So you want beautiful brows but you also want clear, luminescent skin?
Are you using an exfoliating serum or retinoid like Vitamin A (Retin-A), Salicylic or Mandelic Serum? If you are treating with us, you are definitely using A Plus, Mandelic, Salicylic or Glycolic Serums.
Thinking about a brow or upper lip wax? Slow down and read this first.
Waxing, retinoids and acids are all exfoliators. Why does that matter? Because exfoliated skin is more vulnerable to environmental and physical damage.
Waxing doesn’t just remove hair. It also pulls away dead skin cells from the outer layer of skin.
Retinoids and acids are cell turnover accelerators. They work by exfoliating dead skin cells to reveal fresh new skin cells.
The fact that waxing and retinoids both remove dead skin puts the two at odds because the removal of the outer layer of skin leaves the newly regenerated layer of skin exposed. When you apply wax on top of that new skin and rip it away, you are very likely to rip away some tender, living skin cells along with the unwanted hair. It can be painful and also damaging to your skin. It leaves the skin open to infection, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and the potential for scarring.
Also, please beware that prescription retinoids like Tretinoin are much stronger than an over-the-counter vitamin A. Your skin will definitely lift if you wax while actively using Tretinoin.
Does this mean if you want to do hair removal you have to give up your skin enhancing retinoids?
Definitely not.
You can temporarily halt your use of acids and retinoids one week prior to waxing, especially if you are using prescription exfoliation.
We offer a much gentler form of waxing (hard wax) for our clients using strong active ingredients including retinoids, acids and benzol peroxide. We also offer straight up tweezing.
We often provide eyebrow waxing to our clients on the same day as their acne treatment, as we know how to manage your skin while using our skincare products.
If you are waxing regularly, be sure to always tell the waxing specialist about any exfoliating products you are using. To be extra cautious, we recommend allowing us to wax your brows instead of going somewhere where they don’t know your skin and your treatment protocol like we do. It’s the safest way to “save face.”
If you are interested in beautiful brows, please ask us to add a brow wax to your next appointment.
Cheers to clear!
Rene