Learn Male Waxing

An area many waxing therapists struggle with when starting out is removing hot wax without resorting to picking. Here’s a short little video from Andy Rouillard at Axiom Wax Academy, demonstrating various ways of lifting that first bit of non-strip wax... no flick required! 1. Peel and reveal If your hard wax has clearly defined edges and overlaps into hair-free skin, you can simply stretch the skin taut and peel back a corner to start your pull. The secret here is to make sure your edges are clean and even all the way around, which makes for trouble-free removal. If the strip doesn’t lift easily, try one of the following alternative methods. 2. Stick and lift Press the waxy tip of your spatula into the edge of the strip and lift briskly. The wax on the spatula will stick to the wax on the body, just enough to raise a tab for removal. 3. Press and pull Press the shiny, hair-free side of a recently removed piece of wax into a corner of wax still on the body, a...

A simple trick for waxing the sides of the torso During a back wax, it can be a struggle to reach all of the hair on the sides of the torso with your client lying flat on the couch, especially on more hirsute customers where their back and chest hair connects. That darn table top keeps getting in the way! But there is an easy and comfortable way to reach these areas without the need for any awkward twisting. When you sit your client up to wax his upper back, ask him to place one hand at a time on the opposite shoulder or behind his head. You can also ask him to lean slightly to the side in order to put a better stretch in the skin (this is particularly useful when waxing larger/heavier-set customers). Run a line of strip wax up from the waist to the underarm, and then remove away from the spine as per the rest of the back. This is also a handy trick for creating an even, natural-looking division between smooth skin on the back and the unwaxed hair on the chest and tum...

When finishing a waxing service in areas like the lower back, upper arms, buttocks and speedo line, it can be tricky to create a natural looking transition between freshly waxed skin and the remaining body hair. Blending is a great way to soften an obvious line between hair and hairlessness, and clients appreciate the attention to detail.  You can use wax or electric clippers, or a combination of both. With strip wax Use a freshly removed paper or cloth strip that’s got wax on it. Press the waxy side lightly into the area you want to blend and remove against the direction of growth as normal. This will lift some but not all of the hair, thinning the strands out for a softer line. Repeat a few times with varying pressure until you get the desired effect. With clippers Start with a grade 3 (9mm) and trim about an inch worth of hair at the edge of the area you want to blend. Reduce the grade as you get closer to the waxed bits, resulting in a gradual s...

Skin lifting is usually pretty easy to spot in the treatment room: a red mark or shiny pink patch of tender skin is a sign that the uppermost layers of the epidermis have been removed by the wax, resulting in a superficial graze. Sometimes, however, lifting only becomes apparent once the client has left our care and we get a panicked phone call or email the next day. Minor grazes of this nature will generally heal very quickly – they’ll stay pink for a day or two and then either ‘dry peel’ (like sunburn) or form a scab, with no lasting signs of injury. The process can be helped along by advising customers to apply an antiseptic cream at home and avoid UV exposure of the affected area until fully healed. Lifting is more common in sensitive areas of the body or on patches of thin or loose skin, for example under the eyebrows, the upper lip, underarms, scrotum and labia. But the truth is it can happen anywhere, at any time, with both strip ...

As with all skincare services, using the correct homecare products will help waxing clients get the best long term results from their treatment. But it seems that so many salons don't know how, or tend to neglect, the retail side of hair removal. Here's a little piece with a few thoughts to get you started, from the April 2017 issue of Professional Beauty magazine. Waxing is actually one of the easiest beauty treatments to support with retail - it’s all about achieving beautiful, smooth skin after all. Whether it’s in preparation for a holiday, special occasion, sporting performance or just part of regular grooming, nobody wants sore bits, pimples or ingrown hairs blighting their freshly waxed skin. Be proactive Don’t wait for customers to phone or come in for their next treatment complaining they got spots or ingrowns: sell them something at their first appointment to help prevent and tackle the problem before it even arises. Mention specific products during the c...

“Do I need to use a separate, special wax designed specifically for guys?” I get asked this a lot. Short answer: no. Most waxes ‘for men’ are nothing more than regular wax with a ‘manly’ colour and fragrance added. The rest is marketing. Hair doesn’t care whether it grows out of a man or a woman… and neither does your wax. You'll get guys with peach fuzz that slips out with barely a whisper and girls with the toughest hair known to humankind. Also true: using a pink wax that smells of strawberries isn't going to cause a national dip in testosterone levels. Neither will your female clients start sprouting chest hair if you use a wax aimed at male customers on them. My advice? A truly great wax should do a grand job on all skin and hair types, regardless of gender. Pick a wax that you love and don't lose sleep over whether or not it smells of Old Spice and promises to mow the lawn when it's finish...