I was reading a post from a fellow esthetician today; she had a new client come in for a Brazilian wax. The client questioned if she was going to wear gloves during the procedure. The esthetician was shocked when she asked this; I was shocked when I read it, so I an only imagine how she felt being asked this in person! The client mentioned that the first time she had a Brazilian wax; the esthetician did not wear gloves during the procedure. For those of you that have had a Brazilian wax with me, friend or family, I wear gloves all the time. How can anyone put their hands on someone’s private area to perform a waxing service without gloves?! That is awful, unsanitary, & illegal.
If you are getting Brazilian (or bikini & French waxes) waxes & your esthetician is not using gloves, you have no idea how dangerous it can be, not only for you but for your esthetician as well. You don’t know what illnesses they could possibly have, even if you have your client fill out an intake form, sometimes people do not want to share their full medical history with you. It can also be dangerous because blood can sometimes surface from waxing. Waxing leaves small wounds on your skin. The follicles are left open and can bleed, especially if you have extremely thick, coarse hair, this is totally normal. Even if your follicles don’t bleed, you have crossed the blood barrier of the skin. With your skin open, you are vulnerable to such things as a staph infection, MSRA, even Hepatitis.
Please demand your esthetician to wear gloves every time they give you a Brazilian wax. Even if you watch them wash their hands, there are still places for bacteria to remain, such as her fingernails. You don’t know if they have something as innocuous as a paper cut you can’t see that could potentially expose you to a deadly disease. This is not only for your protection as a client but also for the safety of the esthetician. So always remember…NO glove…No love.
Also, always make sure they are using clean sheets on the bed every time. Many places don’t change their linens, if you’re suspicious of the esthetician using dirty linens; ask for a clean towel to be put under you. When I wax my clients, I use special disposable waxing paper that is changed after every wax, just like when you go to a doctor’s office, along with a clean towel.
Another common problem is double dipping. If your esthetician double dips, meaning she uses the stick to apply the wax then dips it back into the pot again, leave. You are exposing yourself to the germs of countlessstrangers and then that is being spread onto your skin. Even worse, there is the likely hood that the applications will slightly overlap so that wax is being spread onto tiny open wounds. Imagine if the wax being used on your lip was used to do someone’s Brazilian. Wouldn’t you find that rather disgusting? It could be possible if they double dip! When I give Brazilian waxes to my clients, I probably use anywhere from 10-25 wax sticks. If you noticed your esthetician used 1 or 2 wax sticks for your service, they are more than likely double dipping.
Your esthetician should always follow all proper sanitation rules every time you get a Brazilian wax or any waxing involved in your private area. This is not only for your protection but your estheticians as well. Keep in mind, if the esthetician that has been waxing you without wearing gloves, using dirty linens, & double dipping the wax sticks, they are also waxing all their other clients this way. This just shows how important the client’s safety is to them & how they are not protecting themselves as professionals, especially since their hands are what keeps them in business.
Try to get your Brazilian wax with someone that has a good reputation, go with referrals from friends or family, & definitely someone that is experienced. Be careful with the nail salons that offer waxing, yes, most of them are very cheap, but most of the nail techs that work in those places are not properly trained to give waxes…you get what you pay for. If you look around the wax room inside most of those nail salons, the wax pots usually have old dirty wax caked on them, tweezers all soiled with wax & hair on them, & the same dirty sheet full of wax, hair, & whatever products they use in there wax services.
There are many great estheticians out in the Spa & Salon industry that take proper care of their clients in the safest & most sanitary way. Unfortunately there are those few that don’t take pride in their profession & the safety of their clients, sad to say, it’s out there. Getting a Brazilian wax has so many benefits, you don’t have to shave, risk getting ingrown hair, & the more you wax, the less it grows back. Don’t let all these things scare you, just make sure to get a Brazilian wax with a clean, safe esthetician that has your safety & their own, their top priority.
April M. Monterrosa is Proud Latina from San Antonio, Texas, a Marine Corps wife, Mama of a Dachshund, licensed Cosmetologist of 17 years, The Lil Spa Room Owner, Founder of the Wonderfully Wise Women Group, Blog, & Online Magazine, a Writer for SAXtreme Magazine, PCA Skin Chemical Peel certified, & a Nuskin Skin Care Distributor.
TexasMade
November 15, 2014 at 10:36 amThat is so true! I can’t remember how many times I try to tell people to be cautious of their beauty service. I once worked in a nail salon where they asked if I knew how to wax. I told them I wasn’t licensed to do that-I just had my manicurist license and their response was, “that’s ok. But if u know how to wax u can do it-just don’t get caught!” I quit the next week,