. A bulb is the accumulation of wax surrounding your spatula and is produced by twirling wax around like spaghetti on a fork. Your bulbs should be the right size for the area you’re waxing. Start by using your spatula to pick up a small to a medium amount of wax, depending on the area you are working on. Twirl your spatula and ensure that your wax isn’t too thick or too runny. You should be able to twirl the bulb with no drip for at least 2-3 seconds after it’s picked up. 

Your bulbs should move slowly off your spatula like thick butter honey or molasses. If your warmer is too hot, reduce the temperature and hold up your bulbs while twisting until the wax cools to the optimal consistency. This process can take up service time, so be sure that your bulbs are on point before your client arrives. 

Depending on which area of the body you are waxing, your bulbs will look slightly different. Check out the following video to see the ideal look of wax bulbs for common waxing services:

Do you apply hard wax against hair growth?

No, it is vital to apply wax in the hair growth direction. Place wax on the highest point of the area you will be waxing and spread it down in the direction of hair growth with even pressure throughout.  

Hard Wax Application Technique

When the entire bulb has accumulated onto the skin, you can start spreading it in the hair growth direction. Don’t be afraid to go back to your starting point to push more wax over to even out your strip. 

Mold the stopping point of your strip into a rounded-edge to create your lip and “butter-knife” your way back to your starting point via the base of your freshly made strip. Make sure that your edges are smooth. If you’re not happy with an edge, apply more wax to even out the line. 

How to Remove Hard Wax

Your wax application is your set up for the removal. Laying an even wax strip in terms of thickness, pressure, and creating a lip, will dictate how your removal will go. When removing your strip, don’t pull up or outward, keep as un-moved as possible.  to avoid pulling the skin up away from the body, remove wax in the opposite direction of the hair growth, parallel to the skin. You need to keep the skin anchored so it doesn’t “go with the hair” you’re trying to pull out and cause unnecessary pain to your client. 

After your wax sets: 

1. Flick up or pinch the lip between your pointer finger and thumb.
2. Holding the skin taut with your free hand, remove the wax strip quickly in the opposite direction of the hair growth.
3. Apply pressure immediately on your client’s skin with your free hand to relieve any discomfort they may feel upon removal. 

Other hard wax tips: 

• If you need to apply a cleanup strip, make the same motions as above but use it in the opposite direction. You will be removing your cleanup strip in the direction of hair growth. 

• Keep an eye on what the skin is doing at all times. If the client gets too hot, creates excess sweat or oil, or their skin is overly irritated, address it right away. 

 Taking Hard Wax to the Next Level

Now that we went into the ultimate hard wax application techniques, it’s time to highlight everything else you need to know about how to use hard wax like a pro. Because a successful hard wax service is more than meets the eye, here are supporting hard wax tips that will separate a pro from a professional who is making more money and seeing more repeat business a waxing guru!

Only Use High-Quality Hard Wax 

As a professional, you know that your main goal with any service is to provide even, long-lasting hair removal. When you’re learning how to use hard wax, only use high-quality wax or formula for the right service, concern, and skin and hair type. Low-quality wax can tear or crack or cause skin damage. Therefore, if you need to skimp on salon costs, find the cutbacks elsewhere and only use the best waxing products. After that, be sure to tailor your wax formula to the service you’re performing, the skin and hair type you’re working on, and the client’s specific concerns, needs, and wants.

There are so many great waxing formulas out there these days; there is no reason not to carry a minimum of two wax formulas to meet various needs. The best combinations include these suggestions. 

• One wax for normal and one for sensitive skin.
• One wax for facial hair and one for body hair.
• An all-purpose wax and a specialty wax.

The benefits of having more than one wax type:

• Offers product knowledge
• Expands your wax techniques
• Allows for tailor-made services on each client 
• Offers more talking points surrounding waxing knowledge to increase sales and future bookings
• Improves the client experience
• It keeps you on your toes

Educate your clients on waxing prep and post-wax care.

Most of your clients’ adverse waxing side effects come from a lack of proper pre-and post-wax care on their part. When you fail to emphasize proper wax care, you increase your clients’ chances of breaking out, getting ingrown hair, or even an allergic reaction. It is your responsibility to have them help you keep their skin clear and bump-free in between appointments. Your clients want to have silky-smooth skin, but it may seem like something is always in the way.

READ: HOW TO GET RID OF TEXTURED SKIN 

Here is a list of things your clients can do to prepare for their services with you. Feel free to copy it and re-write it in your own words. Use your version on your website or offer it in an email or SMS to your client before they arrive for their appointment.

How do you prepare for a hard wax?

