5 waxing mistakes to avoid

Ensure things go smoothly at the wax pot. In an article first written for Salon System, waxing specialist Andy Rouillard reveals the most common waxing mistakes therapists tend to make… and how to avoid them.

1. Not doing a consultation

This should really go without saying, but I still see too many therapists forgetting to carry out a consultation prior to waxing.

Regardless of whether it’s a 5 minute upper lip wax or a 2 hour full body treatment, always carry out a full written consultation with new clients to ensure that waxing is safe and appropriate for that customer.

With regulars, check whether there have been any changes affecting their skin, blood or immune system since you last saw them. A seemingly simple change in skin care, health or medication can have a significant knock-on effect with waxing, so it’s vital to check at every visit.

In addition to being a mandatory insurance requirement, the consultation is also the perfect opportunity to find out whether your client has experienced any issues after previous hair removal treatments, such as pimples or ingrown hairs, which can often be addressed with a simple tweak to their aftercare.

2. Assuming clients are psychic

We’ve all heard funny stories about leaving clients to get changed for a treatment and re-entering the room to find them with disposable knickers on their head or completely naked, when all they needed to remove was their trousers!

It’s easy for us as therapists to forget that we spend all day every day at the wax pot, so we know the routine inside out.

Unfortunately, most clients aren’t psychic! WE know what clothes need to be taken off, what the intimate wipes and disposable knickers are for, and how people need to be positioned on the table… but most first-time customers don’t know any of this. In fact, a lot of regular clients forget, too, so don’t leave them guessing.

Assume nothing, explain everything!

3. Not retailing

As with all skincare services, using the correct homecare products will help waxing clients get the best long term results from their treatment, but so many salons neglect the retail side of hair removal. This is a huge loss, as it’s actually one of the easiest beauty treatments to support with retail.

Remember that waxing is all about achieving beautiful, smooth skin… so whether it’s in preparation for a holiday, for a special occasion, to boost sporting performance or part of a regular routine, nobody wants sore bits, pimples or ingrown hairs blighting their freshly waxed body.

Never wait for customers to phone or come in for their next treatment and mention that they got spots or ingrowns; sell them something at their first appointment to help prevent and tackle the problem before it even arises.

You don’t need 101 lotions and potions lining your shelves, but there are some core products that every hair removal practitioner should aim to offer. In my own salon, consistent best sellers include soothing gels and creams, moisturising tea tree body lotions, exfoliating cloths and mitts, and specific ingrown hair products – all of which can be picked up relatively inexpensively from beauty wholesalers and mean clients don’t need to traipse down the high street to get something.

4. Giving the wrong stuff away for free

I see a lot of salons offering ‘buy 5 waxes, get your 6th wax free’ type promotions, which seem to stem from the ‘free drink’ loyalty cards you see in coffee shops up and down the country.

Now I’m all for rewarding loyal customers, I believe that’s right and proper. But I do think there are more effective ways of rewarding clients than giving them a free treatment that they are already having done and would have happily paid for anyway.

Firstly, you’re not a coffee shop. It probably costs the likes of Costa-Lotta-Bucks all of about 20 or 30p and less than 2 minutes to pour you that free mocha. When you start talking about giving away free leg or back waxes, it’s not just the price of product but the time it takes to do that treatment that you are losing – all of which is going to cost significantly more than a free cup of coffee.

I believe there are better ways to say thank you and incentivise clients.

So instead of giving a loyal customer something they are already coming to get done anyway, I might offer them a free nostril or underarm wax, money off a back massage, or a free product – something they aren’t already having done or aren’t already buying. This not only feels a bit more like a ‘treat’ for the client, but also introduces them to other products and services I offer at the salon, which they might not have previously known about or considered.

5. Making it harder than it has to be

There’s no denying waxing is a physically demanding job, but it doesn’t have to be exhausting. If you’re working efficiently, you should be able to get to the end of a full day of clients and not feel like you want to crawl under the duvet for the rest of the week. There are a few really simple things you can do to make your life easier at the wax pot:

First, watch your posture. Avoid bending or twisting your back when working. As satisfying as it is, you don’t need to be up close watching every hair slide out of the skin! Check the height of your treatment table and adjust it if necessary so that you don’t have to stretch, twist or lean awkwardly during waxing. Ideally, you should be able to walk all the way around your beauty bed to access every side with comfort.

Secondly, invest in a decent set of wheels. I don’t mean a new Ferrari (as lovely as that would be)! Get a waxing trolley that you can move around the room and park next to the body part you are working on, instead of having to walk around the bed with a drippy wax spatula. It’ll save you both time and energy.

Third, wherever possible, remove long wax strips towards you. It’s a lot less strain on your body to pull a strip toward you, rather than away. If you spend all day leaning over your clients and tugging the paper strips away from your body, you risk hurting your elbow and your shoulder, and drastically shortening your career. It’s a small detail, but you’ll certainly feel the difference at the end of a long working week.

© Andy Rouillard, 2017