Hair Removal
Hair Removal
This domain tests temporary hair removal: the growth cycle that dictates scheduling, wax chemistry and temperature, client screening, and aftercare.
Growth cycle
Anagen is active growth, when the hair is most firmly rooted and removed cleanly with the root. Catagen is transitional; telogen is resting, and the hair sheds. Only anagen hairs respond to light-based devices; waxing removes any hair with enough length - about 6 mm, roughly a quarter inch, or two weeks of growth. Because follicles cycle independently, appointments spaced 4–6 weeks catch the next wave.
Wax types and temperature
- Soft wax - applied thin and removed with a cloth or paper strip; efficient on large areas such as legs and arms, but it adheres to skin and can strip fragile epidermis.
- Hard wax - applied thicker and removed without a strip, shrinking around the hair; lower melting temperature, better for coarse curly hair and sensitive areas such as face, underarms, and bikini.
Wax should feel warm, not hot - roughly 100–115 °F / 38–46 °C - tested on the inner wrist and on a small patch. Pots stay covered and are never topped off with a different formula.
Screening and contraindications
Patch test 24–48 hours before a first treatment. Defer for isotretinoin (typically six months after the last dose), topical retinoids (3–7 days), recent chemical peel or dermabrasion, sunburn, active herpes, open lesions, moles, varicose veins, and compromised skin. Diabetes, pregnancy, anticoagulants, and autoimmune conditions require physician clearance. Clients with a herpes history may pretreat prophylactically per their physician.
Worked example
A client four months into isotretinoin therapy wants a lip wax. Reasoning: the drug thins the epithelium and impairs healing, so wax can avulse living skin and leave a wound. The correct action is to decline, explain the typical six-month waiting period, document the refusal, and offer trimming as an alternative.
Traps that cost marks
Re-dipping a used spatula into the pot. Going over the same area repeatedly until it bleeds. Waxing over a mole or a varicose vein. Skipping aftercare instructions: no heat, sun, friction, or exfoliation for 24–48 hours, then daily SPF. Ignoring scope rules - in DC, light-based hair removal is performed under physician authority.