There are essentially two types of hot wax available for beauty therapists/estheticians to use. Traditional style hot wax takes its name from the temperature it has been heated to, it can feel quite hot on the skin. And the new Non Strip wax style.

Traditional Hot Wax Applied with a wooden spatula in a figure 8, adding additional layers to increase thickness and ensure all hairs are trapped in the wax before removal. Wax has a strong hold on the hairs, but when it cools it hardens on the skin and is often very difficult to remove. In some cases, it may feel like using a putty knife to chisel away the wax.

Most therapists are now turning to the new style of hot wax that was initially developed in the early 1980’s by a French chemist. This style of wax has various names, such as Non Strip, Brazilian, Peelable, Hot Film, etc. They all basically work the same way and with a much lower melting temperature, making them much more comfortable for the customer.

Before starting hair removal, check the area to be removed, look at the hair growth directions and where necessary if the hair is too long (usually more than 1 cm long) with scissors, cut it to about a grade 2 (6 mm), but not shorter.

Before applying the wax, clean the skin with a suitable cleansing product on a cotton pad. Next, prepare the area for waxing with a very small amount of pre-waxing oil. Various wax companies now make them, commonly with a jasmine fragrance. Using oil instead of talc is a much better way to prepare the skin, you create a lipid barrier between the skin and the wax, which means it sticks to the hair and not to the skin. As a result, wax removal is much easier and more comfortable for the client. If the wax slips when you apply the excess oil, run a strip over the area and this will remove all the excess oil and leave the perfect amount.

To apply the wax, scoop a small amount from the pot onto your disposable wooden spatula and apply the wax in the direction of hair growth as you would warm strip wax. The line should be fairly thin, but not too thin, as it will break when removed. There’s a bit of an art to getting the thickness right, and every crayon is slightly different, so play around with yours to practice this. If the wax is too thin, you can apply a little more on top to thicken it up. You can also extend the length of the strip by overlapping it slightly and continuing down.

To save time, you can apply a second strip to the skin, adjacent to but not touching the first strip. Once you have finished applying this strip, the first one is ready to be removed.

Before you remove the wax, simply tap it where it is thickest to make sure it’s set, then start by tapping the end of the strip with your finger or the end of a putty knife. Now, holding the skin tight, remove the strip, if it’s a long strip, don’t yank it off! Instead, remove a short section, move your brace hand near the end of the wax you’re removing, and stretch the skin again. Continue this to the end of the strip. Once removed, press your hand to the skin or rub it once to soothe it.

Once all hair has been removed, apply a generous amount of oil and remove with your cleansing product on a cotton pad. This removes any sticky residue and prepares the skin for lotion or after-wax products.

For very short and unruly hair, you can apply the wax against the direction of hair growth and then remove it as usual. This can help lift the hairs in the wax to ensure they are securely attached.