Waxing

Question 1

Different forms of Hair Removal

Answer 1

• Shaving
• Plucking
• Threading
• Abrasive pads
• Sugaring
• Electrolysis
• Laser

Question 2

Shaving

Answer 2

• Quick and effective

• Very popular

• Cuts hair at skin surface

• Does not last long

• Very cheap

• Re-growth stronger & spiky!

Question 3

Plucking

Answer 3

• Tweezers are used to remove the hair from the root

• Very popular, lasts for a few weeks

• Can be uncomfortable

• Can be done at home therefore it is cheap

• Not suitable for large areas

Question 4

Threading

Answer 4

• Therapist uses piece of cotton & twists it around hair

• Hair is plucked out of follicle

• Lasts for a few weeks

• Can be painful

• Re-growth is fine & soft

• Great for very neat eyebrows

• Definitely requires skill

Question 5

Abrasive Pads

Answer 5

• An abrasive glove is rubbed over the skin and the hair broken off at the skin’s surface

• Can be used at home and is cheap

• Can irritate sensitive skin

• Only lasts a few days as hair is broken at skin surface

• Pain free

Question 6

Sugaring

Answer 6

• Sugaring is an ancient method

• The hairs become embedded in the sticky paste which is made of sugar, lemon and water

• Does not contain any chemicals so is kind to the skin

• Dissolves in water so is easy to clean off

• Removes hair from root so lasts for a few weeks

• Re-growth is soft/fine

• Cheap if done at home

Question 7

Laser

Answer 7

• Laser energy is used to destroy hair growth permanently

• The melanin pigment of the hair absorbs the laser energy and turns it in to heat, destroying the part of the hair follicle where cells divide to create new hairs

• The darker the hair, the more destruction occurs

• Laser can cause skin damage over time

Question 8

Why does it require a course of treatments?

Answer 8

• It is most effective during the active (or anagen) phase where the hair follicles are the most receptive to the laser light because they are rich in protein (keratin) and melanin

• Given that only 85 per pent of hair follicles are in the active (or anagen) phase at any one time, and this is the most effective phase, it is important to cycle your laser hair removal treatments every four to six weeks to ensure all hair follicles are treated

• Specific machines eg Nd:YAG are suitable for treating those with darker skin

Question 9

Different forms of Laser

Answer 9

• Alexandrite - ideal for people with light skin tone

• Nd YAG - best on thicker and courser hair and for darker skin

Question 10

IPL (Intensed Pulsed Light)

Answer 10

• IPL uses a broad spectrum of light with multiple wavelengths

• IPL systems differ to laser as they can deliver more wavelengths of light in each burst instead of just one

• This means that a wider area can be covered each session

• IPL is also used for skin rejuvenation treatments as well as hair removal

• IPL is not suitable for darker skin tones

Question 11

Waxing

Answer 11

• The removal of any hair using temporary methods is called depilation

• The areas of the body will include the legs, bikini line, face, upper lip, eyebrows and underarm

• Waxing is one the most popular forms of depilation and forms a large part of any salon business although laser is now also incredibly popular

Question 12

Contra-indications (Prevent)

Answer 12

• Skin infections

• Severe skin disorders

• Excessively creepy skin

• Diabetes - lack of skin sensation, poor
healing and thin skin

• Hyper-sensitive skin

• Sunburn

• Dilated capillaries

• Varicose veins - minor veins can be worked over with sugar wax only

• Thin skin – it may tear

• Scar tissue under 6 months – healing still occurring

• Steroids – thin the skin

• Heat rash – already inflamed

• Allergies – skin would react

Question 13

Contra-indications (Restrict)

Answer 13

• Non severe varicose veins

• Cuts and abrasions

• Minor sunburn

• Warts

• Hairy moles

• Bruises

Question 14

Waxing Industry Timings

Answer 14

• Eyebrow wax 15 minutes

• Underarm wax 15 minutes

• Bikini line wax 15 minutes

• Half leg wax 30 minutes

• Full leg wax 45 minutes

• Upper lip wax 10 minutes

• Chin wax 10 minutes

Question 15

Warm Wax

Answer 15

• It is applied at a temperature of 37-43 degrees C

• Warm wax is a mixture of glucose syrup and zinc oxide with synthetic resins and soothing agents such as azulene added to it

Question 16

Advantages & Disadvantages

Answer 16

• Has a milder skin reaction
• Has a low melting temperature
• Can be used on sensitive skins
• Gives an instant result
• Lasts between 4 and 6 weeks
• Treatment is quick and relatively inexpensive

• Not as effective on deep coarse rooted hairs
• The warm wax is applied too thickly for the strip to grip the hairs
• The warm wax is applied and removed in the wrong direction
• The wax is removed to slowly
• The angle at which the wax strip is removed is in correct

Question 17

Hot Wax

Answer 17

• Takes longer to heat than warm wax

• Relatively slow to use

• Used at a high temperature 50 degrees C

• Blend of waxes and resins so that the wax will remain flexible when cool

• Cetiol, azulene and vitamin E are often added to the wax preparation in order to soothe the skin and minimise the skins reaction