1. Avoid excess alcohol, caffeine, sugar, white flour, fried foods, or saturated fats, but drink a lot of water before hair removal.
2. Exfoliate skin with dry brushing and/or a gentle scrub
3. Avoid over sun exposure
4. Take an anti-inflammatory about an hour beforehand

READ: THE RIGHT WAY TO PREP SKIN BEFORE WAXING

Know your wax; temperature, formula, movement, and spreadability.

Before mastering how to apply hard wax, you need to be one with your formula. That means knowing its application temperature, consistency, and how it moves, spreads, and cools over skin and hair. In these hard wax application tips, we’ll give you our film hard wax stats to highlight how to approach how to apply hard wax according to its formula. 

Blue Film Hard Wax 

• Application Temperature: 70˚C - 75˚C
• Formula: Crystalline
• Consistency: Melt to a Manuka honey hard wax consistency
• Hair: Best for medium to coarse hair types
• Skin: Great on sensitive to normal skin
• Service: Perfect for facial and large area body waxing 
• Benefit: Cools quickly for fast removal 

Pink Film Hard Wax 

• Application Temperature: 65˚C - 70˚C
• Formula: Creamy 
• Consistency: Melt to a warm taffy consistency
• Hair: Grabs micro-tiny and fine hairs 
• Skin: A go-to for sensitive skin
• Service: Pink Film Hard Wax is the best hard wax for facial, underarms, and intimate body waxing. 
• Benefit: Has a mild scent and effortless removal

Black Film Hard Wax 

• Application Temperature: 70˚C
• Formula: Creamy Crystalline
• Consistency: Melt to a warmed taffy
• Hair: Perfect for all hair types 
• Skin: Favors all skin types and sensitive and mature skin
• Service: Ideal for facial, extensive, full-body waxing, and all intimate body waxing
• Benefit: An incredible, well-rounded wax formula

Starsoft Film Hard Wax

• Application Temperature: 60˚C
• Formula: Crystalline
• Consistency: Melt to a Manuka honey consistency 
• Hair: Perfect for all hair types 
• Skin: Favors all skin types, hypersensitive sensitive and mature skin
• Service: Ideal for facial, extensive, full-body waxing, and all intimate body waxing
• Benefit: Formulated without pine rosin, perfumes, coloring agents, or preservatives,

Coral Film Hard Wax 

• Application Temperature: 65˚C 
• Formula: Crystalline
• Consistency: Melt to a Manuka honey consistency 
• Hair: Perfect for all hair types 
• Skin: Favors all skin types, hypersensitive sensitive and mature skin
• Service: Ideal for facial, extensive, full-body waxing, and all intimate body waxing
• Benefit: Improves skin tone and great for the “Swing Method”

Calendula Film Hard Wax 

• Application Temperature: 65˚C
• Formula: Creamy
• Consistency: 

Melt to a warmed taffy

• Hair: Perfect for all hair types 
• Skin: Favors all skin types, hypersensitive sensitive. Oily and acne-prone skin
• Service: Ideal for facial, extensive, full-body waxing, and all intimate body waxing
• Benefit: Has antibacterial properties

Other hard wax tips:

• It’s best to start at 90°C for the initial meltdown.  
• Wait 10 minutes after lowering your warmer to the ideal temperature for each formula and test your wax before applying to skin.
• Remember the external factors that come into play when melting down hard wax, like the temperature of your room, power in your outlet, and your client’s body temperature.  
• You will know your hard wax is perfect when its specific consistency.

READ: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOFT WAX AND HARD WAX?

Pre, post, and at-home waxing care:

During a service, be sure to use the right waxing care products and application techniques according to the client’s needs. Avoid being strictly “functional.” an element of pampering to your prep? For example, dehydrated skin can increase hair breakage or irritation. Oily skin or excess perspiration can create an uneven waxing moment, and sensitive skin can potentially cause intense irritation or lifting. Acknowledging these things should be reflected in the wax products and techniques you choose to use and recommend.  

Cultivate your post-hard-wax treatment service as discussed in your prep step. Hopefully, you will tailor your conversations with your clients around their skincare habits, post-wax education, and lifestyle to ascertain the perfect post-wax prescription to address their concerns and needs. Share with them everything you would share with your best friend after they get waxed based on everything you know about them and their skin and waxing needs.

Final Thoughts

It takes a village of products and techniques when learning how to use hard wax like a pro. From the wax you use, the education you offer, the wax care, application, and removal, hard wax is a multi-skilled dance that must be mastered if you want to take your business as far as you can. How can Starpil Wax help you better master hard wax hair removal? Start by being a part of the Starpil Fam for more in-depth content like this. 

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