Learn Male Waxing

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I was reminded of the above advice from waxing legend Lori Nestore last week, and it's the perfect inspiration for when you're feeling overwhelmed with the task ahead. It happens to all of us at least once. Usually in the early days of our hair removal career, fresh faced and starry eyed, it seems the universe decides to test our mettle: "so you think you're a waxer, huh? Well then, wax THIS!" The client unbuttons his shirt or you whip off the modesty towel and it's like the first days of disco all over again. You literally can't see skin for hair. Your mouth goes dry, beads of sweat start running down your forehead and the room seems to spin. You don't know whether to wax it or plait it, and running away to join the circus suddenly seems like a much more attractive career option... Well, my little waxlings, next time you find yourself wondering whether a woolly mammoth snuck into your treat...

I’ve always found shopping for consumables in our industry a bit like planning a wedding: add the word ‘wedding’ or ‘beauty’ to something and the regular price seems to mysteriously triple. Those who have trained with me will know that I’ve been recommending Brosch Direct for gloves and salon janitorial supplies for the last few years. Well, just last weekend my waxing chum Caroline from HONE Male Grooming drew my attention to the fact that they also sell a heap of other salon essentials... and they beat the beauty wholesalers hands-down on price nearly every time. For some of the best prices out there on gloves, couch roll, spatulas, laundry and cleaning products, check out their website and save yourself some serious moolah:  www.broschdirect.com © Andy Rouillard 2017

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...

In the battle against ingrown hairs, this rather marvellous little roll-on has become a firm favourite with my salon customers. Available in 3 retail sizes plus a mahoosive salon version, each bottle contains a colourless gel that you simply roll onto the affected area 2-3 times a day. There’s no sting, just a pleasant cooling sensation from the peppermint oil, and it dries really quickly without any visible residue. Here comes the science bit... 😜 A triple-whammy of glycolic, salicylic and fruit acids provides effective exfoliation to help free stubborn trapped hairs, while also reducing painful inflammation and zapping any associated infection along the way. Lovely j ubbly . For stubborn ingrowns, expect to see results within a week. As an added bonus, it’s also a blooming marvel at dealing with occasional spots on the face and any pimples that pop up on the back or chest after waxing. Result! Produced here in the UK, Aloe Clear is the original formulation and Shave S...

“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...

Ingrown hairs... the bane of waxers worldwide. Prevention is certainly better than cure here, but surprisingly few clients realise that it’s a 2-step process: SCRUB and SLICK. Scrub the skin Regular, gentle exfoliation is essential to shift any build-up of dead skin cells that can otherwise trap the hair, plu s it also lifts new growth to the surface. First up, the key word with any form of exfoliation is 'gentle'. I've found a lot of customers will over-do it and go at things like they're sanding down a work surface: scrubbing themselves red raw on a daily basis or using harsh, scratchy products in the mistaken belief that "if it's hurting, it's working"... when in actual fact the skin just winds up irritated and this only serves to make things worse. So, gently does it: 3-4 times a week tops, and get him to use either a cosmetic scrub with spherical beads that won't scratch the skin, or a nylon/polyester mitt or cloth (I persona...

Thick, dark, curly hair on the knuckles is a look many clients would prefer was left to the animal kingdom. A quick once over with your waxing spatula will soon make them feel human again and will knock years off their appearance in the process. 👍 Cold hands and fingers Chilly digits can be a nightmare to de-fuzz as cold skin will cool your wax quicker, often resulting in it becoming stuck fast. I find it helps to work in smaller sections: apply your wax as thinly as possible and do the back of the hand separately to the fingers. This gives the sticky stuff less chance to cool down between each area. If you’re still struggling to get wax off, rub the strip briskly until you feel heat coming through the paper, which will warm up any colder blobs just enough to release from the skin. Using a clean section of strip will also help.  True story: I have been known to ask clients to sit on the hand I’m not currently working on, in order to warm it up before I slather on...

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 mandat...