Question 18

Advantages & Disadvantages

Answer 18

• Removes very short and strong hairs
• Suitable for facial areas
• Gives an instant result
• Lasts between 4 and 6 weeks

• Slow
• Takes longer to heat than warm wax
• Can be painful due to the lifting of the lip to pull off the wax application
• Application too thin
• Wax is removed to slowly
• Skin is not held taut during treatment, and hairs are caught in the crease of the skin

Question 19

Health & Safety

Answer 19

• Check for contra-indications
• Protect area
• Check wires and plugs
• Pre-heat and test wax, stir thoroughly, test on self (inner arm) and client (the area you will treat)
• Remove jewellery
• Therapist must wash hands before and after each client
• Use disposable surgical gloves and an apron (PPE)
• Towels should be washed at 60˚ to kill bacteria
• A protective plastic couch cover should be used covered with disposable tissue roll
• All work surfaces, couches and trolleys should be wiped down with a chemical solution

Question 20

Waste Disposal

Answer 20

• Waste from waxing treatments may contain bodily fluids and skin
• It is called ‘Clinical waste’
• Disposed of in the yellow clinical waste bin
• The salon owner must arrange for it to be taken away (by the local health authority)
• The waste will be ‘incinerated’ (burnt)

Question 21

Histamine

Answer 21

• Chemical released by the body
• Histamine primarily causes a nerve response in the form of itching, irritation or even pain depending on skin sensitivity.
• Histamine causes vaso-dilation of the blood vessels, which rise to the skin surface causing a red blotchy effect over the area resembling red pin prick dots on the skin surface

Question 22

Hair Disorders

Answer 22

• Alopecia – loss of hair
• Hypertrichosis – abnormal hair growth
• Hirsutism – excess terminal hair growth

Question 23

Alopecia

Answer 23

• Long-term chronic stress
• Shock and sudden extreme stress
• Physical trauma
• Local skin injury
• Genetic predisposition
• Viral/bacterial infection
• Pregnancy/hormones
• Allergies
• Chemicals

Question 24

Hypertrichosis

Answer 24

• Hypertrichosis is hair growth over and above what is normally expected
• Hair can develop all over the body or, more likely, in a small patch

Question 25

Hirsutism

Answer 25

• Hirsutism is excess terminal hair growth in women, with a male distribution pattern
• The excess hair growth is limited to one or more areas including the moustache, beard and chest
• Hirsutism is usually associated with hormones

Question 26

Contra-actions

Answer 26

• Burns
• Erythema
• Ingrowing hairs
• Removal of skin

Question 27

After Care

Answer 27

• Apply after wax lotion to prevent dryness or ingrown hairs
• Avoid wearing tight clothing for 24 hours
• Exfoliate at least two to three days before the waxing treatment takes place
• Avoid talcum powder, deodorants, perfumes, tanning products, make up or perfumed body lotions over the treated area (24 hrs)
• Use only unperfumed soap and water
• Avoid sun beds, hot baths, sauna and steam baths
• No touching or scratching of the treated area

Question 28

Hair Types

Answer 28

Lanugo hair is the finest of all. It is black and very soft and fluffy, rather like the hair on a monkey
• It covers the body of a developing baby while it is in the uterus. It is usually shed just before birth to be replaced by vellus hair

Vellus hair is slightly coarser than lanugo but is still soft and downy
•It covers most of the body except the lips, palms of the hands and soles of the feet

Terminal hair is thick, coarse hair which grows much longer than vellus hair. It is produced from much deeper follicles in the skin
• The main function of terminal hair is to protect. Terminal hairs are found on the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, axillary areas (armpits), pubic area, mans back, chest and beard

Question 29

Structure of the Hair

Answer 29

Cuticle

• Outside layer of the hair
• Composed of single layer of over lapping clear thin keratinised cells
• The function of the cuticle is to give the hair elasticity

Cortex

• Forms the bulk of the hair shaft
• Holds the trapped pigment cells
• Gives the hair its colour density
• Composed of several layers of spindle shaped elongated keratinised cells cemented together

Medulla

• Not always present
• Air pockets reflect the light
• Giving the hair its glossy sheen and colour tones
• Composed of loosely connected keratinised cells

Question 30

Stages of Hair Growth

Answer 30

Anagen (Active)

• Longest growing phase (affects 85% of hair at any one time)
• Average growing phase lasts 1 to 6 years
• People with long hair have longer anagen cycle
• People with shorter anagen cycle will never have long hair

Catagen (Changing)

• At the end of the anagen phase, hair growth stops
• This is the catagen phase, lasting roughly 2 weeks
• No new cells are produced in dermal papilla
• Hair follicle shrinks to one sixth of its original length

Telogen

• Period of rest for hair follicle and dermal papilla
• Telogen lasts roughly 10 to 12 weeks
• About 10–15% of follicles in telogen at any one time

Anagen

• At end of telogen phase, hair re-enters anagen phase
• Follicle lengthens downwards
• Dermal papilla becomes active again