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Skin Lifting from Waxing | The Complete Guide

Skin Lifting from Waxing - Starpil Wax

There's nothing worse than skin lifting from waxing, or a client getting a wax burn on the face or body during their service with you or your staff. You might not even notice it at first - but then the surrounding skin starts to normalize, and there it is: a steaming, red-hot spot that chills you to your core. 

There's nothing worse than a client experiencing skin lifting from waxing or a wax burn on the face or body during their service. Even the most experienced esthetician might not notice it at first right after hair removal, but it's unmistakable once skin starts to normalize and those red-hot spots start to form. On top of that, it’s stressful to be unsure if a client will scar, are prone to pigmentation, or if they’ll book with you again.

Table of Contents:

  • What is Skin Lifting from Waxing?
  • What Causes Skin Lifting from Waxing?
  • Retinol and Waxing
  • What to do if Your Client Gets a Wax Burn
  • How to Treat a Wax Burn
  • How to Heal Ripped Skin from Waxing
  • What to Do if You Caused a Wax Burn
  • Wax Salon Insurance Policies
  • Final Thoughts
  • Whether it’s a wax burn on a face, an eyebrow wax burn, or a Brazilian wax burn, you never want to see your clients hurt or burned in any way. In this article, we'll talk about how to prevent skin lifting when waxing, how to heal a wax burn fast, as well as the possible causes for skin lifting after waxing in the first place.

    On top of that, we’ve also got some treatment tips as well as ways to keep yourself covered with salon and insurance policies in the event of a wax burn or skin lifting.

    READ: 5 Tips for How to Wax Sensitive Skin

    What is Skin Lifting from Waxing?

    Skin lifting from waxing, also known as a wax burn, is a wound caused by wax grabbing more than you bargained for—the client’s skin. Usually, a wax burn only goes as deep as the top layer of the skin but can leave a client open to bacteria, scarring, and pigmentation.

    Wax burns are less common to experience on the legs or back but are more commonly seen during eyebrow or Brazilian waxing.

    A wax burn on the skin, an eyebrow wax burn, or a Brazilian wax burn can all resemble anywhere from a seriously skinned knee wound to a small abrasion. Sometimes, you and the client won’t even notice that it’s there until it starts to scab over within a day or two.

    Depending on the client and the size of the burn, a little abrasion won’t bother them, but for more severe cases it’s important to have a good post-care routine to heal things correctly.

    READ: How to Prevent Pimples After Waxing

    What Causes Skin Lifting from Waxing?

    Below are some factors that can cause wax burns on the face or body:

    • Using low-quality wax
    • Using the wrong wax for your client's skin type 
    • Waxing when you shouldn’t be
    • Applying wax that is too hot onto the skin
    • Waxing over the same area more than once
    • Retinol and waxing

    Can Waxing Rip Your Skin?

    As we mentioned, skin lifting from waxing occurs when wax grips both the hair and skin upon application, which then lifts/burns it as a result. 

    This can be considered a form of ‘ripping’ or ‘tearing’, but is usually referred to as just lifting since the skin is only burned and not actually ripped off. Don’t worry - even if it looks like your eyebrow wax skin is ripped off, it’s not! It’s just burned and can be soothed and healed quickly. 

    Wax Burns from Low-Quality Wax

    When you use low-quality wax, you increase the likelihood of damage to the skin because of questionable melting points, uneven warming, breakage, or the need to go over an area more than once because the wax is ineffective. There’s an easy solution to this, however, and that’s using high-quality waxes like Starpil!

    Using the Wrong Wax for Your Client’s Skin Type

    Using the right wax type for your client's skin is something to keep in mind to keep skin safe. It's essential to know skin types and sensitivities to have a safe and successful wax. 

    Best Waxes for Sensitive Skin

    To prevent skin ripping from waxing, it’s important to use only the most high-quality waxes. For sensitive skin in particular, use only waxes specially formulated for these uses. 

    10% off hard wax purchase w/ code SAFE-WAX
    Limited time only.

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